I often wonder what people are thinking. As a speed painter, people see my work come together in a matter of minutes. The audience is privy to the entire process and there are always times in every creation where it looks like it is just not going to come together. In those moments I wonder if they think, “This guy isn’t good. Why did we bring him in?” The thing is, they don’t know what I know. They don’t know where I’m headed or what I hope to accomplish. They can’t. They’re not the creator. I am.

Every creative knows what it’s like to have a creation go through an awkward phase. That time when it looks like it’s just not coming together. The rehearsal goes terrible. The painting looks like it will never be what you see in your mind. The notes just aren’t falling into place. The story…