I really like that your practice is not about trying to silence the inner critic. As a musician, I think learning to live with an inner critic is almost unavoidable. I need that part of myself - the part that can look at my own playing and work objectively, question what could be better, and keep pushing me to improve.
But I also know how easily that voice can go too far. I’ve experienced many times how constructive self-criticism can turn into something much harsher, where BoJack takes over and the criticism shifts from “this performance could be better” to questioning my worth as a person. 🌀
So your idea of “bringing the event back to its actual size” really stayed with me. That is a practice I would very much like to bring into my own life. Thank you for such a thoughtful essay, Rebecca! This really gave me something to reflect on. 💙
I really like that your practice is not about trying to silence the inner critic. As a musician, I think learning to live with an inner critic is almost unavoidable. I need that part of myself - the part that can look at my own playing and work objectively, question what could be better, and keep pushing me to improve.
But I also know how easily that voice can go too far. I’ve experienced many times how constructive self-criticism can turn into something much harsher, where BoJack takes over and the criticism shifts from “this performance could be better” to questioning my worth as a person. 🌀
So your idea of “bringing the event back to its actual size” really stayed with me. That is a practice I would very much like to bring into my own life. Thank you for such a thoughtful essay, Rebecca! This really gave me something to reflect on. 💙
Thanks for reading and I’m so glad it resonated. Constructive criticism is great, but BoJack never learned how. :D