With my favorite Mandala teacher, Neha Modi, our journey with her is to Self compassion. With her creativity we will have a tool kit to transform our Inner Critic to Self Compassion.

 My Mom was a Fine Artist…Her favorite character was Lucy from Peanuts. She loved this character since I was 6 years old Mom would ask me to copy/ draw her. She was a fine artist-I was a copier to her.

What I am appreciating is drawing Cat&Sun solidly against Lucy of Peanuts. I am confident in drawing them (thanks to my friend Diana for being that healthy parent voice and Artist friend voice in my head) against my inner critic, monkey mind, nuns, and Mom.

 

Issue “BEING SEEN!”
I am realizing being a good copier… people already like the art work of the artist I have copied - I, Betty Rose, is not seen.
Mom’s fine art is seen as it self and admired. My art classmates:
Diana Abstract art-
Karen altered states books art-
Lynn collage art books
ALL feel Original and should be seen.
I still use source material (in my critic’s voice, Mom’s voice,I am invisible)and as a school teacher—-I am perfect for school bulletin boards. I can copy and design them with known characters. And they are liked because parents like those books.

 All artist have source material… Some how Mom made source material sound like cheating and/or no imagination if you are copying a source. A young part is obeying Mom and the nuns… “just copy this for me.”

Yet they called themselves artist because they could not copy, it had to be their own way -only! Being only and always their work made them artists.

I have drawn my characters Cat&Sun with the children in the style of Joan Walsh-Anglund. Allowing both to have life in a page.  The issues are definitions and art rules created by Mom, nuns, and teachers.

 
My inner child is a voice and critic-esque because of not being seen or heard. She too believes I cannot complete any art for myself because no parent kept their promise. And mom would not draw when I asked for something to color.

I am giving my 6, 7, 8 year olds the artists they liked and wanted to copy. So my inner child can feel time is spent on her.