Last month I gave you Art-making Mantra #2 (Can't Be Too Precious!), today I present to you the one that came before.

These past few weeks I wanted to paint, but resisted in a really BIG way.

When I mentioned my painting woes on Facebook a friend of mine responded "I hear either fear or expectations. Enter them or set them aside. Move forward." He was bang on. (Thank you SZ!)

Time to pull out Art-making Mantra #1: Go to the Table.

Dancer II - work in progress, 8x16 on canvas

a product of going back to the table

The harder I resist painting the more I need to get my butt to my art table and play with paints. "Just go to the table" I tell myself.

The dancer pictured above is a result of yesterday's push to move forward. I had no clue she was going to come out, I started with gobs of green paint on a blank canvas and went from there. I started.

An invitation

In the spirit of building on yesterday's momentum I intend to go to the art table every day this week, Monday to Friday, five days in a row. I've done it before using five pieces of cardboard (cardboard is a trick I use to take away the intimidation factor), I can do it again. I'll report on it here to keep me accountable - the good, the bad and the ugly.

Here's today's result:

Dancer III - work in progress, 12x12 on canvas board

the scale and legs look weird, but I like the skirt and her right arm so I'll work with those

No expectations. Just presence, practice and play.

It doesn't matter if your table is covered in paints, polaroids or paragraphs, the mantra isn't media-dependent. The important thing is to start whatever you're resisting.

Care to join me in my five-day challenge? It's always more fun with company.