Stepping out of your Comfort Zone!

“Change begins at the end of your comfort zone.”

How do you define your personal comfort zone? For me, I think of it as toeing the waves as they lap against the shore, wishing I could wade in further but standing planted in the sand. While feeling calm and safe is a wonderful thing, “comfort zone” can sometimes turn into “complacent.” It’s important in life to get comfortable with being uncomfortable - that is where the magic happens! 

Breaking out of your comfort zone can be easier said than done. It can be a big decision (like changing your career) or it can be small (like deciding to enroll in a class, or submitting a painting to an art show for the first time). Regardless, it takes courage and drive, and any step further into that ocean of the unknown is something to be proud of.

Some of you may be wondering, “how do I take that first step out of my comfort zone?” My first recommendation is to begin exercising your curiosity. Allow yourself to ask questions and explore your options, and don’t be afraid to evaluate alternatives and walk down different paths. Children always dive into their creative curiosity: they happen upon a stone and see a mountain to scale as a world-class explorer; they pick up a piece of paper and discover paper dolls, crowns, and confetti within the blink of an eye. When everything is an object of curiosity and the world is adventurous and exciting, venturing out of a “comfort zone” becomes thrilling. Every fork in the road is an opportunity for discovery when you’re eager to indulge in your curiosity. 

Here a couple of ways you can venture out of your comfort zone and delve into creative curiosity as an artist: 

  • Take on a “painting of the day challenge.”
    If you read that sentence and thought “no way - I could never commit to one painting of the day,” then this is the challenge for you! It’s time to ask why your immediate gut-reaction was “no.” Why, in this scenario, is “no” your comfort zone? Allow yourself to be curious to know how your practice will evolve and improve after 30 days of consistent painting.

  • Sign up for a new online painting course.
    If your read that sentence and thought “no way - I don’t want to sign up for a new course,” then this is another challenge for you! Are you worried about committing to a course you might not finish? Are you concerned you can’t make the time? Do you not want to pay the price of enrollment? Allow yourself to be curious of how your practice will improve with a new course. You can make the time for taking classes if you’re willing to step outside of your comfort zone, and there are wallet friendly options, such as my upcoming fall workshops (only $149.00 for two full painting demonstrations and 10 lessons - get on the waitlist to hear when spots open at

  • Mentally replace the word “can’t” with the phrase “I’m not willing to.”
    How does that change the way you approach things? You CAN do anything you set your mind to. The question is: WILL you?

Let’s venture out of our comfort zones and into the exciting unknown together!

Caryl Pomales