Balancing the Artist and the Inner Critic

Befriending your inner critic through Internal Family Systems Therapy so it can support your creative expression

By Netta Sadvosky, LSW

Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a parts-work therapy method that can help folks untangle the knots that keep them from their favorite forms of creativity. For example, IFS can help with the common and persistent challenge of feeling thwarted by the interjecting voice of a harsh inner critic when trying to work on art. 

IFS begins with the premise that none of us contain a singular perspective—rather, we are all made up of many inner “parts,” each of whom has their own psychological and emotional characteristics. IFS therapists facilitate folks to befriend these parts, and ally with their parts’ fears and intentions, so that they can collaborate with one another more skillfully. In the case of a harsh inner critic, your therapist might have you get to know how that critic developed its voice, who it’s modeled after, what it wants you to achieve, and what it’s afraid would happen if it didn’t critique you the way that it does. The Inner Critic might tell you things like:

“You’re not good enough, stop now.”

“This idea is amateurish and embarrassing.”

“This project is frivolous and indulgent, why don’t you do something that actually helps the world?”

These kinds of statements can be so difficult to hear, particularly for artistic and playful parts, that we may not get to know our Inner Critic any further. We may resent them for inhibiting our creativity. We may argue with them. We may try to drown them out with distractions. 

However, our Inner Critic does not want to hurt us. IFS theory offers that the Inner Critic, like all our parts, is on our team. It might want to protect us from humiliation. It might want to make sure we do our finest, most impactful work. It might parrot the voices of key mentors or critics we’ve encountered in life so far, attempting to get ahead of how your artwork will be received by the voices you value most. By lovingly getting to know the Critic with IFS, we establish trust with it that we understand its concerns and won’t villainize it. With that growing trust, it begins to feel open to collaborating with you to strategize how and when to show up with critiques, without sabotaging your creativity. This way, vulnerable artistic parts can have a say in whether and when they could use some constructive critique in their delicate process.

There are many aspects of the creative process that an Inner Critic could be very helpful for. From designing a project to editing it, the Inner Critic’s sharp eye can help us to refine our work and unlock more of our potential. It also help us identify our strengths and where best to use them. It can use its insights into the judgments of other people to help us identify the appropriate contexts and audiences for our work to be recognized and valued. 

Through IFS, you can mediate between your Inner Critic and other parts to help it find functional roles in your creative process, that empower the Critic to serve your system effectively and compassionately, and help you create your best work.