The realness of my workspace- potato dog included.

Finding the Courage to Show Up

Some nights, I sit at my dining-room-table studio feeling completely off my game. Last evening was one of those nights. After a day juggling work calls, family logistics, and an achy injury from yesterday’s workout, I opened my tutorial on character drawing… only to have my dog sketch emerge looking like a sad, unrecognizable potato (and not the cute kind). My color choices were off too—something I usually nail.

So close, and yet so far away…

I mean, he’s got POTATencial- get it? 🤦🏼‍♀️

In that moment, the perfectionism, comparison, and overwhelm all ganged up on me. My inner critic whispered, “Why even try? You’re not good enough.” Yet I didn’t want to let a bad drawing derail my “always forward momentum” mindset. So I reminded myself of an important truth:

Progress isn’t linear—and showing up is its own victory.

Identifying the Resistance

We all face this trio of creative roadblocks:

Perfectionism: The urge to make every line flawless.
Comparison: Scrolling feeds, seeing others’ highlight reels.
Overwhelm: Too many demands—from the world and from ourselves.

That night, my perfectionism flared: I wanted each sketch to prove I was leveling up. Comparison popped up as I remembered other artists’ polished dog portraits. And overwhelm settled in when my hand throbbed from yesterday’s workout. Recognizing these feelings as they arose was the first step toward moving through them.

Three Micro-Steps to Break Through

Whenever the resistance strikes, I lean on tiny actions that build momentum:

1. Set a 5-Minute Timer with One Tool
I grab my “ugly” sketchbook—a no-judgment zone where I can scribble freely—and set a simple timer on my phone for five minutes. This unglamorous sketchbook is my secret weapon: I can’t worry about perfection when I’m just warming up. Listening to a short YouTube video or podcast helps me doodle without overthinking.

2. Use a “Permission Sticker”
I plan to design a sticker that reads:

“You have permission to be right where you are. This moment is already a good one.”
For now, I write that phrase on a sticky note and place it on my sketchbook cover. That visual cue is like a gentle pat on the back—permission to play, fail, and experiment.

3. Celebrate Any Mark
That first swirl or scribble counts. After I make my initial big loop or quick doodle, I smile, take a breath, and say, “I’m here. I showed up.” Sometimes I even snap a quick photo to remind myself later that progress is the goal, not perfection.

A Night of Tiny Triumphs

Last night, applying these steps changed everything. With my timer ticking, I scribbled loose swirls across the page—no pressure to “draw a dog.” I let my hand find its rhythm. The permission note reminded me to embrace the process. By the time the timer buzzed, my wrist felt warmed up and my spirit lifted.

I followed up by pulling prompt #103 from my 365 Art & Soul Journal:

“If the word inspiration were a color, what color would it be? Draw something inspired by that color.”

That prompt whisked me out of my critical headspace. I chose a bright aqua—my lifelong favorite—and painted a quick abstract watercolor splash. It wasn’t a dog, but it was mine. And it reminded me that creativity thrives when we loosen our grip.

Your Daily Permission to Play

If you ever feel stuck on the hamster wheel of self-doubt, give yourself these micro-steps. And if you’d like a year’s worth of gentle prompts to spark your practice, grab your free 365 Art & Soul Journal with Prompts. It’s my daily permission slip to play—one prompt, one page, one tiny triumph at a time.

Keep showing up. Your next best idea is waiting on the other side of that first mark. ✨