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/
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