The Art of Proving Yourself Wrong
Moving past the stories we tell ourselves
Thank you for being here: reading, heart-ing, commenting, sharing 💛 This newsletter is illustrated with a video at the bottom- I’d love you to be part of the conversation 🌿
Welcome fabulous human! This week is all about stories— but not stories of the fabulous kind. No, I’m afraid not. We’re looking at the dull and pesky stories. The ones that get a bit old. The ones that park themselves between us and our curiosities. That snip our glimmers off at the source before they’re even reached ten percent of their glimmering capacity.
And the way I am going to tell this story to you is in so many which ways I have lost count. There are drawings (scroll on and you will see). A bit of writing (that’s also with the drawings). And a video at the end where we’ll have a proper, grown up conversation about proper, grown up things like bodies and nervous systems and stories and how they can work for us or against us (focusing on the latter with view to revealing the former).
Before I unleash you on this smorgasboard I must tell you— it’s been a trip to get here. This week I wigged myself out by thinking that we had to have these conversations in a very specific way. Obviously dictated by the Rule Police, who I have never met face to face and yet feel I have met their acquaintance. The Rule Police told me we should do this with long form essays and references up the wazoo, and very serious things so you would understand I take both you and these topics very seriously indeed.
Which I do.
But Dearest Reader, I also have developed a remarkable capacity to quickly pull myself up in the event of Another. Bloody. Story. You could say I’ve become a sniffer dog finely tuned to the scent of my own BS.
So, in the spirit of following my own delight- because what better navigator could there be than that- I am, henceforth, going to do this in any way that pleases me. Because if that’s the message I want to send out to you (one of following your own creative delight) then I’d better be doing it for myself also.
So, let’s do this.
We’ll continue with a story about how I proved myself wrong. And how drawing was responsible.
Separating Emotion From Action To Create A Brand New Story
Any of this sounding familiar? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to share them with me below!
Want some more support? Well, it just so happens I have a 5 Day Drawing Challenge for people who absolutely, 100 percent, most definitely cannot draw.
This 5-Day Drawing Challenge is designed for people just like you: people who are curious, hesitant, and convinced they “can’t draw.” You can read all about it here- I’d love to have you join me!
Thank you for being here,
xx Jane
The speed at which your drawing improved is mind-blowing. You are so incredibly creative. You're a force, a sun-fire, a circling wind. This is a very beautiful story.
Really enjoyed reading and watching this - thankyou. I have also had a little dream to draw my own 'book' of the birds that visit the garden - we have been seeing more and more recently since paying it some attention - but always get stuck on where to actually start. This has given me some inspiration, and an idea of how to manage those feelings (which are there even as I type this!) of this not being something I could do (well enough to be pleased with it... Perfectionism there I think...). I have had some success with writing though - moving from 'i can't possibly,it's not what I do' to it being a part of my life, without aiming for perfection. so maybe there is also learning there... Thanks you have prompted some helpful reflections.