the nurturer

This collage is an attempt to visualize the ways in which my nurturer (my own maternalistic self) might do a better job of taking care of me. My nurturer, in particular, is responsible for protecting me from the inner critic, who, like a domineering and authoritarian parent, only chastises, disapproves of, and ridicules me. Demanding perfection, my inner critic is perpetually displeased. So I rely on my nurturer to step in when the inner critic is on a rampage (i.e., regularly) and restore reason and compassion. Problem is, my nurturer is lousy at her job. Her skills are not nearly as developed as the inner critic's, meaning that the negative self-talk pretty much predominates.

With that in mind, it was recently suggested that I consider how I might support the nurturer to hone her abilities as a self-caretaker. The words and images which resulted in the collage above represent an attempt to achieve more of an internal balance, in part, by reminding myself of the tools of self-care that are already available to me.

The images I chose are mostly of nature (gardens, flowers...), denoting beauty, peace, restoration, balance, quietude, and so forth. The chair and bench are also prominent, I guess, because they convey the idea of stillness and rest; good antidotes for the inner critic's crazy-making ways. On the right-hand side is a list of words that describe the qualities and actions associated with a healthy and strong nurturer. Words like forgiveness, guidance, meditation, wisdom, and laughter.

I may just leave the collage up for awhile, near my desk, in hopes of encouraging some of those characteristics in myself. What are the characteristics and images associated with your nurturer?