What to do when you catch yourself in “courtroom mode”

You named it. You know you're doing it. You can hear yourself cross-examining every brushstroke, cataloging evidence that you're not good enough, delivering a guilty verdict before the paint dries.

But what do you do when you catch yourself mid-spiral?

This one's the follow-up to Your Studio Isn't a Courtroom — the practical side. Because recognition without tools leaves you stuck watching yourself repeat the same pattern. And if you've ever thought okay, I see it now, but how do I stop? — this is for you.

In this episode:

• The simplest redirection tool (it sounds too easy, but it creates the split-second of space you need to choose differently)
• How to shift from prosecuting questions to investigating ones — and why "what's wrong with this?" keeps you trapped
• Why experiments can't fail, but verdicts always do
• The friend test: would you ever talk to another artist the way you talk to yourself in your head?
• What to do when you freeze — one concrete action that interrupts the spiral and starts the conversation with your painting again
• What your studio's actual job is (and why forgetting this turns every session into a trial)

This episode's for you if:

• You can see the pattern now, but you don't know how to interrupt it once it starts
• You stand there analyzing instead of painting, trying to figure out the move that won't get you criticized
• You're tired of the harsh voice winning every time — but kindness feels like giving up
• You want tools that work in the moment, not theory you have to remember later

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LINKS: https://savvypainter.com/356-your-studio-isnt-a-courtroom-make-yours-the-safest-place-to-create/

Do you spend more time thinking about making art than actually making it? Start things you never finish? Make work and then stack it against the wall, facing inward, so you don't have to look at it?

If any of that sounds familiar, I'd love to chat.

Click here: savvypainter.com/survey to tell me what's going on. If it seems like I need more info, I'll reach out to schedule a call.

Thanks so much!

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