The general technique here is an excellent one that has a lot appeal to me, that I find quite useful, and that I actually apply quite often myself -- without ever having really stopped to take note of it as something to recommend. Bravo. (Perhaps it's no coincidence that among LW readers I have a higher-than-average interest in things artistic.)

One not-specifically-artistic example that comes to mind: when I find myself feeling negatively toward the country of Italy as a result of the Amanda Knox situation (which does sometimes happen, even though I'm very conscious of the irrationality of this), I think of Piergiorgio Odifreddi.