Friday 16 January 2015

Seeing Through Mud via Inner Critic Work



Arrrh weekly ramble post, I have been dreading you so much, not because I don't want to write about what I have been doing, it's just that every time I try to pinpoint what that actually is I lose the words.

And that kind of sums up my week...except it is not just words I've lost. I feel I have been confused and conflicted over a lot of things (...or perhaps everything...I am even confused on that!), but if I try and put any of that into words right now, again I lose them. 

But among these trying to see through mud feelings I have gained a lot too. I think it would be impossible not to, because they became work, and all work brings results of some kind...

The work was surprising, and it brought surprising results. Because I could not see through the mud on things I wanted to look at (or perhaps they were just things I am normally used to looking at), I ended up looking elsewhere and as a result found clarity on things I often do not see at all.

Insight after insight came to me. 


I have not had a week like this week in a long time. I feel like I am always growing, and learning, and developing, but even then with all of that routines occur, and major new insights can be few and far between.

The insights that occurred I can share I suppose, because they are the clear things I have right now, but it took me the mud of the rest of this writing to once again be brought to them, remember them. I could not have just started from this point at the beginning of this blogpost, there was too much cloudy confusion, so once again work had to be done to bring me here. But that is just another lesson I have learnt while actually writing this blogpost - even when you think you have lost the words just some talking (or in this case writing) from that very place, however muddy, will always bring you some clarity (even if that clarity is the acknowledgement that you are confused!... At least you will know it and have somewhere to start)

So my first main insight was about my daily journaling practice, which I have previously mentioned in this ramble HERE. Things have been happening in that practice that man, has opened up worlds for me. But until this week my inner critic would have a bit of a field day, telling me that this practice was: 
'a waste of time!'
'How many other useful things could you be doing instead? 
'And DAILY, wow you really are indulgent of a whim aren't you?'


I can't always understand or hear what my inner critic is saying, I again find I cannot locate the words of it, often it's just the feeling, but this is something my daily journaling practice has helped me pinpoint and understand.

So I've had huuuuuuuuge glorious insights on the side of my inner critic, which is useful, as that is what a large part of my 21 Secrets Lesson is going to be based on. 


I've also learnt that any work I do on anything is important for my artwork, or developing myself as an artist - which is another stumbling block my inner critic would try and sneak in my path, telling me that again I 'wasn't doing anything important' - but as the above point (of work on my inner critic being useful for my lesson) proves, it is all-all-always important. Every clump of mud you have to look around, disintegrate, wash away etc is useful. Obstacles and interests are in our paths for the very reason to work with them, and enjoy the results.

This week I have really enjoyed my results....and my confusion.

Thank you for reading my ramble, and I am sorry that it really is living up to the title of 'ramble' more than ever before, but this is where my head is at, and that is exactly what the weekly ramble blogposts are supposed to be about, me mid-flow of projects, figuring things out and posting myself and my work, unpolished.


PS if you could help me out by letting me know what your inner critic says to you I would be hugely grateful, I have posted a discussion on Journal Workshops that can be found here & I would love it if you can participate =) mwah 

7 comments:

  1. My inner critic loves to tell me that artwork is childish and at almost 50 i should grow up and stop playing..... My inner critic tells me that this is it... i'm never going to get any better or grow.... My critic grumbles when after i've made an awesome piece that i love i then make a piece of art that is ho hum or just ...okaaayy.... shouldn't EVERY piece of art be an improvement from the one before??? and so on... On good days i can kick that critic to the curb....on bad days it wins and i create nothing... The battle is always to have more good days than bad..... Miss you posting more regularly Jennibellie. I hope you will find your way back to that. Hugs! deb

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  2. My inner critic tells me that my work is unsophisticated. It also loves to tell me that I can't settle on a style and that I use too much blue, purple and pink. (that is probably true though :)

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  3. Thanks for sharing your life and art, you are my favorite artist!

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  4. My inner critic tells me that I suck at pretty much everything I do & that nobody else will ever like my art. Honestly, though I haven't got time for that little bastard. I'm homeschooling 3 kids, with a 4th on the way; I'm working on building inventory for an Etsy shop to replace my soon to be gone income (selling journals & art that my inner critic says nobody will want), and trying to grow as a human. So honestly, I just keep kicking that inner critic's butt & stuffing him back down into the mental box from whence he came.
    Ironically, the little guy you showed above looks a LOT like mine - they must be cousins or something!!! Your work and your spirit are gentle and beautiful. Please don't let anyone else tell you differently.

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  5. My inner critic tells me my work is horrible and that nothing is ever as good as what I see from everyone else. I keep plugging along, however, because practice makes perfect. I also believe art is subjective and we must keep on trying to improve.

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  6. You were talking about how your daily journaling is helpful and it is something that lately I've been kind of yearning to do to help clear some things up in my own mind, however my inner critic says that if I write things down and someone else were to read it, that someday somehow it would be thrown back in my face and I'd face ridicule once again. Also it [inner critic] tells me that no one is interested in anything I have to say anyways so why write anything down so in case I'd die, that those who aren't interested now would have what they'd then consider to be a treasure [if this makes sense?] Wow -- with my own rambling here, can ya tell why journaling each day would probably be a good thing for me? Obviously I have LOTS to work out, huh? lol

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  7. My inner critic tells me ' you're not good enough' about almost everything! I am determined to prove him/her/it wrong! Carry on being you Jenny. You are a delightful and inspirational breath of fresh air. x

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