There is a moment that comes just before starting a painting that is often harder than any part of the work itself. The drawing is finished. The idea is clear. Everything is ready—and yet beginning feels uncertain.
I remember reading in Drawing Down the Moon how Charles Vess delayed beginning a painting for weeks, finding other things to do, not because he didn’t know what to do, but because he understood what was at stake and found himself a little nervous. That hesitation felt familiar.
I’ve experienced the same thing in my own work—standing at the edge of a painting, knowing how much care it will require, and feeling the quiet pressure of not wanting to get it wrong.
“I’ve found that the more meaningful the piece is, the stronger that hesitation to begin can become.”
Recognizing the Hesitation
That hesitation doesn’t come from laziness. It comes from awareness.
When you care about the outcome—about the story, the character, the moment—you also become aware of how easily it can be diminished through rushed or uncertain work. The blank page isn’t the problem. It’s the responsibility that comes with filling it.
I’ve found that the more meaningful the piece is, the stronger that hesitation to begin can become.
The Oil Painting Lesson
I remember this clearly from years ago when I began my first oil painting. It was a new medium, unfamiliar and uncertain. The first session passed with very little progress. The second session was much the same. I was cautious, tentative, and unsure of each decision.
My first oil painting – ever. The Little Kitten Met A Rooster from The Little Kitten Who Forgot How to Talk, 2004
Then something shifted during the third session. I relaxed. Not because the painting became easier, but because I accepted that I could work through it. From that point forward, the painting moved with a kind of clarity and momentum that hadn’t been there before.
The work didn’t change. My relationship to it did.
A Familiar Pattern
Even years later, there have been times when I have completed a drawing and then let it sit for days—or weeks—before beginning to paint. Not because I didn’t have time, but because I was reluctant to take the next step.
Recently, while working on a commission entitled Come Follow Me, the drawing was complete, and yet I found myself delaying the moment of beginning—finding other things to work on. I kept telling myself that I would start when I felt more ready. I already understood the scene and what I wanted it to communicate.
But the readiness never comes before the work.
Come Follow Me, Watercolor, 2026
When I finally began painting, the uncertainty that had held me back began to give way to clarity. Decisions became more natural. The painting began to move forward. What had felt difficult at the beginning became manageable through the act of doing.
Beginning Changes Everything
What I’ve come to understand is that the hesitation doesn’t disappear before you begin. It disappears because you begin.
The act of starting—even imperfectly—breaks the tension. Once paint touches paper, the work becomes something you can respond to rather than something you must imagine perfectly in advance. Momentum replaces hesitation.
Pushing Through, Not Eliminating
I don’t think the goal is to eliminate that hesitation entirely. In many ways, it’s a sign that the work matters.
The goal is to move forward in spite of it—to begin even when the outcome isn’t guaranteed, and to trust that clarity will come through the act of working.
Trusting the Process
Every painting I’ve completed has required that first step—often taken with some degree of uncertainty. And every time, the same pattern holds true: once I begin, the work finds its way forward.
That doesn’t remove the responsibility or the care required. But it does remind me that the only way through the hesitation is to move into the work itself. And with each beginning, that step becomes a little easier to take.
M. Chad Randall is a published children’s book illustrator known for his gentle, emotionally resonant artwork. He is available for partnerships with writers, publishers, and editors who value timeless, story-driven illustration. He’d love to bring your next project to life. Contact HERE.
Recent Comments