Are you ready to step into a new beginning?

There’s a moment, long before starting a painting when I hesitate. By the time the panel is primed and on my easel, I’m usually ready. This moment comes before that. Staring into nothingness looking for my genesis.

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” – Albert Einstein

The possibilities seem overwhelming. Ideas swirl, but none feel quite right. It’s easy to get stuck in that place. Overthinking, trying to anticipate every detail, every shortcoming, before the first mark has even been made.

I’ve learned that the longer I linger in that space, the harder it is to even start. Overthinking is often the greatest obstacle to creativity. I’ll stare at the canvas, waiting for the perfect plan to emerge. But art doesn’t work like that. Creation happens in the doing.

The quiet before the storm.

The magic begins when we step out of our heads and into action. The answers that feel elusive when we’re sitting still often appear when we start moving. That movement can begin while scribbling in a sketchbook or when we’re sifting through old photos looking for a common theme or thread. We’re building a new world from scratch. One brushstroke leads to the next, and suddenly the work begins to take shape.

It’s the same with anything in life. We don’t need to have it all figured out before we begin. The act of starting, of diving in even when we feel uncertain, reveals the path forward.

So if you’re stuck, just start. Pick up the brush, make that first mark. Let go of the overthinking and let the process guide you. You’ll be amazed at what unfolds when you give yourself the permission to move forward, even without all the answers.

Do you find yourself overthinking?

Will action reveal the next steps?

Are you ready to step into a new beginning?