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Meeting, befriending, and transforming your inner critic
New year 2026 - dates TBA - 2 consecutive afternoons 1 - 4pm
The Nether Edge Art School, 28 Kenwood Park Road, S7 1NF
A workshop which explores the psychology of what holds us back creatively. For anyone who has wanted to do more painting, drawing or writing and has found it surprisingly hard to get started! And for anyone who could do with learning be kinder to themselves and their creative efforts (that's all of us!)
A well crafted course which includes drawing, making, and writing exercises.
As a recovered perfectionist i know how stifling it is when there is lots of internal pressure to get things 'right', and not to make 'mistakes'. And i see it all the time with participant in my workshops. Have you noticed that while drawing (or painting or making) you can become quite critical about how things are turning out, only to take another look days or weeks later and be surprised to see that what you made was actually not bad?! This is an example of our Inner Critical voices that can rise up when we are in the process of being creative. We believe what we are hearing, and it drains all the enjoyment, and can stop us carrying on.
It can help a great deal if we make friends with the parts of us that feel stuck or inadequate. The parts that aren't sure we're up to it, that don't like the uncertainty of the creative process, and that think it's too dangerous to try
In fact as we work with the inner critics we find they are simply stuck processes, and that not far away there are allies
I've learnt to befriend and transform these critical parts. This workshop will give you the tools to do the same
Who is this course for? Anyone who wants a space to explore inner critical voices in a safe and creative way. Anyone who is aware of harsh voices or self-sabotaging behaviours but doesn't know what to do with them
"I wanted to thank you for the brilliant workshop yesterday afternoon. So much to think about - as is probably quite usual, I was surprised by what came up. I was impressed by your gentle guidance and how we all felt safe to share so much. As well as now having lots of useful stuff to explore (both artistically and in wider life), one of my inner critic voices was also soothed and validated by the creative process of the day. I often feel disheartened by the feeling that I don't have a deep imagination but when I am allowed, even forced to, come up with imaginative ideas, as we were yesterday, I am so often really excited by what I do have "in there". One of the reasons I want to do art (very new to me) and writing is to reach in and discover some of the depths of what is there that I feel I haven't explored as much as I'd have liked in the past.. It can be thrilling to experience that discovery, can't it?
I will definitely come to more sessions with you” - Debbie
"My inner critic has been well and truly befriended and I'm very much enjoying my art work! Thanks!" Susan, recent participant
"thanks again for your wonderful Inner Critics workshop a few weeks ago. I really valued the space and guidance to creatively explore my creative self in more detail, and to share that in such an open and encouraging environment, which you created. Thank you!” - Lucy
New year 2026 - dates TBA - 2 consecutive afternoons 1 - 4pm
The Nether Edge Art School, 28 Kenwood Park Road, S7 1NF
A workshop which explores the psychology of what holds us back creatively. For anyone who has wanted to do more painting, drawing or writing and has found it surprisingly hard to get started! And for anyone who could do with learning be kinder to themselves and their creative efforts (that's all of us!)
A well crafted course which includes drawing, making, and writing exercises.
As a recovered perfectionist i know how stifling it is when there is lots of internal pressure to get things 'right', and not to make 'mistakes'. And i see it all the time with participant in my workshops. Have you noticed that while drawing (or painting or making) you can become quite critical about how things are turning out, only to take another look days or weeks later and be surprised to see that what you made was actually not bad?! This is an example of our Inner Critical voices that can rise up when we are in the process of being creative. We believe what we are hearing, and it drains all the enjoyment, and can stop us carrying on.
It can help a great deal if we make friends with the parts of us that feel stuck or inadequate. The parts that aren't sure we're up to it, that don't like the uncertainty of the creative process, and that think it's too dangerous to try
In fact as we work with the inner critics we find they are simply stuck processes, and that not far away there are allies
I've learnt to befriend and transform these critical parts. This workshop will give you the tools to do the same
Who is this course for? Anyone who wants a space to explore inner critical voices in a safe and creative way. Anyone who is aware of harsh voices or self-sabotaging behaviours but doesn't know what to do with them
"I wanted to thank you for the brilliant workshop yesterday afternoon. So much to think about - as is probably quite usual, I was surprised by what came up. I was impressed by your gentle guidance and how we all felt safe to share so much. As well as now having lots of useful stuff to explore (both artistically and in wider life), one of my inner critic voices was also soothed and validated by the creative process of the day. I often feel disheartened by the feeling that I don't have a deep imagination but when I am allowed, even forced to, come up with imaginative ideas, as we were yesterday, I am so often really excited by what I do have "in there". One of the reasons I want to do art (very new to me) and writing is to reach in and discover some of the depths of what is there that I feel I haven't explored as much as I'd have liked in the past.. It can be thrilling to experience that discovery, can't it?
I will definitely come to more sessions with you” - Debbie
"My inner critic has been well and truly befriended and I'm very much enjoying my art work! Thanks!" Susan, recent participant
"thanks again for your wonderful Inner Critics workshop a few weeks ago. I really valued the space and guidance to creatively explore my creative self in more detail, and to share that in such an open and encouraging environment, which you created. Thank you!” - Lucy
What is Focusing? Focusing is a natural way of being with and listening to our bodily experiencing, to our deeper wisdom. Focusing can be used in many different situations. It is a wonderful self-care practice, it enhances personal growth and therapeutic work of all kinds, it has been used by activists for self care and conflict resolution, and enhances creativity. It has been used in business settings, with children, as a spiritual practice and in many different communities across the world.
Focusing prioritises bodily experiencing over cognitive understanding, received convention and usual assumptions.
This practice supports us in developing a compassionate listening to our bodily felt experience. It creates a safe, non-judgemental “being with” our own experiences that enables forward movement and change. (from the British Focusing Association webpage)
Focusing prioritises bodily experiencing over cognitive understanding, received convention and usual assumptions.
This practice supports us in developing a compassionate listening to our bodily felt experience. It creates a safe, non-judgemental “being with” our own experiences that enables forward movement and change. (from the British Focusing Association webpage)
"We cannot change anything until we accept it" Carl Jung
As a trained Focusing Practitioner i offer Focusing as a subtle yet powerful tool for nurturing acceptance and self-acceptance and therefore enabling positive changes to unfold
One to one Focusing sessions £40 per session
Connect with yourself, gain greater kindness, explore any themes or topics that are important to you.
Sessions can be in person or online. Email me to make an enquiry.
Focusing is a natural process, and takes about 3 sessions to get use to.
Find out more on the British Focusing Association website and also on Ann Weiser Cornell's website - here
This experience of listening to the inner promptings is also fundamental to the creative process so that it is something we do intuitively when we are image making/ music making etc. I have been Focusing for many years, and it has informed my approach to teaching and creating
Testimonials
"I found Colette’s focusing sessions to be a relaxing, safe and effective way of exploring issues and patterns in my life and questions I had. Colette has a lovely gentle facilitation style and I would recommend her sessions to anyone who is open to self exploration and development" Carol
"Colette is a lovely practitioner to work with. I felt accepted, welcomed, and safe. The sessions were unhurried and gentle and at times light hearted, but they were equally deep and revealing. I became better able to feel my thoughts and emotions in my body, to make space for different parts of myself and practice self compassion" T. Fletcher
As a trained Focusing Practitioner i offer Focusing as a subtle yet powerful tool for nurturing acceptance and self-acceptance and therefore enabling positive changes to unfold
One to one Focusing sessions £40 per session
Connect with yourself, gain greater kindness, explore any themes or topics that are important to you.
Sessions can be in person or online. Email me to make an enquiry.
Focusing is a natural process, and takes about 3 sessions to get use to.
Find out more on the British Focusing Association website and also on Ann Weiser Cornell's website - here
This experience of listening to the inner promptings is also fundamental to the creative process so that it is something we do intuitively when we are image making/ music making etc. I have been Focusing for many years, and it has informed my approach to teaching and creating
Testimonials
"I found Colette’s focusing sessions to be a relaxing, safe and effective way of exploring issues and patterns in my life and questions I had. Colette has a lovely gentle facilitation style and I would recommend her sessions to anyone who is open to self exploration and development" Carol
"Colette is a lovely practitioner to work with. I felt accepted, welcomed, and safe. The sessions were unhurried and gentle and at times light hearted, but they were equally deep and revealing. I became better able to feel my thoughts and emotions in my body, to make space for different parts of myself and practice self compassion" T. Fletcher
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'Your physically felt body is, in fact, part of a gigantic system of here and other places, now and other times, you and other people, in fact the whole universe. This sense of being bodily alive in a vast system is the body as it is felt from inside' E. Geldlin
