Playing in the face of self-criticism

‘You’re no good at this’

‘You don’t have any good ideas’

‘That sounds/looks rubbish’

This has so often been the battle in my head when I begin something creative. On and on those nasty self-critical gremlins go, sucking out all of the joy of making something new.

One of the gifts of raising babies has been to remind me how to PLAY. Little ones play so effortlessly. No self-consciousness. No agenda. No tying their self-worth to an end product. Just exploration…

‘Ooh this is fun…’

‘How does it sound if I scrape it like this…’

‘What if I pull the strings, listen...I’m making a rainbow!’

When I get heavy with self-doubt, my babies remind of my own child spirit. They coax out the parts of me that delight in making things, just for the fun of it.

Deep breath, relax…

How do the piano keys feel to touch…

How many different ways can I play this note…

Where do I feel my voice resonating, how does it feel...

Before I know it, I am exploring, discovering, creating. I have climbed out of the rabbit hole, quieted the critical inner monologue and my imagination is free again.