How An Untortured Artist Gets Unstuck

Guest Post by Kent Youngstrom

here are days (like today) when i don’t want to paint.  have no desire to paint. would rather sit, sleep, surf, waste away.  anything accept paint.

guess what i have to do…paint.

so i’ll  start slow.  warm up.  stretch.  paint something other than what’s due. my mind and body will take over and do it.

if i’m still not feeling it…

i’ll try just black and white.

switch hands.

turn the canvas sideways or upside down.  start over.

red bull.  change the music.  no music.  go outside.  go for a walk.  a run.  take a shower.  use a color you never use.  give myself a time limit.

yoga.  paint and talk to a friend on speaker.

copy someone’s work… then add your own touch.  pretend the painting is a gift.  scream at the work.

my best strategy however – is to paint more than one at a time.  work on as many pieces at once as i can.  one is too confining – too much pressure.  i always paint two when commissioned to paint one.

i can paint over the one i don’t like – or let the customer choose (they may buy both!)

just paint it.