This past weekend, my mom and I took a meaning-of-life class disguised as a clay-sculpturing workshop.
The teacher, Caroline Douglas is a BEATUFIUL student of the human condition, and expresses it through her art and teaching. It’s rare I come into contact with Genius and Love like hers, both are still reverberating through my cells.
“Write down” she said, during an exercise, “The top five things your inner critic LOVES to say to keep you from creating art.”
“Now,” she said. “Let’s head over to the clay.”
“Five inner critics,” she said, holding up her hand “Five fingers. I think you know what that means…”
“…FINGER PUPPETS!!”
Within one hour, twenty artists had produced 100 of the most adorable trouble makers you could possibly imagine. Here are mine (in order of appearance):
1) “This room/space isn’t right for creativity!”
2) “You have to be clever or don’t bother.”
3) “You don’t have any more ideas. You’re through!!”
4) “You can’t really communicate what you mean to say.”
5) “i don’t feel like it.
“See,” Said Caroline. “Everything – your fear, your anger, your worry, your doubt – everything is a resource. All you gotta do, is show up, and work with what you got.”
* Note: these quotations are not verbatim. They reflect the essence of what i heard Caroline say.
Oh lordy, these are adorable! I think everyone should turn their critics into finger puppets. I nearly laughed out loud at some of yours (no ideas and i don’t feel like it).
HI Leah! Thanks so much for all your kind words and for your fantastic rendition of what happened in the workshop!! I loved reading that!
You are a bright star and are shining it from where you are… as am I! Yay us! I wish you the very best!
Your gremlins are super stars, BTW….:o)