Many of you know how I feel about green. I have complained before about how reticent I am to work with it.Yesterday, I found myself gently scolding another artist. She had told me that she was 'no good with technology' and therefore couldn't use social media to show her work. I asked her if she was happy being defeated - if it felt good to say she was incapable of something, despite being a successful, intelligent, strong-minded woman.As she said, 'of course not!' and vowed to try harder, the penny dropped for me. What have I been doing with green? I have been telling myself (and anyone else who will listen) that I cannot work with green; that it has defeated me.I have also been telling myself that I don't have time for play - even though I know that creative play if so vital for successful art-making.So I have taken a new tack. This week's studio time is all about play - and mostly about playing with the colours I avoid. Green is now everywhere in my studio. I have even splattered some on the floor, to add to the pink and red and purple and magenta splatters that were already there.And you know what? it feels good. Some of these play pieces have inspired ideas. Some are going to turn into small pieces for sale. And some are currently a bit of a disaster. But all of them represent determination - the determination not to settle for doing only the things that come easily, but to also push into areas that are more challenging.When I first came back to art 6 years ago, I only worked in pen and ink and solely in monochrome. I told myself that it was because I preferred that style and medium - but that wasn't the truth. In reality, black and white is all I dared to do.Compare my work then, when I was guided by fear:to my most recent finished painting when I am guided by a sense of exploration.And yet that confidence and curiosity disappears when it comes to green and I have allowed that to happen.Not any more! Green may never be my favourite colour, but I am going to spend some time finding out. Because I am not going to let fear dictate the parameters of my work ever again.And this is my challenge to you ... are there areas of your work or your art career where fear is holding you back? If so, what can you do to break through?