About this Event
A 90-Minute Expressive Arts Workshop to Explore Your Inner Critic
What do you say to or about yourself when you’re not feeling, looking, or doing your best?
Do you ever say:
- What’s wrong with me? Why can’t I just (full in the blank)?
- It’s pointless. No matter what I do, it’s never enough!
- Why do I keep doing that? Why can’t I stop?
- If only I was (fill in the blank), things would be so much better.
Many of us live with harsh voices that have been living rent-free in our minds for so long we don’t even notice them anymore. It’s like they’ve become the soundtrack to our lives, following us wherever we go, and affecting how we feel about ourselves. Over time, we begin to simply take their words as truth and believe it’s just the way things are – the way we are.
This 90-minute expressive arts workshop is an invitation to gently explore your inner critic – the voice that judges, pressures, puts you down, and keeps you striving for perfection. Rather than trying to silence this voice or eliminate it, we will first approach it with curiosity and openness in case it has something of value to offer.
Rather than talking about inner criticism and negative thought loops, we will give the inner critic form and voice through drawing and writing, and you will be creatively guided to get to know it better, including its intentions. You might even leave with a sense of compassion towards it (only if the inner critic deserves it, of course! And some do not!). What I can promise is that you will begin to transform your relationship with it.
No artistic experience is needed for this workshop. Everything is invitational, and you’re always welcome to participate in ways that feel right for you. Our focus is on process and self-discovery, not performance or making “good” art. In this supportive space, you will explore where the inner critic comes from, what its goal is, and how creative expression and kinder dialogue can empower you and soften the impact of this voice on your inner safety and sense of self. You’ll leave with insights, embodied tools, and reflections you can implement in your everyday life.
Please wear comfortable clothing suitable for sitting on the floor and for gentle movement. Also, bring a journal if you can; all other materials will be provided.
This workshop also offers a taste of how expressive arts therapy works, and it can be a supportive first step if you’re curious about deeper one-to-one work in individual sessions.
Workshop limited to 4-6 participants to support a contained and supportive experience.
Facilitated by Darja Milidragovic, Registered Counsellor (RCC) and Expressive Arts Therapist.
Access: The building entrance does not require buzzer code. You can just pull the door open to access the building.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
179 Davie St #212, 179 Davie Street, Vancouver, Canada
CAD 33.28
