Where you are in your creative expression mirrors where you are in your life flow. If you are blocked creatively it is an indication that there is a disruption in your energy flow. Something isn't working. And the harder you try to push on forward the more blocked you become. You become exhausted, literally drained, depleted, unmotivated. The couch beckons, the television calls, every distraction imaginable is suddenly luring you away from your work. Doing anything else feels better than fighting the block.
Why is that?
Life, and art, is about flow. Effortless flow. Passionate flow. Creative flow. If you're struggling in any area of your art or your life you are swimming against the stream of life instead of with it. You're emotions, thoughts and actions are out of alignment with who you are. Therefore, you are frustrated in your lack of ability to fully express yourself in your art, your relationships, your business matters. You are the block. You are getting in the way of your creative expression. Essentially you are in a state of self-sabotage when you are blocked, when you swim upstream.
There's a difference between being blocked and a pause. A pause is for the purpose of reflecting, getting a different perspective, replenishing yourself is purposeful. You feel good when you pause momentarily because you know that this action will result in the forward progression of your achievement. The pause is a part of your natural flow.
A block, on the other hand, doesn't feel good. And it may be permanent if you don't deliberately turn yourself around to flow with the stream.
Now, no one does anything without getting something out of it. What are you getting out of being blocked? Here's a hint: Have your Found Excuses And Reasons (F.E.A.R.) to do other things instead of your work? Yes, when you are making excuses you are in fear. You may be focused upon your misguided belief system that you're not good, talented, creative, smart, skilled, worthy, ad nauseam, enough to successfully complete the project, task, goal at hand. You may fear failure. You may find yourself blaming others for your inability to create or succeed. This is a victim mentality that is a huge block to creative expression.
What does staying blocked allow you to do? It allows you to stay right where you are in your current comfort zone. You may not like you're current comfort zone but it's what you know, so it's comfortable, and safe. You may not like thinking that you're not whatever enough or thinking that others control your success but it's what you've always thought. To change is frightening. Who would you be without those thoughts, those blocks?
As I mentioned earlier, if you are blocked, you are out of alignment with who you are. If you are out of alignment with who you are you are blocked, struggling, swimming upstream. "Well, then" you might be saying, "If I am out of alignment with who I am, who am I?" And that, is the question you must ask yourself.
To find the answer to that question you must ask yourself the following question:
"If there were no expectations; money was not an issue; my current abilities (or lack thereof) were not an issue, and I knew I could not fail: Who would I be, what would I do and what would I have?"
Spend some time with this question. I suggest writing down your answers in a journal. There is something about putting your truth onto paper that gives it power; brings it into reality. Take your time. Breathe. Dig deep. Pull out your truth from your core.
And when you are finished read your answer to yourself and visualize yourself as already being, doing and having that. This is who you are! What you desire most is a reflection of who you are. Hold this vision. Write an "I am" statement around it. Keep this statement nearby where you can refer to it in the moments you are blocked. If a thought, emotion or action is out of alignment with that statement, turn the thought, emotion or action around. How else could this be perceived? What could I do differently? Go with the flow instead of against it.
"The creative act is not hanging on, but yielding to a new creative movement. Awe is what moves us forward." - Joseph Campbell
Valery Satterwhite is an Artist Mentor who specializes in empowering creative people to succeed in their craft and business. She teaches people in the visual and performing arts how to tap into and trust their intuition, acknowledge their truth, and disarm their fear and self-doubt. No longer willing to continue as a starved creative spirit who lived conditioned inauthentic life Valery spent years developing and implementing a proven unique "Inner Wizard" methodology to empower other creative people to express their full potential. Join now to create more profoundly, more prolifically, and more profitably at http://www.InnerWizard.com. Get Free "Artist Resource/Marketing Directory" too!
Monday, March 30, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
Show Up Naked - Honor Your Authenticity
"A poem is a naked person... Some people say that I am a poet." - Bob Dylan
When you show up naked, vulnerable, authentic and open, you allow others to genuinely see who you are. You've heard the old adage, "Actions Speak Louder than Words". It's true. When you fully realize that what you do is the fullest expression of who you are, you are enlightened. You honor the integrity of you. What you do honors your authenticity. You live consistently with the highest realization of what you know to be true.
Is your life experience is a reflection of your deepest authenticity?
"No legacy is so rich as honesty." - Shakespeare
When you live from a place of deep authenticity and let others to see your true self you a free. The proverbial chains of self-doubt and fear that hold you back from your fullest expression as a person, an artist, a creative spirit, are dissolved. You are free to create with abandon abundantly. Your inner most thoughts inspire you to fulfill your unlimited potentiality. You are energetically and enthusiastically engaged in each moment of your life. You feel good!
"No one man can, for any considerable time, wear one face to himself, and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which is the true one." - Hawthorne
Living an inauthentic life doesn't feel good. My people cover themselves up with trappings of who they are not, or who they think they 'should be'. And in the pretending comes the despair of the lie. The despair isn't created from lying to others, it is delivered through the lie to oneself. Dishonoring who you are. Doing inauthentically. Being a lie.
"To contact the deeper truth of who we are, we must engage in some activity or practice that questions what we assume to be true about ourselves." - A. H. Almaas
So, who are you? Who is this true self? Your true nature is the unconditioned part of the self that lies buried beneath the acquired traits, characteristics, and habitual patterns of your personality. It speaks through you as your Intuition, your Higher Self, or what I lovingly call your Inner Wizard. The conditioned part of you, the "supposed to be, should be, unexpressed" part of you is the ego, the Inner Critic. Unlike the inspired Wizard Within, the Inner Critic is full of self-doubt and fear. These to parts of you are integral a physical being, a human. Both play a role.
The question is, which part of you is showing up in your life expression? You may be asking, "If both parts are integral to me as a human being, am I not both the Higher Self and the Inner Critic? And the answer is no, who you are is the Higher Self, a full expression of your truth and potential. As a human in physical form, you've created this misguided Inner Critic to keep you safe, hold you back from fear and pain.
And now you might be thinking, "I need to feel fear, pain, self-doubt in order to create my art. I won't be the artist I am if I don't have fear, pain and self-doubt."
True. You can travel to the deepest depths of pain, fear and self-doubt, totally immerse yourself in those emotions to create your art without showing up in your life from that place. When you show up in the costume of pain, fear and self-doubt you are presenting yourself to the world inauthentically. You can remain authentic to your Higher Self and use the expressions of the Inner Critic as a tool rather than a way of being.
I invite you to explore the Inner Critic beliefs, expectations and vows that do not represent your truth. Try showing up naked in your life. Realize that when you fully connect with the Higher Self, the Wizard within, the one you've always known was there, you can create a profound meaningful relevant impact in your art and in your life experience.
"Be who you are and say what you feel. Those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." - Dr. Seuss
Valery Satterwhite is an Artist Mentor who specializes in empowering creative people to succeed in their craft and business. She teaches people in the visual and performing arts how to tap into and trust their intuition, acknowledge their truth, and disarm their fear and self-doubt. No longer willing to continue as a starved creative spirit who lived conditioned inauthentic life Valery spent years developing and implementing a proven unique "Inner Wizard" methodology to empower other creative people to express their full potential. Join now to create more profoundly, more prolifically, and more profitably at http://www.InnerWizard.com. Get Free "Artist Resource Directory" too!
When you show up naked, vulnerable, authentic and open, you allow others to genuinely see who you are. You've heard the old adage, "Actions Speak Louder than Words". It's true. When you fully realize that what you do is the fullest expression of who you are, you are enlightened. You honor the integrity of you. What you do honors your authenticity. You live consistently with the highest realization of what you know to be true.
Is your life experience is a reflection of your deepest authenticity?
"No legacy is so rich as honesty." - Shakespeare
When you live from a place of deep authenticity and let others to see your true self you a free. The proverbial chains of self-doubt and fear that hold you back from your fullest expression as a person, an artist, a creative spirit, are dissolved. You are free to create with abandon abundantly. Your inner most thoughts inspire you to fulfill your unlimited potentiality. You are energetically and enthusiastically engaged in each moment of your life. You feel good!
"No one man can, for any considerable time, wear one face to himself, and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which is the true one." - Hawthorne
Living an inauthentic life doesn't feel good. My people cover themselves up with trappings of who they are not, or who they think they 'should be'. And in the pretending comes the despair of the lie. The despair isn't created from lying to others, it is delivered through the lie to oneself. Dishonoring who you are. Doing inauthentically. Being a lie.
"To contact the deeper truth of who we are, we must engage in some activity or practice that questions what we assume to be true about ourselves." - A. H. Almaas
So, who are you? Who is this true self? Your true nature is the unconditioned part of the self that lies buried beneath the acquired traits, characteristics, and habitual patterns of your personality. It speaks through you as your Intuition, your Higher Self, or what I lovingly call your Inner Wizard. The conditioned part of you, the "supposed to be, should be, unexpressed" part of you is the ego, the Inner Critic. Unlike the inspired Wizard Within, the Inner Critic is full of self-doubt and fear. These to parts of you are integral a physical being, a human. Both play a role.
The question is, which part of you is showing up in your life expression? You may be asking, "If both parts are integral to me as a human being, am I not both the Higher Self and the Inner Critic? And the answer is no, who you are is the Higher Self, a full expression of your truth and potential. As a human in physical form, you've created this misguided Inner Critic to keep you safe, hold you back from fear and pain.
And now you might be thinking, "I need to feel fear, pain, self-doubt in order to create my art. I won't be the artist I am if I don't have fear, pain and self-doubt."
True. You can travel to the deepest depths of pain, fear and self-doubt, totally immerse yourself in those emotions to create your art without showing up in your life from that place. When you show up in the costume of pain, fear and self-doubt you are presenting yourself to the world inauthentically. You can remain authentic to your Higher Self and use the expressions of the Inner Critic as a tool rather than a way of being.
I invite you to explore the Inner Critic beliefs, expectations and vows that do not represent your truth. Try showing up naked in your life. Realize that when you fully connect with the Higher Self, the Wizard within, the one you've always known was there, you can create a profound meaningful relevant impact in your art and in your life experience.
"Be who you are and say what you feel. Those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." - Dr. Seuss
Valery Satterwhite is an Artist Mentor who specializes in empowering creative people to succeed in their craft and business. She teaches people in the visual and performing arts how to tap into and trust their intuition, acknowledge their truth, and disarm their fear and self-doubt. No longer willing to continue as a starved creative spirit who lived conditioned inauthentic life Valery spent years developing and implementing a proven unique "Inner Wizard" methodology to empower other creative people to express their full potential. Join now to create more profoundly, more prolifically, and more profitably at http://www.InnerWizard.com. Get Free "Artist Resource Directory" too!
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Stress Relief: Take Up Cog-Knitting
Granny may be on to something that our comparatively inexperienced presence may not be aware of. We often run to Granny for her sage, sometimes cryptic, wisdom. And Grannies knit. Are the two related? Would we be well served by picking up a pair of knitting needles and a skein or two of yarn? Perhaps, through knitting, we are really weaving together deeper levels of consciousness and self-awareness disguised as a misshapen turtleneck sweater. In other words, do we find relief for the monkey mind Inner Critic that serves up stress, anxiety, fear and doubt through cog-knitting?
We know that knitting is a method by which thread or yarn may be turned into cloth. Knitting consists of loops called stitches pulled through each other. The active stitches are held on a needle until another loop can be passed through them.
Here are a couple of definitions of the word Cognitive found on the Web:
• The part of mental functions that deals with logic, as opposed to affective which deals with emotions
en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cognitive
• The mental process of knowing, including aspects such as awareness, perception, reasoning, and judgment.
www.jabcreations.com/philosophy/philosophy-definitions.php
• The process of perceiving, thinking, reasoning and analyzing.
www.chop.edu/consumer/jsp/division/generic.jsp
• High-level functions carried out by the human brain, including comprehension and use of speech, visual perceptions and construction, calculation ability, attention (information processing), memory, and executive functions such as planning, problem-solving and self-monitoring.
www.epgpatientdirect.org/page.cfm/page/83/title/Glossary
• Relating mental awareness and judgment.
science.education.nih.gov/supplements/nih3/alcohol/other/glossary.htm
Cog-knitting, therefore, is the interwoven actions of cognitive thinking and knitting to weave and pull through the meanings we attach to the events of our lives that result in stress, anxiety, fear and self-doubt.
Granny doesn't just knit; she cog-knits. Calmly, serenely, peacefully as she creates something purposeful out of nothing. She creates AHA moments and baby booties; new levels of personal and cultural awareness and mittens. So, I suggest we engage in
So the next time Granny gifts you with the woolen scarf that you either want to wrap around your neck immediately or tuck away forever in the back of a drawer never to be seen again ("I can't go out in public wearing THAT!) take a moment, or ten, to discover the real gift in the creation. Spend time with Granny to avail yourself of her evolutionary journey of self-discovery. She has many valuable lessons to pass on and you might even learn how to cog-knit your own scarves and transformational discoveries.
Knit one, purl two everyone!
Valery Satterwhite is an Artist Mentor who specializes in empowering creative people to succeed in their craft and business. She teaches people in the visual and performing arts how to tap into and trust their intuition, acknowledge their truth, and disarm their fear and self-doubt. No longer willing to continue as a starved creative spirit who lived conditioned inauthentic life Valery spent years developing and implementing a proven unique "Inner Wizard" methodology to empower other creative people to express their full potential. Join now to create more profoundly, more prolifically, and more profitably at http://www.InnerWizard.com. Get Free "Artist Resource Directory" too!
We know that knitting is a method by which thread or yarn may be turned into cloth. Knitting consists of loops called stitches pulled through each other. The active stitches are held on a needle until another loop can be passed through them.
Here are a couple of definitions of the word Cognitive found on the Web:
• The part of mental functions that deals with logic, as opposed to affective which deals with emotions
en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cognitive
• The mental process of knowing, including aspects such as awareness, perception, reasoning, and judgment.
www.jabcreations.com/philosophy/philosophy-definitions.php
• The process of perceiving, thinking, reasoning and analyzing.
www.chop.edu/consumer/jsp/division/generic.jsp
• High-level functions carried out by the human brain, including comprehension and use of speech, visual perceptions and construction, calculation ability, attention (information processing), memory, and executive functions such as planning, problem-solving and self-monitoring.
www.epgpatientdirect.org/page.cfm/page/83/title/Glossary
• Relating mental awareness and judgment.
science.education.nih.gov/supplements/nih3/alcohol/other/glossary.htm
Cog-knitting, therefore, is the interwoven actions of cognitive thinking and knitting to weave and pull through the meanings we attach to the events of our lives that result in stress, anxiety, fear and self-doubt.
Granny doesn't just knit; she cog-knits. Calmly, serenely, peacefully as she creates something purposeful out of nothing. She creates AHA moments and baby booties; new levels of personal and cultural awareness and mittens. So, I suggest we engage in
So the next time Granny gifts you with the woolen scarf that you either want to wrap around your neck immediately or tuck away forever in the back of a drawer never to be seen again ("I can't go out in public wearing THAT!) take a moment, or ten, to discover the real gift in the creation. Spend time with Granny to avail yourself of her evolutionary journey of self-discovery. She has many valuable lessons to pass on and you might even learn how to cog-knit your own scarves and transformational discoveries.
Knit one, purl two everyone!
Valery Satterwhite is an Artist Mentor who specializes in empowering creative people to succeed in their craft and business. She teaches people in the visual and performing arts how to tap into and trust their intuition, acknowledge their truth, and disarm their fear and self-doubt. No longer willing to continue as a starved creative spirit who lived conditioned inauthentic life Valery spent years developing and implementing a proven unique "Inner Wizard" methodology to empower other creative people to express their full potential. Join now to create more profoundly, more prolifically, and more profitably at http://www.InnerWizard.com. Get Free "Artist Resource Directory" too!
Monday, March 23, 2009
Elizabeth Gilbert: "Nurturing Creativity" at TED Conference
Many of you know Elizabeth Gilbert through her book, "Eat, Pray, Love" a fun and inspiring memoir of her self-awareness romp through the "I" countries; Italy, India and Indonesia. Last February she was a speaker at TED: Technology, Entertainment, Design - a conference that brings together the top influencers in those three areas.
I encourage you to watch this video of her TED talk as Elizabeth muses on the impossible things we expect from artists and geniuses. She shares the radical idea that, instead of the rare person "being" a genius, all of us "have" a genius. As you know, I call this genius the Inner Wizard. It's a funny, personal and moving talk for all who are interested in pursuing their creative dreams.
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html
The New York Times named "Eat, Pray, Love" as one of the 100 most notable books of 2006. In 2008, Elizabeth was named one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World, by Time Magazine. As a prolific writer, Elizabeth is tapped into her Inner Wizard who inspires her to constantly reach for the unknown, put herself 'out there', and rededicate herself each day to the work, and life, she loves as a writer and story teller.
Asked "What was the biggest surprise about your journey through the "I" countries?" Elizabeth's response was:
"How well it worked. I found exactly what I was looking for during that year of traveling. In fact, I found more than I’d dared to hope for. Looking back on it now, though, I think that this amazing result was sort of inevitable. I’ve come to believe that there exists in the universe something I call “The Physics of The Quest” – a force of nature governed by laws as real as the laws gravity or momentum. And the rule of Quest Physics maybe goes like this: “If you are brave enough to leave behind everything familiar and comforting (which can be anything from your house to your bitter old resentments) and set out on a truth-seeking journey (either externally or internally), and if you are truly willing to regard everything that happens to you on that journey as a clue, and if you accept everyone you meet along the way as a teacher, and if you are prepared – most of all – to face (and forgive) some very difficult realities about yourself….then truth will not be withheld from you.” Or so I’ve come to believe. I can’t help but believe it, given my experience." - Elizbeth Gilbert
Those are these words expressed by someone with an empowered Inner Wizard who lets the Inner Critic come along for the ride - in the back seat, safe and powerless, with a bankie and a sippy cup.
You can find out more about Elizabeth Gilbert and her work at http://www.ElizabethGilbert.com
Valery Satterwhite is an Artist Mentor who specializes in empowering creative people to succeed in their craft and business. She teaches creative people how to tap into and trust their intuition, acknowledge their truth, and disarm their fear and self-doubt. No longer willing to continue as a starved creative spirit who lived conditioned inauthentic life Valery spent years developing and implementing a proven unique "Inner Wizard" methodology to empower other creative people to express their full potential in their craft and business. Join now to create more profoundly, more prolifically, and more profitably at www.InnerWizard.com. Get Free "Artist Resource Directory" too!
I encourage you to watch this video of her TED talk as Elizabeth muses on the impossible things we expect from artists and geniuses. She shares the radical idea that, instead of the rare person "being" a genius, all of us "have" a genius. As you know, I call this genius the Inner Wizard. It's a funny, personal and moving talk for all who are interested in pursuing their creative dreams.
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html
The New York Times named "Eat, Pray, Love" as one of the 100 most notable books of 2006. In 2008, Elizabeth was named one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World, by Time Magazine. As a prolific writer, Elizabeth is tapped into her Inner Wizard who inspires her to constantly reach for the unknown, put herself 'out there', and rededicate herself each day to the work, and life, she loves as a writer and story teller.
Asked "What was the biggest surprise about your journey through the "I" countries?" Elizabeth's response was:
"How well it worked. I found exactly what I was looking for during that year of traveling. In fact, I found more than I’d dared to hope for. Looking back on it now, though, I think that this amazing result was sort of inevitable. I’ve come to believe that there exists in the universe something I call “The Physics of The Quest” – a force of nature governed by laws as real as the laws gravity or momentum. And the rule of Quest Physics maybe goes like this: “If you are brave enough to leave behind everything familiar and comforting (which can be anything from your house to your bitter old resentments) and set out on a truth-seeking journey (either externally or internally), and if you are truly willing to regard everything that happens to you on that journey as a clue, and if you accept everyone you meet along the way as a teacher, and if you are prepared – most of all – to face (and forgive) some very difficult realities about yourself….then truth will not be withheld from you.” Or so I’ve come to believe. I can’t help but believe it, given my experience." - Elizbeth Gilbert
Those are these words expressed by someone with an empowered Inner Wizard who lets the Inner Critic come along for the ride - in the back seat, safe and powerless, with a bankie and a sippy cup.
You can find out more about Elizabeth Gilbert and her work at http://www.ElizabethGilbert.com
Valery Satterwhite is an Artist Mentor who specializes in empowering creative people to succeed in their craft and business. She teaches creative people how to tap into and trust their intuition, acknowledge their truth, and disarm their fear and self-doubt. No longer willing to continue as a starved creative spirit who lived conditioned inauthentic life Valery spent years developing and implementing a proven unique "Inner Wizard" methodology to empower other creative people to express their full potential in their craft and business. Join now to create more profoundly, more prolifically, and more profitably at www.InnerWizard.com. Get Free "Artist Resource Directory" too!
Friday, March 20, 2009
The Inner Critic Kidnaps The Artist Soul
"Re-examine all you have been told. Dismiss what insults your Soul." - Walt Whitman
For many artists, challenges are very personal. And one of the biggest challenges is the Critic in the room, the Inner Critic. This gnarly Inner Critic is the voice of your self-doubt and fear. It is the emotional ties that bind you, hold you back, keep you stuck, limit you in what you think is possible for you as an artist. This Inner Critic will critique and beat you up more than any audience or perceived expert ever will. If allowed, this Inner Critic will suck the life force right out of you.
"Being true to yourself is what feeds creativity, not self-doubt and criticism." - Diane Arenberg
Why? Because it is a very frightened little creature. It acts nasty as a defense mechanism. What it really wants to do is crawl under a bankie with a sippy cup where it's safe; where no one will bother him.
There are many 'not safe' zones for the Inner Critic. Here are a three:
1. Starting big project that you have never done before. (What if I fail?)
2. Having a bigger presence in the public eye than it has now. (It's only a matter of time before they find out I'm not really that good.)
3. Rejection. (If they reject my art, then they reject me, and I will cease to be relevant - or even exist.)
Fear that you're not being, or won't be, acknowledged as an artist will hold you back. Fear that you're not good enough compared with other artists will choke your expression. This fear may lead to anger, bitterness and even depression. Since you're art is an expression of you, this fearful held-back state of beingness will be reflected in your art. There is a vast difference between deliberately illustrating and expressing pain, desperation, and other negative emotions and holding yourself back in your artistic expression as a result of pain, desperation and other negative emotions.
Here are some acronyms for the word FEAR (F.E.A.R.):
Finding Excuses And Reasons
- Are you procrastinating?
False Evidence Appearing Real
- Are you blaming other people or circumstances for being stuck your lack of success?
False Emotions Appearing Real
- Are you beating up on yourself for not being 'good' enough? Here's a clue: If you're feeling 'down' then there's a good chance you're beating up on yourself.
And my personal favorite (drum roll please)
F@#k Everything And Run
- Are you thinking about quitting, giving up on your pursuits as an artist?
You can deny your dreams but the outcome will be quiet desperation. The desperation becomes the safe comfort zone. You're Inner Critic will fight hard to keep you where it feels safe. You may not like the desperate comfort zone that you find yourself in but it's what you know. Safe. No surprises.
"To see far is one thing. Going there is another." - Brancusi
If you find that your in a state of FEAR there is a little trick you can apply to help you crawl out of that dark hole. You can ask yourself the following two questions:
1. What am I getting out of staying in this state? You don't do anything unless you get something out of it. What is staying right where you are in your artistic process allowing you to do?
2. Who would I be; what would I do; what would I have without this fear? Use your imagination to visualize that life. Run with it! Breathe it in.
The only thing standing between you and want you want to create for your art and your life experience is you. It's time to get out of your own way. Or, head down to Wal-Mart and get yourself a nice bankie and sippy cup. Get several. You'll be snuggled in, warm and comfy, for a long time.
"Remember, with every doubt comes a hitch in the natural flow of being." - Ian Factor
Valery Satterwhite is the Founder of the International Association for Inner Wizards. She teaches artists of all kinds how to get out of their own way, eliminate personal and professional roadblocks, so they can fully express their artistic vision and succeed in the business of art. Empower the Wizard Within, tame the Inner Critic, unleash and Inspire the Muse. Get Free Artist Resource Directory today at http://www.InnerWizard.com.
For many artists, challenges are very personal. And one of the biggest challenges is the Critic in the room, the Inner Critic. This gnarly Inner Critic is the voice of your self-doubt and fear. It is the emotional ties that bind you, hold you back, keep you stuck, limit you in what you think is possible for you as an artist. This Inner Critic will critique and beat you up more than any audience or perceived expert ever will. If allowed, this Inner Critic will suck the life force right out of you.
"Being true to yourself is what feeds creativity, not self-doubt and criticism." - Diane Arenberg
Why? Because it is a very frightened little creature. It acts nasty as a defense mechanism. What it really wants to do is crawl under a bankie with a sippy cup where it's safe; where no one will bother him.
There are many 'not safe' zones for the Inner Critic. Here are a three:
1. Starting big project that you have never done before. (What if I fail?)
2. Having a bigger presence in the public eye than it has now. (It's only a matter of time before they find out I'm not really that good.)
3. Rejection. (If they reject my art, then they reject me, and I will cease to be relevant - or even exist.)
Fear that you're not being, or won't be, acknowledged as an artist will hold you back. Fear that you're not good enough compared with other artists will choke your expression. This fear may lead to anger, bitterness and even depression. Since you're art is an expression of you, this fearful held-back state of beingness will be reflected in your art. There is a vast difference between deliberately illustrating and expressing pain, desperation, and other negative emotions and holding yourself back in your artistic expression as a result of pain, desperation and other negative emotions.
Here are some acronyms for the word FEAR (F.E.A.R.):
Finding Excuses And Reasons
- Are you procrastinating?
False Evidence Appearing Real
- Are you blaming other people or circumstances for being stuck your lack of success?
False Emotions Appearing Real
- Are you beating up on yourself for not being 'good' enough? Here's a clue: If you're feeling 'down' then there's a good chance you're beating up on yourself.
And my personal favorite (drum roll please)
F@#k Everything And Run
- Are you thinking about quitting, giving up on your pursuits as an artist?
You can deny your dreams but the outcome will be quiet desperation. The desperation becomes the safe comfort zone. You're Inner Critic will fight hard to keep you where it feels safe. You may not like the desperate comfort zone that you find yourself in but it's what you know. Safe. No surprises.
"To see far is one thing. Going there is another." - Brancusi
If you find that your in a state of FEAR there is a little trick you can apply to help you crawl out of that dark hole. You can ask yourself the following two questions:
1. What am I getting out of staying in this state? You don't do anything unless you get something out of it. What is staying right where you are in your artistic process allowing you to do?
2. Who would I be; what would I do; what would I have without this fear? Use your imagination to visualize that life. Run with it! Breathe it in.
The only thing standing between you and want you want to create for your art and your life experience is you. It's time to get out of your own way. Or, head down to Wal-Mart and get yourself a nice bankie and sippy cup. Get several. You'll be snuggled in, warm and comfy, for a long time.
"Remember, with every doubt comes a hitch in the natural flow of being." - Ian Factor
Valery Satterwhite is the Founder of the International Association for Inner Wizards. She teaches artists of all kinds how to get out of their own way, eliminate personal and professional roadblocks, so they can fully express their artistic vision and succeed in the business of art. Empower the Wizard Within, tame the Inner Critic, unleash and Inspire the Muse. Get Free Artist Resource Directory today at http://www.InnerWizard.com.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Are You Creatively Blocked or Are You Resisting - How to Know the Difference
Artists of every kind; painters, photographers, sculptors and actors will tell me that they are blocked. When we examine their specific challenge we discover that often they are not blocked, the are really resisting moving forward. There is a vast difference between the two. If you're struggling with your creative expression and vocation here's a way to determine whether your are blocked or unconsciously resisting as an artist.
First of all, let's take a look at what the definition of 'block' is. A block, in this context, is an obstruction; something that hinders or prevents the progress of accomplishment. Resistance, on the other hand, is the action of opposing something; a refusal to comply. We also say that something is resistant when it serves as a protective coating.
If you are blocked creatively, you may have doubts about your work, your ability to be successful, your talent. If you are resisting, you have little energy or desire to be creative and take any creative action as an artist or in the business of art. Creative blocks will come and go. Resistance can become chronic.
If you want to know whether your challenge is a block or a resistance look within. Pay attention to your self-talk, that seemingly endless chatter that is with you throughout your waking hours. If this self-talk is telling you that you're not talented or good enough to continue further then this is a block. You are in doubt, perhaps, of your ability to create what you want to express in this particular work. You're stuck, not knowing what next action to take to progressively move forward. You masterfully create distractions to take you away from your art, practice, rehearsal, audition, important meeting. And you've been doing this resisting stuff for a long time. Clearly identify the thoughts that created this blockage, this boulder. Remind yourself that this inner voice of doubt, this Inner Critic, is just a little scared of moving ahead. You're starting to stretch beyond where you've gone before and this little Inner Critic is scared so it is holding you back through inaction, indecision. Choose to take one small step in that direction, and then another, and you'll discover that you're flowing creatively again.
However, if you haven't doodled a noodle, picked up a brush, sung a song, gone to an audition or tinkled the ivories in weeks and weeks and weeks, then you're in a state of resistance. This resistance needs to be closely examined too if you wish to move beyond it. Instead of being in doubt about what's possible you are frozen in fear. What if I fail? If I continue to be an artist as my vocation will I end up living in a box by the side of the road? What if no one likes what I create? What if my work (me) is criticized publicly? Why even bother, when I'll only be rejected again. Will I die, lose my soul, give up on who I am? Deep down inside, you believe that it will be the end of the world if you continue on your path as an artist. In this state you are resisting who you are. You are resisting your own creative expression. And I'm sure you're depleted of energy, exhausted, heavy hearted. Powerless to move forward.
Yes, you are powerless because you have given up your power. If you ask yourself what within you is creating this resistance you may discover that you are shoulding all over yourself. You tell yourself constantly with that self-talk that you should do this, you should do that and yet you don't. I'm sure you have Found Excuses And Reasons (F.E.A.R.) why you can't continue on in your chosen path as an artist that is your birthright. But the truth is, you've become a victim of your fear. You've become a victim of the circumstances, events, and experiences in your life instead of the powerful creator that you are. You may even be feeling an urge to eF Everything And Run (F.E.A.R.); quit being an artist, an actor, a musician, a writer, a singer. You may have decided to 'get a real job'. Truth is, you quit on yourself and that feels terrible. And you are beating yourself up over it. And that feels even worse. This is no blocking boulder, this state is a massive wall of resistance. You are so afraid that you've literally thrown a protective blanket on your burning desires.
Again, it's time to examine your thoughts. This time, you're looking for deeper fundamental beliefs about what's possible for you to achieve as an artist. Perhaps you are reminding yourself that "you'll never earn a living as an artist" or 'artists are not business people and therefore doomed to fail".
Are the thoughts true? According to whom? How can you know, absolutely, that they are true? Can you find any evidence to the contrary? Who would you be, what would you do and what would you have if you didn't have these thoughts? For example if you're Inner Critic is telling you that you'll never earn a living as an artist, own that thought. Bring it up from your unconscious self-chatter into your consciousness. Shine light on it. Examine it. Is this true? According to whom? How can this person or these people know that this is true? Is it absolutely true that you'll never earn a living as an artist? Is any artist earning a living? Find more and more evidence that artists do, indeed, earn a living. If they can, so can you. How would you show up in your day as an artist if you didn't have that thought? What would you do? What would you create? What would success look like to you? Now be that! Hold the feeling you have as you envision yourself as a successful artist within you. Show up in your life, and as you approach your art, in that feeling state. You'll be amazed at the new inspiration, new opportunities that suddenly appear, seemingly out of nowhere for you.
So, You have a choice to make. If you are blocked, you can move beyond it. If you are resisting, you can quit. Get a real job. Tell yourself that you really don't want to be an artist and stop whining about it OR you can dissolve your fear. Which do you choose?
Valery Satterwhite is the Founder of the International Association for Inner Wizards. She teaches artists of all kinds how to get out of their own way, eliminate personal and professional roadblocks, so they can fully express their artistic vision and succeed in the business of art. Empower the Wizard Within, tame the Inner Critic, unleash and Inspire the Muse. Get Free Artist Resource Directory today at http://www.InnerWizard.com.
First of all, let's take a look at what the definition of 'block' is. A block, in this context, is an obstruction; something that hinders or prevents the progress of accomplishment. Resistance, on the other hand, is the action of opposing something; a refusal to comply. We also say that something is resistant when it serves as a protective coating.
If you are blocked creatively, you may have doubts about your work, your ability to be successful, your talent. If you are resisting, you have little energy or desire to be creative and take any creative action as an artist or in the business of art. Creative blocks will come and go. Resistance can become chronic.
If you want to know whether your challenge is a block or a resistance look within. Pay attention to your self-talk, that seemingly endless chatter that is with you throughout your waking hours. If this self-talk is telling you that you're not talented or good enough to continue further then this is a block. You are in doubt, perhaps, of your ability to create what you want to express in this particular work. You're stuck, not knowing what next action to take to progressively move forward. You masterfully create distractions to take you away from your art, practice, rehearsal, audition, important meeting. And you've been doing this resisting stuff for a long time. Clearly identify the thoughts that created this blockage, this boulder. Remind yourself that this inner voice of doubt, this Inner Critic, is just a little scared of moving ahead. You're starting to stretch beyond where you've gone before and this little Inner Critic is scared so it is holding you back through inaction, indecision. Choose to take one small step in that direction, and then another, and you'll discover that you're flowing creatively again.
However, if you haven't doodled a noodle, picked up a brush, sung a song, gone to an audition or tinkled the ivories in weeks and weeks and weeks, then you're in a state of resistance. This resistance needs to be closely examined too if you wish to move beyond it. Instead of being in doubt about what's possible you are frozen in fear. What if I fail? If I continue to be an artist as my vocation will I end up living in a box by the side of the road? What if no one likes what I create? What if my work (me) is criticized publicly? Why even bother, when I'll only be rejected again. Will I die, lose my soul, give up on who I am? Deep down inside, you believe that it will be the end of the world if you continue on your path as an artist. In this state you are resisting who you are. You are resisting your own creative expression. And I'm sure you're depleted of energy, exhausted, heavy hearted. Powerless to move forward.
Yes, you are powerless because you have given up your power. If you ask yourself what within you is creating this resistance you may discover that you are shoulding all over yourself. You tell yourself constantly with that self-talk that you should do this, you should do that and yet you don't. I'm sure you have Found Excuses And Reasons (F.E.A.R.) why you can't continue on in your chosen path as an artist that is your birthright. But the truth is, you've become a victim of your fear. You've become a victim of the circumstances, events, and experiences in your life instead of the powerful creator that you are. You may even be feeling an urge to eF Everything And Run (F.E.A.R.); quit being an artist, an actor, a musician, a writer, a singer. You may have decided to 'get a real job'. Truth is, you quit on yourself and that feels terrible. And you are beating yourself up over it. And that feels even worse. This is no blocking boulder, this state is a massive wall of resistance. You are so afraid that you've literally thrown a protective blanket on your burning desires.
Again, it's time to examine your thoughts. This time, you're looking for deeper fundamental beliefs about what's possible for you to achieve as an artist. Perhaps you are reminding yourself that "you'll never earn a living as an artist" or 'artists are not business people and therefore doomed to fail".
Are the thoughts true? According to whom? How can you know, absolutely, that they are true? Can you find any evidence to the contrary? Who would you be, what would you do and what would you have if you didn't have these thoughts? For example if you're Inner Critic is telling you that you'll never earn a living as an artist, own that thought. Bring it up from your unconscious self-chatter into your consciousness. Shine light on it. Examine it. Is this true? According to whom? How can this person or these people know that this is true? Is it absolutely true that you'll never earn a living as an artist? Is any artist earning a living? Find more and more evidence that artists do, indeed, earn a living. If they can, so can you. How would you show up in your day as an artist if you didn't have that thought? What would you do? What would you create? What would success look like to you? Now be that! Hold the feeling you have as you envision yourself as a successful artist within you. Show up in your life, and as you approach your art, in that feeling state. You'll be amazed at the new inspiration, new opportunities that suddenly appear, seemingly out of nowhere for you.
So, You have a choice to make. If you are blocked, you can move beyond it. If you are resisting, you can quit. Get a real job. Tell yourself that you really don't want to be an artist and stop whining about it OR you can dissolve your fear. Which do you choose?
Valery Satterwhite is the Founder of the International Association for Inner Wizards. She teaches artists of all kinds how to get out of their own way, eliminate personal and professional roadblocks, so they can fully express their artistic vision and succeed in the business of art. Empower the Wizard Within, tame the Inner Critic, unleash and Inspire the Muse. Get Free Artist Resource Directory today at http://www.InnerWizard.com.
Are You Creatively Blocked or Are You Resisting - How to Know the Difference
Artists of every kind; painters, photographers, sculptors and actors will tell me that they are blocked. When we examine their specific challenge we discover that often they are not blocked, the are really resisting moving forward. There is a vast difference between the two. If you're struggling with your creative expression and vocation here's a way to determine whether your are blocked or unconsciously resisting as an artist.
First of all, let's take a look at what the definition of 'block' is. A block, in this context, is an obstruction; something that hinders or prevents the progress of accomplishment. Resistance, on the other hand, is the action of opposing something; a refusal to comply. We also say that something is resistant when it serves as a protective coating.
If you are blocked creatively, you may have doubts about your work, your ability to be successful, your talent. If you are resisting, you have little energy or desire to be creative and take any creative action as an artist or in the business of art. Creative blocks will come and go. Resistance can become chronic.
If you want to know whether your challenge is a block or a resistance look within. Pay attention to your self-talk, that seemingly endless chatter that is with you throughout your waking hours. If this self-talk is telling you that you're not talented or good enough to continue further then this is a block. You are in doubt, perhaps, of your ability to create what you want to express in this particular work. You're stuck, not knowing what next action to take to progressively move forward. You masterfully create distractions to take you away from your art, practice, rehearsal, audition, important meeting. And you've been doing this resisting stuff for a long time. Clearly identify the thoughts that created this blockage, this boulder. Remind yourself that this inner voice of doubt, this Inner Critic, is just a little scared of moving ahead. You're starting to stretch beyond where you've gone before and this little Inner Critic is scared so it is holding you back through inaction, indecision. Choose to take one small step in that direction, and then another, and you'll discover that you're flowing creatively again.
However, if you haven't doodled a noodle, picked up a brush, sung a song, gone to an audition or tinkled the ivories in weeks and weeks and weeks, then you're in a state of resistance. This resistance needs to be closely examined too if you wish to move beyond it. Instead of being in doubt about what's possible you are frozen in fear. What if I fail? If I continue to be an artist as my vocation will I end up living in a box by the side of the road? What if no one likes what I create? What if my work (me) is criticized publicly? Why even bother, when I'll only be rejected again. Will I die, lose my soul, give up on who I am? Deep down inside, you believe that it will be the end of the world if you continue on your path as an artist. In this state you are resisting who you are. You are resisting your own creative expression. And I'm sure you're depleted of energy, exhausted, heavy hearted. Powerless to move forward.
Yes, you are powerless because you have given up your power. If you ask yourself what within you is creating this resistance you may discover that you are shoulding all over yourself. You tell yourself constantly with that self-talk that you should do this, you should do that and yet you don't. I'm sure you have Found Excuses And Reasons (F.E.A.R.) why you can't continue on in your chosen path as an artist that is your birthright. But the truth is, you've become a victim of your fear. You've become a victim of the circumstances, events, and experiences in your life instead of the powerful creator that you are. You may even be feeling an urge to eF Everything And Run (F.E.A.R.); quit being an artist, an actor, a musician, a writer, a singer. You may have decided to 'get a real job'. Truth is, you quit on yourself and that feels terrible. And you are beating yourself up over it. And that feels even worse. This is no blocking boulder, this state is a massive wall of resistance. You are so afraid that you've literally thrown a protective blanket on your burning desires.
Again, it's time to examine your thoughts. This time, you're looking for deeper fundamental beliefs about what's possible for you to achieve as an artist. Perhaps you are reminding yourself that "you'll never earn a living as an artist" or 'artists are not business people and therefore doomed to fail".
Are the thoughts true? According to whom? How can you know, absolutely, that they are true? Can you find any evidence to the contrary? Who would you be, what would you do and what would you have if you didn't have these thoughts? For example if you're Inner Critic is telling you that you'll never earn a living as an artist, own that thought. Bring it up from your unconscious self-chatter into your consciousness. Shine light on it. Examine it. Is this true? According to whom? How can this person or these people know that this is true? Is it absolutely true that you'll never earn a living as an artist? Is any artist earning a living? Find more and more evidence that artists do, indeed, earn a living. If they can, so can you. How would you show up in your day as an artist if you didn't have that thought? What would you do? What would you create? What would success look like to you? Now be that! Hold the feeling you have as you envision yourself as a successful artist within you. Show up in your life, and as you approach your art, in that feeling state. You'll be amazed at the new inspiration, new opportunities that suddenly appear, seemingly out of nowhere for you.
So, You have a choice to make. If you are blocked, you can move beyond it. If you are resisting, you can quit. Get a real job. Tell yourself that you really don't want to be an artist and stop whining about it OR you can dissolve your fear. Which do you choose?
Valery Satterwhite is the Founder of the International Association for Inner Wizards. She teaches artists of all kinds how to get out of their own way, eliminate personal and professional roadblocks, so they can fully express their artistic vision and succeed in the business of art. Empower the Wizard Within, tame the Inner Critic, unleash and Inspire the Muse. Get Free Artist Resource Directory today at http://www.InnerWizard.com.
First of all, let's take a look at what the definition of 'block' is. A block, in this context, is an obstruction; something that hinders or prevents the progress of accomplishment. Resistance, on the other hand, is the action of opposing something; a refusal to comply. We also say that something is resistant when it serves as a protective coating.
If you are blocked creatively, you may have doubts about your work, your ability to be successful, your talent. If you are resisting, you have little energy or desire to be creative and take any creative action as an artist or in the business of art. Creative blocks will come and go. Resistance can become chronic.
If you want to know whether your challenge is a block or a resistance look within. Pay attention to your self-talk, that seemingly endless chatter that is with you throughout your waking hours. If this self-talk is telling you that you're not talented or good enough to continue further then this is a block. You are in doubt, perhaps, of your ability to create what you want to express in this particular work. You're stuck, not knowing what next action to take to progressively move forward. You masterfully create distractions to take you away from your art, practice, rehearsal, audition, important meeting. And you've been doing this resisting stuff for a long time. Clearly identify the thoughts that created this blockage, this boulder. Remind yourself that this inner voice of doubt, this Inner Critic, is just a little scared of moving ahead. You're starting to stretch beyond where you've gone before and this little Inner Critic is scared so it is holding you back through inaction, indecision. Choose to take one small step in that direction, and then another, and you'll discover that you're flowing creatively again.
However, if you haven't doodled a noodle, picked up a brush, sung a song, gone to an audition or tinkled the ivories in weeks and weeks and weeks, then you're in a state of resistance. This resistance needs to be closely examined too if you wish to move beyond it. Instead of being in doubt about what's possible you are frozen in fear. What if I fail? If I continue to be an artist as my vocation will I end up living in a box by the side of the road? What if no one likes what I create? What if my work (me) is criticized publicly? Why even bother, when I'll only be rejected again. Will I die, lose my soul, give up on who I am? Deep down inside, you believe that it will be the end of the world if you continue on your path as an artist. In this state you are resisting who you are. You are resisting your own creative expression. And I'm sure you're depleted of energy, exhausted, heavy hearted. Powerless to move forward.
Yes, you are powerless because you have given up your power. If you ask yourself what within you is creating this resistance you may discover that you are shoulding all over yourself. You tell yourself constantly with that self-talk that you should do this, you should do that and yet you don't. I'm sure you have Found Excuses And Reasons (F.E.A.R.) why you can't continue on in your chosen path as an artist that is your birthright. But the truth is, you've become a victim of your fear. You've become a victim of the circumstances, events, and experiences in your life instead of the powerful creator that you are. You may even be feeling an urge to eF Everything And Run (F.E.A.R.); quit being an artist, an actor, a musician, a writer, a singer. You may have decided to 'get a real job'. Truth is, you quit on yourself and that feels terrible. And you are beating yourself up over it. And that feels even worse. This is no blocking boulder, this state is a massive wall of resistance. You are so afraid that you've literally thrown a protective blanket on your burning desires.
Again, it's time to examine your thoughts. This time, you're looking for deeper fundamental beliefs about what's possible for you to achieve as an artist. Perhaps you are reminding yourself that "you'll never earn a living as an artist" or 'artists are not business people and therefore doomed to fail".
Are the thoughts true? According to whom? How can you know, absolutely, that they are true? Can you find any evidence to the contrary? Who would you be, what would you do and what would you have if you didn't have these thoughts? For example if you're Inner Critic is telling you that you'll never earn a living as an artist, own that thought. Bring it up from your unconscious self-chatter into your consciousness. Shine light on it. Examine it. Is this true? According to whom? How can this person or these people know that this is true? Is it absolutely true that you'll never earn a living as an artist? Is any artist earning a living? Find more and more evidence that artists do, indeed, earn a living. If they can, so can you. How would you show up in your day as an artist if you didn't have that thought? What would you do? What would you create? What would success look like to you? Now be that! Hold the feeling you have as you envision yourself as a successful artist within you. Show up in your life, and as you approach your art, in that feeling state. You'll be amazed at the new inspiration, new opportunities that suddenly appear, seemingly out of nowhere for you.
So, You have a choice to make. If you are blocked, you can move beyond it. If you are resisting, you can quit. Get a real job. Tell yourself that you really don't want to be an artist and stop whining about it OR you can dissolve your fear. Which do you choose?
Valery Satterwhite is the Founder of the International Association for Inner Wizards. She teaches artists of all kinds how to get out of their own way, eliminate personal and professional roadblocks, so they can fully express their artistic vision and succeed in the business of art. Empower the Wizard Within, tame the Inner Critic, unleash and Inspire the Muse. Get Free Artist Resource Directory today at http://www.InnerWizard.com.
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