Silence is Golden, Duct Tape is Silver

Sometimes my inner critic just won't shut up! "Who are you to think you can do that? Who would ever think you are good at this or that?" Blah, blah, blah. I just want to cover my ears and say "LaLaLaLa".

I've thought of creating a "shut up the inner critic" amulet made with duct tape of course. Something to touch that will remind me to ignore that droning voice and pay attention to the sounds of hope and the lovely noise that dreams make as they come true.

It dawned on me that I rarely hear the inner critic when I am working on a Zentangle tile. There are several reasons why I believe this is the case. First off, when I start a tile there is NO expectation. I have no idea how it will look when it's done. If there is no expectation, no "something" it's supposed to look like, then there is nothing to criticize. Ha! I also think that the relaxed focus creates a protective bubble around you as you work on a tile. There is no space in your brain to let his voice be heard.

At any rate I have been thinking about the fact he can't be heard when I tangle and have been practicing what I am calling being present in the moment of creativity. So today as I was monoprinting some papers to restock my supply I was carefully attending to the process. The way the paint was dripping and splashing on the plexiglass. The look of the colors as they combined slightly under the brayer. I didn't over think the results or analyze what to do next, I became present in the moment of creating. I let the paint flow and just did what felt good without worrying if it would look okay when I was done.

The result? Some of the best background papers I've ever done! And way more important? I enjoyed it every step of the way. I never felt anxious or worried about the results. A fabulous way to function and the critic was SILENT!