inner critic transformation work sheet - willowing arts critic transformation work sheet ... i know,...

Inner Critic Transformation Work Sheet

Understanding the Inner Critic

It is important to understand that the critical inner voices have often come into existence

to help you. I know, pretty sucky way of helping you eh? And this 'wanting to help' doesn't

'justify' the methodology, but it does help to know that this inner voice has a positive

intention. The intention, usually, is to keep you safe. The inner critic has simply not

figured out more affirmative and positive ways to protect you.

Also the reason why your inner critic sometimes runs rampants is because: You Have

Good Taste – remember this quote by Ira Glass:

“Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us

who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this

gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying

to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into

the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of

people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting,

creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this

special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just

starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most

important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that

every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work

that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I

took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna

take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way

through."

The inner critic is also slightly demanding and somewhat delusional (no offense

intended!). (S)he expects you to be able to produce beautiful art right from the onset. For

some reason, she does understand that if you want to learn how to do math, you need to

study and practise and study and practise, but for some reason, if we create a piece of art

we don't like, we are not given the same courtesy of the understanding that we need to

practise and study and practise and study.

Inner Critic Exercise

This exercises is a modified version of 'the work' by Byron Katie (www.thework.com). It is

based around the idea that all your inner critic's words are merely thoughts. Thougths that

you choose to believe. If you believe your thoughts, it is likely you will suffer. If your

thoughts are very negative, they can work as stiffling and paralysing. This exerise will help

you work through your thoughts and then 'turn them around'. :)

1. Write down everthing the inner critic says to you.

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Choose the 3 most powerful and paralysing thoughts and then answer the following

questions about them:

1st Thought: ________________________________________________________________

Questions about the thought:

a. How does this thought make you feel?

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b. Does this thought serve you?

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c. Is there a stress-free reason why you should hold on to the thought?

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d. Who would you be without this thought?

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2nd Thought: ________________________________________________________________



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3rd Thought: ________________________________________________________________



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Now turn your negative thoughts around (ie: if your thought was: 'my art isn't authentic

enough' you can turn it around to: 'my art is authentic enough').

And then find 3 reasons why the turned around thought is true, for instance:

• My art is authentic enough because I MADE IT! :) can't be more authentic than that

• My art is authentic enough because many of my characters are unique

• My art is authentic enough because I put my own unique passion into my art

1st Negative thought: _________________________________________________________

Turn it around: ______________________________________________________________

Three reasons why the turn around is true:

1. _________________________________________________________________________

2. _________________________________________________________________________

3. _________________________________________________________________________

2nd Negative thought: _________________________________________________________

Turn it around: ______________________________________________________________


1. _________________________________________________________________________

2. _________________________________________________________________________

3. _________________________________________________________________________

3rdNegative thought: _________________________________________________________

Turn it around: ______________________________________________________________


1. _________________________________________________________________________

2. _________________________________________________________________________

3. _________________________________________________________________________

You will be using the turnarounds and your inner critic's thoughts in your art.

inner critic transformation work sheet - willowing arts critic transformation work sheet ... i know,...

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