Pushing Through: Showing Up in the Studio Even When It’s Hard

February has been a challenge. I’ve found it difficult to get into the

studio, and I can’t quite pinpoint why. Maybe my mind is too cluttered.

Maybe my studio is too cluttered. Maybe the world outside is too cluttered.

Or maybe it’s all of the above.

Lately, I’ve been working on setting up systems and routines to help me

keep showing up. I’ve noticed a pattern—when I get to a stage in a painting

that requires bigger or more difficult decisions, I feel the most

resistance to stepping into my studio space. It’s as if my brain finds

every excuse to avoid the work.

To counter that, I set up a simple system: just 10 minutes a day of looking

at my paintings. No pressure, no expectations—just showing up. At the

beginning of February, I slipped back into resistance, avoiding my work.

But once I committed to those small moments of presence, I started to find

my way back in.

What I’m learning (again and again) is that showing up matters. Even when I

don’t feel like it, even when I doubt the process—just being in the studio,

spending time with the work, keeps the momentum going. The paintings move

forward, even if just a little at a time. And sometimes, that’s enough.