Post on 14-Apr-2017
Banish Your Inner Critic
MakingWeb.no Oslo, Norway 22 September 2016
Denise Jacobs
@denisejacobs#makingweb
#banishyourcritic
Want the slides? Go here:
Creativedo.se/makingweb-ic
Photo by Derek Kearney
Wait…What?!
Founder + CEO, The Creative Dosehttp://TheCreativeDose.com/
Upon a time…http://www.behance.net/gallery/Once-Upon-a-Time/2918365
29 Junehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/jblndl/3154255478/
I was going to be an author!Photo: Denise Jacobs
Instead of creativityPhoto from Flickr.com
Destructivityhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/kevygee/3265941065/
The voices in my head were mercilesshttp://www.flickr.com/photos/epsos/4887528060/
I totally freaked out
I shouldn't be writing thisI misrepresented myself
I don't know enoughThis should be someone else’s book
I’m going to look stupidEveryone will see that I’m a fakeWhat if it's not good enough?What if I'm not good enough?
No…really!
2 dayshttp://www.flickr.com/photos/fiery-phoenix/8428079916/
Worked non-stop & burned outhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/53611153@N00/5827849044/
My internal critical voiceshttp://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeapalooza/553545517/
Made this happen
https://www.flickr.com/photos/70938871@N05/8230432077
Physical evidence of fearhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/grumpyfeline/4626401443/
A different kind of fearPhoto: Denise Jacobs
Fears + Internalized criticisms
https://www.flickr.com/photos/remoto/5313967682
= The Inner Critic
https://www.flickr.com/photos/acerriteno/3484093889/
F.E.A.R. =
http://cdnpix.com/show/imgs/7a361666e107cd36656d5a66ea2e4e80.jpg
Or…
https://twitter.com/Phishtitz/status/474661495935365120
YES! (…and…)https://www.flickr.com/photos/willsan/3780293130
The enemy of creativity
http://www.flickr.com/photos/richardwinchell/130344669/
Stress & frustration
https://www.flickr.com/photos/corneveaux/3248566797/
Suppress generative impulses in the brain
https://www.flickr.com/photos/birthintobeing/11841180046
Thoughts =https://www.flickr.com/photos/57375589@N05/9046508025/
Electrical impulses =http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Neuron-matrix.png
= Brainwaves!http://uniteunderfreedom.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Brain-waves.jpg
Know your brainwaves
Blocks creative expressionhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/anieto2k/8156999698/
“Self-rebuke will stall your creative efforts.”- Shelly Carson, Your Creative Brain
How to ID your Inner Critichttp://www.flickr.com/photos/lambdachialpha/203904103/
Listen for internal critical talkhttp://brenebrown.com/2014/04/08/daring-interview-series-meet-gavin-aung/
“OMG, I’m SO busy!”
“I should have done more by now…”
http://www.flickr.com/photos/automania/126698126/
“They’ll find out I’m a fraud”
vs. “NAILED IT!”https://www.flickr.com/photos/paul-drummond/3946893897
“It needs to be FLAWLESS”http://www.flickr.com/photos/diepuppenstubensammlerin/7648792510/
“I’ll do it tomorrow…”
http://www.flickr.com/photos/irrezolut/2311904560/
“Really, I’ll do it tomorrow.”
http://www.flickr.com/photos/irrezolut/2311904560/
“I will do it tomorrow!”
http://www.flickr.com/photos/irrezolut/2311904560/
Meet your inner critic
1) Write down one fear around your creativity
https://www.flickr.com/photos/quinnanya/5788826472/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dhinson/1290445055/
2) Crumple paper into ball Then…
3) On 3, throw it!http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b1-baSAE8ZI/VDM3BbuiaFI/AAAAAAAABKk/l91FBGvSgkA/s1600/IMAGE_437.jpg
Anthing sound familiar?Photo: Denise Jacobs
You’re in good companyhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/17843347@N05/4610644207/
Afflicts ALL of us!
http://comediansincarsgettingcoffee.com/jimmy-fallon-the-unsinkable-legend-part-2 (@ 8:15)
“…I don’t have what these people want to see – they want to see a funny guy! That’s not me.” - Jerry Seinfeld, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee
https://www.flickr.com/photos/97477873@N00/13016287284/
We need to unleashhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/designandtechnologydepartment/4771136128/
We need brain managementhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/arselectronica/13994747444/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/nrbelex/2247397943/
“You must be unintimidated by your own thoughts because if you [try to create] with someone looking over your shoulder, you'll never [create].” – Nikki Giovanni
How do we…
http://www.flickr.com/photos/opensourceway/5445602998/
Banish the Inner Critic?https://www.flickr.com/photos/31505964@N08/4691019168/
You can’t outrun the voiceshttp://www.flickr.com/photos/wester/504925076/
Imposition Mentalityhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/bethscupham/7328405210
Eliminate “Have to/Should/Must/Ought”
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mythoto/3822942678/
Replace with “I choose/ I decide/ I will”https://www.flickr.com/photos/mstry-2525-gst/3312199285/
Comparison Syndromehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/kharied/3315558702/
“You cannot compare your insides to someone else’s outsides.”
Say NO to Comparisonshttp://www.flickr.com/photos/suvodeb/2559017400/
You & what you produce is unique
Establish boundarieshttps://www.flickr.com/photos/thisisawakeupcall/5595296868/
(Btw, this your new mantra…)http://www.spunkysapphire.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/photo-1-e1406074730116.jpg
Beat Impostor Syndrome
Impostor Syndrome Paradox
http://www.flickr.com/photos/x1brett/2279939232/
You will only experience impostor syndrome when you are competent and skilled.
(re-read this as many times as necessary.)
Inner Critic “psychology hacks”https://www.flickr.com/photos/insk/3884826712/
Ask it questionshttp://www.flickr.com/photos/opensourceway/4749432145/
Be compassionatehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/wrote/2646295354/
Reassign dutyhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/shavawnmarie/1326123397/
Reframe fear of failurehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/laughingsquid/2717325940/
http://culturecatch.com/files/images/after-earth.jpg
“Fear is not real. It is a product of the
thoughts you create. Do not misunderstand
me. Danger is very real. But fear is a choice.”
- character of Cypher Raige, After Earth
Embrace failure and mistakezhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/stevendepolo/4498817330/
“Being right keeps us in place. Being wrong forces us to explore.” – Steven Johnson, Where Good Ideas Come From
Copy the Fail MastersPhoto: Denise Jacobs
http://www.flickr.com/photos/seandreilinger/959864706/
Take steps, #FAIL; Go again!
“Failure is only the opportunity to begin again more intelligently.”- Henry Ford
Judgment Dreadhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/jdlasica/12825451433/
Remember egocentricity
Cop a Power Pose
“Our bodies change our minds, our minds change our behavior, and our behavior changes our outcomes.”- Amy Cuddy, “Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are” TED talk
Feed each other
Breaking the loop
Perfectionismhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/diepuppenstubensammlerin/7648792510/
“Perfectionism is self-abuse of the highest order.”― Anne Wilson Schaef
The real problem
http://cuttingthecheese.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/26810560251953842_ede18tng_f.jpg
Perfectionists focus on the finished product…
https://www.flickr.com/photos/phatcontroller/3667889959/
Rather than the processhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/spyndle/474122586/
“The Best” vs “The most”https://www.flickr.com/photos/villify/10871945326
Be bad/make it uglyhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/kpwerker/6051104684
Embrace the “SFD”Twitter, circa 2006
Satisficehttps://www.flickr.com/photos/sleepyvalley/3650673328
Remember:
https://twitter.com/dickelippe/status/581204005013078016/photo/1
Perfection ≠ Excellence
https://www.flickr.com/photos/kaldoche/4771465356
“Don’t let perfect become the enemy of good.”– Voltaire
Procrastination
http://www.flickr.com/photos/irrezolut/2311904560/
The trick is not self-identifying…http://20px.com/blog/2013/09/06/a-field-guide-to-procrastinators/
Nor administering a dose of
https://www.flickr.com/photos/116357579@N08/13178367583
Procrastinators are NOT lazy
https://www.flickr.com/photos/code_martial/4145914957
The unknown can be paralyzing
http://hub.salford.ac.uk/energymonitoring/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2012/01/known-knowns1.jpg
Pro tip: Reframe the unknownhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/jonmelsa/3000222387/
Increase the meaning/valuehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/eyeliam/2460475510/
Mind Trickshttps://www.flickr.com/photos/32135758@N02/5325454434/
Don’t do it, just get ready toPhoto: Denise Jacobs
“Structured procrastination”https://www.flickr.com/photos/superamit/1043379069
Time & Space Trickshttp://www.flickr.com/photos/indraw/4857101224/
Eliminate distractions
From “Shit Black Girls Say”, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXDpfhehb6I
Ignore to focus
https://www.flickr.com/photos/massimobarbieri/3998455558/
Browser Extensions (Firefox) LeechBlock Idderall Browser Extensions (Chrome) Strict Workflow StayFocusd Website Blocker
Tools RescueTime.com HeyFocus.com
Aids for digital blocking
Added bonusHeyFocus.com
Airplane/Do Not Disturb mode
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pieterouwerkerk/699475144/
Make it a Sprint
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucamascaro/4975166968/
Fill a Quota
https://www.flickr.com/photos/teosaurio/3392883329/
Remember thisPhoto: Denise Jacobs
My story’s end?http://www.flickr.com/photos/sonialuna/2942020058/
Februaryhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/doug88888/3709856898/
#FAILhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/dafnecholet/5374200948
#WINNING!http://www.flickr.com/photos/clappstar/6297835482/
I wrote my first book!
Photo: Denise Jacobs
https://www.flickr.com/photos/thatconference/9532425040/
Which created AMAZING things for me
Disturbing dreamshttps://www.flickr.com/photos/agroffman/4613265988
My own inner creative childPhoto: Deloria Jacobs
Always reaching for perfectionPhoto: Denise Jacobs
“The rule is, jam to-morrow and jam yesterday—but never jam to-day.”
“It MUST come sometimes to ‘jam to-day’,” Alice objected.
“No, it can’t,” said the Queen. “It’s jam every OTHER day: to-day isn’t any OTHER day, you know.”
— from Through the Looking Glass & What Alice Found There, by Lewis Carroll
“Jam” = Reward / Satisfactionhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/macati/2180421766
YOU NEVER GET JAMhttp://www.alice-in-wonderland.net/alicepic/through-the-looking-glass/2book42.jpg
By sharing my experiencePhoto: Deloria Jacobs
Show you there is an alternativehttps://www.flickr.com/photos/buttersponge/4955768144
https://www.flickr.com/photos/9422878@N08/9220121158/
“The creative adult is the child who survived after the world tried killing them, making them ‘grown up’….
…The creative adult is the child who survived the blandness of schooling, the unhelpful words of bad teachers, and the nay-saying ways of the world.” – Ursula K. L Guin
https://www.flickr.com/photos/theburiedlife/2167001643/
By understanding this truth
You’ll look at yourself differentlyhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/edenpictures/3460562429
Let out all of your ideas
https://www.flickr.com/photos/anieto2k/8115237421/
Because, after all…
https://www.flickr.com/photos/aoberg/9652158212
The EndPhoto: Denise Jacobs
My upcoming book!
Banish Your Inner Critic
Get on the list! DeniseJacobs.com/InnerCritic
Identify and Eliminate Mental Blocks to Unleash Creativity
THE CREATIVE DOSE A Creativity + Innovation Collective
Creative Thinking + Problem-solving
Creative Collaboration Team Communication + Cohesion
Professional Development + Speaking Coaching
TheCreativeDose.com@thecreativedose
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Photo used with permission: http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarronwalter/4629078087/
And finally…
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27620885@N02/2609974180/
Clear the pipes: Morning Pageshttps://www.flickr.com/photos/juliejordanscott/4970674253//
Decouple performance from identityhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/krissen/6824608878
So go and disrupt something!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bcymet/3564484236/
Pushed myself to burn-outhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/44085287@N05/4052943367/