Are you trying really hard to make a good painting? Do you find yourself tightening up for fear of messing up?

One of the hardest things to do as an artist is to let go of the desire to make something 'good.' It's also one of the most vital.We HAVE to stop trying - in fact, any time we find ourselves trying and straining to produce a "good" painting, we need to stop.

Put the brushes down.

Step away from the canvas.

And then prepare mentally for a bold move.

Bold moves always work. They don't always produce a better painting immediately - sometimes they look really awful! - but they force you out of the noodling and fiddling that is keeping you stuck. They stop you trying to force something to work when it's just not going to.I was reminded of this again yesterday. I haven't felt the urge to work on large paintings since the lockdown began, but finally I felt a shift and I pulled out a work-in progress.

This 1M sq. painting is a problem for one very clear reason ... I started it consciously trying to reproduce something that had been successful for me in the past. That never works for me (but I always forget that at the start!) Last year I made a series of large red paintings. I loved them. They sold. End of story. I moved on.

But then I had the bright idea to do another red painting ... and predictably, it didn't work. I spent a frustrating few hours applying different shades of red with different tools and noodling with the neutral areas and getting nowhere fast. And then I realised what was happening so I stepped away, spent some time reconnecting with what I want my art to be about at the moment (which includes space, freedom, what lies beneath the surface, mystery, permanence and impermanence), and tuned in to my intuition.

"Cover up," it whispered, "light neutrals, scratchy marks, hide most of the red."

So I did. And as soon as I let go of that red and started to cover it up, I felt so good! Now the painting presents new, fresh challenges but they are challenges that align with my intentions for my work. How to create a sense of space but make the spacious areas as complex and interesting as the bolder marks ... how to create depth, so that we sense the layers underneath the surface ... how to create a sense of mystery. I will work on these challenges in the coming days.

Emboldened by my actions, I went back to another work-in-progress. This is a much smaller painting (30cm x 30cm) and so it's easier to quickly shake things up. Once again, I tuned in to intuition. It was a perfectly nice painting, but I don't want nice - I want exciting! The dark blue is made up of cobalt blue, black and burnt sienna, so I decided to take add a shot of pure cobalt blue and to switch media, so that it was even more of a jolt to the eye. So, I chose an oil pastel, took a deep breath, and made two bold marks that immediately brought the painting to life.

These bold moves feel scary - but actually they always lead us to a better place. Either they look fantastic - result! - OR they don't and if they don't, we now have something to respond to. It almost doesn't matter whether you like what you've done or not ... it's the bold action that gets you out of a rut and starts the painting moving again.

You are only scared because you think you have something to lose. In actual fact, you have everything to gain.

So come on ... what bold action could you take today?

In a few weeks, I'll be running a free 10-day online workshop and I'll teach you how to change your mindset so that this kind of big bold move stops being frightening and becomes exciting. We start in June but sign up now to secure your place. We are going to have a blast!