Lessons from my inner critic
A heartfelt thank you. Life can be quite lovely when we learn what the inner critic's voice sounds like and ignore it.
Hello, my creative friends - how have your festivities been going?
My COVID brain still struggles to write the thoughts whirring around my head in any meaningful order. My inner critic asks that I seek your forgiveness for any inconsistency and mistakes I make today.
May I first take this opportunity to thank you?
My heartfelt thanks to those who subscribe and engage with these musings as I navigate what I wish to convey, share, and express in this space. To those who have been my steadfast cheerleaders when I wanted to give up, you know who you are. I'm profoundly thankful for each one of you; I truly consider myself fortunate.
A lesson from the inner critic
As I realised in my last post about perfectionism, this platform has really evolved to become MY creative prescription. A space to share my work, words, curiosity, and creativity.
With that, I've been given an opportunity at work that I can't turn down and want to embrace.
Over the past six months, despite my inner critic insisting I wasn't up to par or was squandering my time, my hard work has morphed into a new opportunity. To do the job I wanted to do months ago, so you see, the pressure is off a little. The load on my art practice and this Substack has lightened, too.
I feel a little more freedom, in fact.
So, as I illustrated the theme of the inner critic, I've pondered its effects and lessons a lot this past week…
What I've learned from this drawing
As a woman stepping into middle age and a new phase of life, the inner critic has been a constant companion throughout my journey. At times, it has served as a guardian, offering protection. More often than not, however, it has held me back.
The inner critic is insidious - camouflaging itself in thoughts and manifesting as doubt, resistance, and insecurity.
Thankfully, as opposed to my previous two illustrations - Overwhelm and Perfectionism, life hasn't imitated art. I have learned that life can be quite lovely when we learn what the inner critic's voice sounds like and ignore it when we need to.
Before I go, a message for 2023
2023, please shut the door firmly as you leave. Thank you for your gifts and the lessons I’ve learned from them. Even though many were unwanted. You’ve given me your blessings but also left many scars.
And for 2024…
I embrace all you have to bring and will attempt to meet your challenges and opportunities with an open mind and heart. I would ask you to be kind, but I know better. Craving and wanting creates suffering and dissatisfaction, so I’ll take each moment as it arises.
Stay creative, my friends; see you in 2024.
The drawing around perfectionism can be found here:
Love it when we start learning how to ignore our inner critics!
Here's a bit about mine: Over the last 6 years I've learnt exactly how to deal with my inner critic. First, she has a name, so it's easy to identify her. Its Mergatroid.
She spends a lot of time at the health spa, with other people's inner critics (then they can gossip about how terrible we are). I send her there often. She still gets her say - I let her rant in my journal, Then I say thank you, now be on your way!
😂
I am also stopping putting inflated expectations on a new year. As far as I am concerned 2024 is just ‘next week’ and right now that's the greatest acknowledgement ill give it.
Great post xx