Voices

"If you hear a voice within you say “you cannot paint,” then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced." Vincent Van Gogh

In the studio, I often tell singers that the reason I speak while they work through an exercise is because I want to be the loudest voice in their head!

I want to coax, reassure, encourage, remind, and be that voice that gives them WHY and permission to get messy and find it!

And why do I do that?

How many voices are in your head?

How many of those voices are actually positive?

Do you recognize specific voices, or have they collected over time and are simply a a cacophony of mud?

I believe in ACTION. That means creating a new behavior to replace one you are kicking to the curb. When the new behavior has focus of intention, the old simply doesn’t have room anymore. It might slink out, it might fight you momentarily, but it WILL leave.

Same with the voices. By letting them live rent-free, they know no boundaries and will take up residence like they own the place.

There are many exercises in releasing these voices - from the specific to the general. Only YOU can determine what makes the most sense for you.

I will just add this: YOU are still standing. The voice/voices have not taken you down.

You have a CHOICE. Succumb to the voices, or fight them and banish them.

Your mind, your boundaries, your rules.

Get mad but don’t beat yourself up. As artists, it’s easy to turn the anger and disappointment inward and say, “why did I let that happen?” You didn’t “let” anything happen! The negative voices, the vampiric voices, all those voices find ways in, intentionally or not, simply because we were open, because we WANTED TO LEARN. We WANTED TO BE EXPRESSIVE. We WANTED TO BE AN ARTIST.

Our intention was pure. The other was not.

Now, your intention remains pure. Your intention is now mindful and aware.

Those negative voices have no power over you, unless you relinquish your power. When we know better, we DO better.

Allow yourself permission to recognize the voices. Give them permission to be seen and heard with a very bright, naked bulb. Make them squint in the light.

Use YOUR voice to sent them on their way. Reclaim the space they have taken. Clean it up, clear it out, and make room for whatever you need there now. Whatever you WANT there now.

It’s COMPLETELY up to you!

with fondness & fierceness,