When you think about drawing, painting, or making any kind of art, what thoughts pop into your head?

If these thoughts aren’t supportive, curious, or encouraging, there’s a good chance that they’re generated by the part of you called your Inner Critic.

It's important to see these limiting thoughts as just that--thoughts. And it’s important to examine them carefully. Because if you’re like a lot of people, for years you've probably accepted these thoughts as truth, when in fact, they may not be true at all, or at least only partially true.

Your thoughts are usually based on experiences you've had.

I have been horrified by stories people have shared with me related to their past experiences with making art. Teachers telling students they're not good at art. Or teachers actually drawing on a student's image to “correct it.” Or someone displaying an image and saying, “Yours should look like this” when it is finished, or if you’ve done it the “right way.” Or, maybe there was a peer who made fun of your art.

The point is, that you may have felt ashamed or embarrassed. And you may have thought, “I’m not good enough. My art isn't good enough. I'm not an artist.”

But guess what. It's not true.

You ARE an artist. Pablo Picasso said, “Every child is an artist. The problem is to remain an artist once he grows up.”

Most children love to draw. And they don’t worry that they’re not creative, unless someone tells them otherwise.

The problem with modern society is that creativity is often not honored, valued, and understood..

Here’s an example:
My daughter loved school a lot! Until the day that she didn’t.

She came home from kindergarten that day, and I could tell she was upset. Instead of seeing the bright smile she usually wore, I saw the tracks of her tears. “I’m sad because they were mad,” she said. When I asked her what she meant, she showed me a coloring page from the classroom. They’d been working with the story of the 3 Little Pigs. I could see that she’d colored the page completely, but I also saw the teacher’s writing in red ink.

My daughter had colored the page, but the teacher said she’d done it wrong, because she’d used blue and purple to depict the wolf, instead of coloring it brown.

I am SO thankful that my daughter told me what was happening. And, that I had training in art therapy because I knew what kind of damage this could do. I was furious.

I found it really hard to contain my anger, and I don’t think I did it well. Even though I’d heard about this happening with other people, I hadn’t seen it happen with someone I loved. So, I had a talk with the teacher. And I invited them to think about the story line in the 3 little pigs. Where the wolf huffs and puffs to blow the house down. “Might an artist depict the wolf as blue in the face after all of that huffing and puffing,” I asked? I don't remember how the teacher responded. They probably got defensive, and I can understand why. But I was defending my daughter's creativity. And thank God I did, because today she's an incredible painter!

But what if she hadn't told me? She could have very well internalized that teacher's voice. So that any time she thought about doing something outside the box, her inner critic would have loudly warned her, saying, "Don't do it. You'll get in trouble."

The way our society defines art is also too narrow.

The purpose of art isn't ONLY to make an image that will hang in an art gallery. The purpose of art is ALSO about self-expression. And it can also be about healing.

With support, Kaye was able to avoid having her creativity stifled. You can see more of her art on Instagram @/kayesart18

But your internal art critic has probably bought into the narrow definition of creativity. And that can be a real problem because WE ALL NEED OUR CREATIVITY, especially in light of the problems we face as a society. We need to re-imagine the way we’ve been implementing things like education, therapy, and health care. And no matter what kind of work you do, and in your relationships with other people, you need to be able to think outside the box.

So, it’s REALLY important for you to be aware of your inner critic. The most effective solution is to heal your inner creative self, but that can take some time. So, a key step to begin with is to contain your inner critic.

You've probably been listening to that part of you for years. The thoughts about “not being good at art” have been playing in your head for so long that they've become ingrained. You accept them as facts.

But they are NOT facts. They are only your interpretation of an event.

So, the next time you hear the voice of your Inner Critic telling you that you’re not good at art, I invite you to challenge that thought. Even if you think you can’t draw, you ARE good at art of some kind—maybe it’s sculpting, or crochet, or cooking. Because there are many forms of art.

And the more you allow your Creativity to express itself, the more you are building up that creative muscle, so that it can help you solve your personal problems, and the ones we face as a society.

So, take some time to make art. You might be surprised to find that it can be really fun, and it can help you thrive in your work. What is there to lose?

ps: If you’d like to explore how to contain your Inner Critic, I’ve created a fun and simple Art Immersion guide to help you do this. Click here to get your free copy of the guide https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/I99qKcC/InnerCriticPuppet

pps: Want to join us April 2nd to attend a virtual retreat where you will Unlock Your Creativity? Click here to learn more https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/cu/tFnHMqo/UnlockingYourCreativity

Want the Key to Unlock your Creativity? Try Containing your Inner Critic