Sometimes Nothing Works

I had a student tell me that when he starts a new work he freezes up. "Me too", was my reply to him and, "Get used to it". I went on to explain that I try to see it as excitement rather than a fear. He nodded to let me know he understood and that he believed what I said.
Even though I've been doing this for a long time now, each painting is different. I go through the same steps, in general, that I have always gone with. But, each painting has it's own personality. Just like people, some are good, some bad, some funny, etc, etc. The painting I just finished would not be someone I would call a friend. It did everything it could to work me over. Anything I achived of any artistic merit I had to work hard for. It, like people, didn't want me to tell it what to do. It turned out the way it wanted to and not at all the way I intended. I start another studio day in the morning and will stand like a deer in the head lights that is a blank canvas, too dumb to be scared.