There’s a moment in every painting when it all feels like it could fall apart. A brushstroke too many, a color choice that fights back, a layer that refuses to settle. It’s the edge of disaster—where chaos and creation collide. And that’s exactly where the real art happens.
It’s not art unless it has the potential to become a disaster.
Safe art is forgettable. It’s decoration. It pleases but doesn’t provoke. True art—art that grips you, stays with you, and demands to be felt—comes from risk. It’s found in the unpredictable, in the moments where an artist isn’t just making marks but making choices.
Every great artwork has its battle scars, its near-misses, its moments of doubt. The best pieces teeter on the brink of ruin before they find their way back. That’s where the magic is.
So if you’re playing it safe, ask yourself—are you really making art? Or are you just painting?