
options, originally uploaded by recovering lazyholic, found via kind over matter
As creatives, we’re doubters. We doubt our talent, & our ability. We doubt that the world will receive us positively. We doubt we can support ourselves without “stability”. We doubt that what we do is “good enough”, or “unique enough” – or just plain good & unique. We worry. We take that Vampire voice, the one that whispers negative thoughts into our heads, & listen to it. We let it take away our trust, our enthusiasm, our energy & our optimism.
Why does The Negative stick, & The Positive gets thrown away? In two separate sessions with two separate clients – artists both – the theme of positivity/negativity came up, & they were eerily similar. One client realized that she can listen to compliments on a loop for 24 hours – all genuine, all different, all sincere – without any of them sinking in, while that one negative comment, “You have no voice” or “You copy other people’s work” lays on her shoulders with every piece she works on. The other client discovered that he was embarrassed to send a link to his website to family & friends, even though two of his relatives asked how they could get prints of his work. Even though he was getting positive feedback from putting his photos on his Facebook profile, his Vampire Voice was saying, ‘You’re not good enough” & “You’re not perfect” & “They’re all gonna laugh at you.”
So, why is it that we don’t allow the positive comments, the kudos & the accolades, sink in? Why does the one negative comment – or the fear of it – overshadow the 100 positive ones, or hinder our ability to move forward? When we go to paint, or set-up a shot, or perform a song, why does The Negative haunt us? Why don’t we allow ourselves to focus on the relatives that want our work hanging in their home, or on the fan emails we’ve received saying that something we’ve done meant something to someone else? Why can’t we accentuate The Positive? (more…)