As it is the month of February, we think of Valentine's Day and the theme of Love. So, this month we are going to be mindful of loving ourselves. We are often our own worst critics and our inner dialogue with ourself can be very harsh, judgemental and critical. When we stop and notice this stream of negative self thought it can be a bit of a shock. We would never speak to our friends, our partner or our children like this, so how is acceptable to treat ourselves in this way?

There is a video I saw recently on social media which demonstrates this point beautifully. I've shared it in the Facebook group because it isn't compatible with this page. If you haven't joined the group yet, you can do so here:

When I became aware of how I speak to myself when I'm not really listening, I realised I was extremely hard on myself. Often we are completely oblivious to this fact. I remember as I was growing up, my father would constantly berate himself with a string of modified expletives and a scattering of insults he would use against himself. When I consider this, coupled with a fairly critical environment, it is no wonder that I had a constant stream of self negativity running in the background that I wasn't even really aware of!

My challenge to you this month is to listen for that voice and, when you hear it, look for any patterns. When you notice your little voice being unkind, flip the criticism and tell yourself something encouraging, forgive your mistake or perceived wrongdoing and send yourself some love. 

On to the main activity for the month:

I have recorded a visualisation meditation and I'd like you to listen to it as many times as you feel you need to. I find it can be very powerful in a positive way and I hope you do too. 

When you have listened to it, please print off and colour the worksheet, I draw the worksheets by hand and they are kept deliberately simple. You can colour it using whatever medium you wish, in a way that feels good for you. Draw both yourselves in the boats. I want you to notice how it feels as you consider the subject. If anything comes up that triggers a memory or an emotion or an 'aha' moment, then it is a good idea to note it down, either on the page itself, or in a notebook, sketchbook or journal if you keep one. This is all about the process, not the result, just go with what feels right for you. Please click the words 'download worksheet' to get your worksheet.

Download Worksheet

When you are finished take a look at your worksheet. How have you coloured it? Are there areas that are more densely filled with colour than others? What colours did you choose? Have you pressed hard with a pen in some places or filled in some parts more freely? What about the notes you made? Really this is about becoming aware of what ticks along below the surface and gently bringing it into the light so we can use our new knowledge to move forward. 

I sincerely hope you have enjoyed this process and are looking forward to more mindful creativity. Please share in the Facebook group if you want to. I have created the group to be a safe and supportive place where we can share without fear of judgement or criticism. There is no pressure to share anything if you don't feel comfortable with it, however I would encourage you to participate in other aspects of the group in order to get the most out of being in Calm Creative Club.

I have some more relaxing and less intense things to share over the month so please look out for your emails and add sophie@theattentiveartist.com to your contacts to ensure your notifications don't get swallowed up by the spam folder. 

Please tell your friends if you think they would like to join us here, thank you,

Bye for now,

Sophie X