I’m going through a class in the Sequential Artists Workshop site. It’s called The Inner Critic Recovery Program. This is a self directed class to help quiet, retrain and redirect that inner voice that finds fault with your art. My voice has been so loud lately that it’s hard getting anything done.
This is about the third time I’ve tried to get through it. I keep getting distracted. There are so many shiny things around. But I am trying again.
The class is divided into four sections.
Section 1. I am asked Who I am. My critic is confused because I wear so many hats. I may try to wear more than one hat at a time. There are names for this. It can be called mixed media, or interstitial. This not only confuses my critic, it makes her angry. She not only wants to know who I am as an artist, she puts her hands on her hips and asks me “Who the hell do I think I am.” (That’s the question my mother used to ask me, except she never said “Hell”. She was a church lady.
I was asked to draw my critic. What did he, she, it, or they look like? I drew what I call a church lady harpy. She wears a huge ridiculous hat, white gloves, and carries a Judaeo-Christian Bible. She also has fangs and bat wings.
The coloring book exercise. One assignment was to get a coloring book made for small children. I was to time myself and color as many pages as possible. This was an ABC type book, so I tried to finish the entire alphabet in the time allotted. With my critic breathing down my neck, and disapproving the whole time, I did the assignment. I was asked what I learned, thought, or observed.
First thought. “How much does one get paid to do a crappy coloring book for three-year-olds? I’m always looking for opportunities.
I was asked how I finished the assignment. Did I use one color for everything? (No, I’m not three.) Did I leave lots of unfinished white spaces? (Yes I did.) Did I rip out uncolored pages? (No. Rude.) I was even asked if I blacked out everyone’s eyes. Oooo. I didn’t think of that.
I got to Xylophone before the timer went off. So close. Since I did not finish the whole book I can always go back and finish at a more leisurely pace if I just want to spend time using up my old markers and pencils. I can make the too cute characters into zombies like Jordan Persegati does, or I can do the assignment again.
