Have you ever tried to change your perfectionistic tendencies as an artist? If so, you know that it’s difficult because it takes work and patience. So what do you do? Many artists have found success by using journal prompts. But there are a few things you should know before you start using generic journal prompts. This post will tell you what you need to know to make sure you are using the correct prompts, which will help you successfully dismantle your perfectionistic tendencies.
If you are looking for journal prompts that will change your perfectionistic inner critic, the best method to ensure you end up challenging and dismantling your inner critic is first by asking these questions.
Questions to discover your perfectionistic tendencies
The following questions will be a place to start examining where and how this particular inner critic shows up. Make sure you write down your answers. If you don’t, you will not be able to see where you started and how you have progressed.
- Do you share your work only when it is deemed perfect by you?
- Are you hesitant to discuss your creative practice/work because you worry about someone seeing your flaws?
- Do you have difficulty stepping away from your work to take a break?
- Do you respond with self deprecating comments to others’ compliments of your work?
Below are a list of perfectionist tendencies statements (instant download) that are familiar to the artist with perfectionistic tendencies.
As you look at this list, which ones jump out at you? They are usually the ones that you can quickly answer.
The perfectionist is an inner negative voice that originates from past experiences, people, environment and the view you have formed of yourself as a result of these environments and experiences. For you as an artist, the perfectionist judges your creative process attempts to halt your creativity. To learn more about how the perfectionist or inner critic develops, check out my post, How the Inner Critic is Formed.
You will never completely silence the perfectionist, but you will grow to learn how to put it in its place.
Perfectionistic Tendencies Questions
The following questions address where, when, how and why your identified statement shows up. Make sure to write these questions and their answers in your journal.
- What is the lie the perfectionist is telling me?
- Does the perfectionist deserve to take up space in my creativity?
- When does the perfectionist show up? (time of day, season)
- Where is my life does the perfectionist appear?
- Who am I with when the perfectionist is loudest?
- What am I usually doing when the perfectionist shows up? (creating, selling, scrolling social media)
- What message do I need to tell the perfectionist? (examples: I don’t need you, You are only bringing me down, I am worth more than your negativity.)
Challenge the Validity of the Perfectionist
For each perfectionistic statement you checked off, ask these questions (instant download) and write out your answers.
How to Silence the Perfectionist
ADDRESS YOUR WORTH
Changing the perfectionist must come from a place of belief; belief that you are worth more than your perfectionist commentary. You must ask yourself “where does my belief in who I am and my worth, come from?” It is your choice, just as it is mine, who you choose to listen to. We often have voices from our past; employment, friends or family of origin, whose messages still are loud and functioning.
Remember, you can choose who you listen to out there in the world. If we have a choice in who we have allowed (often unknowingly) to influence our perfectionist, we also have a choice who influences our worth. Belief in your worth is practiced, not automatic.
Affirmations contain truths that directly counter our fears or mistaken beliefs. Initially it will be difficult to believe these counter statements. You must remember that you have practiced rehearsing the fears for years so give yourself patience to start implementing the new beliefs.
DISMANTLE THE LIE
What exactly do affirmations do? They address the lie of the inner critic; remember those lies you identified that target your worth and say that you are not good enough?
REPLACE WITH TRUTH
Affirmations focus on the good, not the negative. Remember, what we feed grows. Affirmations directly counter and challenge the negative thought or fear which in essence is a lie. And lastly, they build in healthy new thought habits that become the catalyst to greater, long term positive change.
START PRACTICING YOUR AFFIRMATIONS
Take a look at the following affirmations for perfectionist tendencies prompts (instant download). These directly correspond to and are the made over perfectionistic tendency statements you identified for your perfectionist examples. These will become your signature affirmations. Adjust these as needed to suite you.
Now that you know the process for silencing the perfectionistic tendencies, you’re ready to put into practice these tools, without worrying that you are doing it wrong. Remember, awareness is the first step to change.
I hope that this post, “Journal Prompts for Artists with Perfectionistic Tendencies” has been helpful in using journal prompts effectively. If you like this post, please share the love with a comment or a pin. Thank you!
Blessings,
Darlene
P.S. If you have scrolled to the bottom, remember to pin this for later.
Leave a Reply