I didn’t get to my studio today; I was making signage for my show that’s opening on Friday. So instead I’ll post from my little gallery of inner critics here. As with all my daily art, these are on 9″ x 12″ Stonehenge paper. Mostly all ink and acrylic.
THE ACADEMICIAN
“If you were serious about art, you would study and work at it. You would make Art with Meaning and Import, that was technically proficient. You would show in museums and galleries. Your little puddles and scratches are worthless!”
THE BLOB OF INERTIA
This one doesn’t really say anything, just sits and stares. Sometimes I just have to make some kind of mark on the paper, to break the surface and get something rolling.
THE LOUD ONE
“Wow! You really are not very good at this! What a piece of junk! You’re going to show that thing to everyone? It’s pretty stupid!”
THE PRINCESS
“You are so soft and privileged. Spending so much time in your nice little studio, with all your pretty things…none of this is Real Life, it’s just a silly way to pass your time.”
INNER CRITICS
When I began my daily art practice, I soon ran into a chorus of voices that had much to say about what I was doing. These ideas, expectations, and judgments had a lot to do with my giving up on art-making for so long. They offered me all kinds of reasons to give up and stop now.
I persisted, and it became clear that I couldn’t really get them to shut up. But I learned that I could get them to go sit in another room and leave me be; I was going to do my daily art, whatever they thought of it.
Now and then I’ve made pictures to represent some of those inner critics. It amuses me to tease apart different characters that offer reasons and excuses not to spend my time and energy doing something that I love.
Please meet some of my Inner Critics; perhaps some of them may sound familiar?
The Critics are not without value; they lead me toward being clear about what I am doing, and why.
It’s worth paying some attention, at least enough to refute their unkind words.
I believe that the forms of creative expression – art, music, dance, cooking good food, making useful and beautiful things for any reason or no reason – are what gives life meaning. It’s how we connect as humans, and how we understand our existence and connection with the world. Each of the Critics holds a grain of truth. But they lie when they try to make me believe that their point is the whole of the Truth.
It may be true that creative expression will not save the world, but it does give people a reason to think the world is worth saving.
It’s also really true that if you do something with intention every day, you can learn a lot about the thing, and also about yourself!
eyespider 