So once you have the initial sketch done for a painting, & you have it roughly painted in, this is as alive as the painting will ever be. Every brush stroke after, slowly takes the life out of it. Every dab of paint deadens it. Once you go down this road, you begin the slow arduous process of killing it, & then working your damnedest to resuscitate it.
Why not walk away in the beginning? ….because it seems too easy to leave that beautiful lively, expressive sketch. Even though it seems to say all that you need it to say. It seems perfect.
In your mind, there must be some struggle, or it doesn’t seem legitimate.
I guess the struggle could be the ability just to leave it alone.