Doubt Is Part of the Process

If I’m not questioning the painting, something is wrong.

Doubt is always present in the studio. It doesn’t dominate, but it’s there—quietly shaping decisions. It forces me to slow down, to reconsider, to push the work further rather than settling too early.

That might sound uncomfortable, but it’s necessary. Without doubt, the work becomes predictable. It falls back on what I already know works instead of exploring what might work.

My background in teaching reinforced this. Real learning doesn’t happen in certainty—it happens when you’re slightly unsure, when you’re testing something beyond your current understanding. Painting operates in exactly the same way.

Collectors often connect with this energy. They may not see the moments of hesitation or revision, but they can feel that the painting has been worked through rather than simply executed.

That tension gives the work its honesty.

Call to action:
Can you sense when a painting has pushed beyond certainty?