Let's Practice Doing That

Last year during our trip to San Francisco, I bought this book.


It is paragraphs like these that make me so glad I bought it. Whether you are an artist or not, I find this exerpt extremely applicable. And the wording is so typical from a "self help" type book, it makes me smile...but kind of cringe at the same time.

"What really distinguishes the productive artist from the would-be artist? The former looks at the blank ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and says, "Hm, I wonder what should go there?" The other says "My God, no way I'm touching that!"
Most people are in the second category. They see difficulty where the creative person sees opportunity. If you find yourself in that second category, what should you do? First, become aware of that secret muffled message. Second, when you hear it, try to change it. In cognitive therapy this techinique is called "thought substitution." You could try replacing "This is too hard" with one of the following messages:
"This will be easy"
"This will be hard but not THAT hard"
"This will be VERY hard, but I'm game"
Each of these affirmations has its merits, and it doesn't matter which one you choose. What's important is that you dispel the idea that creating is too hard, that it's somehow beyond your capabilities. In this period of exploration, it would be good if you got aquainted with using all three of these affirmations. Let's practice doing that."

Ok, I know. It's incredibly cheesy. Even so, I think there's a lot to be said for not letting your fears stand in the way of what you want to do. Take this family for instance: