Hi everyone,
I’m writing to remind you that tomorrow night we have our monthly group journaling session from 7 - 8:30 pm et. I’ll be joined by writer, coach, and Inner Story member Erica D’Eramo about our friend the inner critic. This is something that all writers (and all humans) contend with each day.
Our inner critics get loud when we decide to take a creative risk. Just when we take a leap and start making moves, something inside protests and resists the new vulnerability. We think we must be doing something wrong because we feel this dislocation, this loss of control. But it’s ok. There’s nothing wrong. This is part of the process. You’re just paving a new path and uncertainty should be expected.
Our inner critics get loud when we are growing and expanding beyond our prior limitations.
For example:
When you express yourself in a new way or share a different point of view that separates you from the comfort of groupthink.
When you are experiencing a season of seemingly low productivity; when life is calling you to be still and incubate.
When you don’t get immediate validation or desired results.
When you discover something that you can’t fix or control through sheer force or willpower.
When you subject yourself to new pressures and responsibilities and the learning curve intimidates you.
When you make an effort and don’t get immediate validation or the specific results you wanted.
When you discover an error you made or you receive constructive criticism.
When you set or enforce a boundary that disrupts familiar relationship dynamics.
When you are struggling to break a bad habit or pattern that stands between you and something you want.
I know y’all can relate to some if not all of these!
We can teach ourselves to respond differently and change our relationship with the inner critic. You can find the description and details to register below.
The Practice Session #16: Dialogue with the Inner Critic w/ Erica D’Eramo | Wednesday, June 26, 7 - 8:30 pm et (free for paid subscribers or $15 drop-in fee)
Each Practice journaling session features a community member or invited guest who shares insights on the topic and a journaling prompt with the group.
Many creatives have a complex relationship with their inner critic. Rather than working to silence this voice, we will seek to open up a dialogue with her based on curiosity and exploration. By the end of our session, we will walk away with some tools and tactics for relating to her in a healthier, more productive way.
Erica D'Eramo is an ICF-accredited coach, columnist, and creative, as well as the founder of Two Piers Consulting. As a former engineer, she loves exploring how systems and environments impact the ways we show up in the world. She specializes in working with those folks who are breaking molds and trailblazing paths to create impact. Erica and her partner live in midcoast Maine and are proud pet parents to four feline friends and a flock of feathered ones.
***I recently had the pleasure of chatting about the power of community with Erica on her podcast. We discuss the underlying human need for connection and the roles that compassion, curiosity, and core values play in building resilient and inclusive communities. You can listen here.