…The creative adult is the Banish Your Inner Critic - Design & Content 2015

Denise R. Jacobs
Design/Content  Vancouver, BC  7 August 2015

@denisejacobs
@dcontentconf / #dcc15
#banishyourcritic

Want the slides? Go here:
creativedo.se/dcc15-ic

Photo by Derek Kearney
Wait…What?!

Upon a time…
http://www.behance.net/gallery/Once-Upon-a-Time/2918365

29 June
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jblndl/3154255478/

I was going to be a writer!
Photo: Denise Jacobs

Instead of creativity
Photo from Flickr.com

Destructivity
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevygee/3265941065/

The voices in my head were merciless
http://www.flickr.com/photos/epsos/4887528060/

I shouldn't be writing this
I misrepresented myself
I don't know enough
This should be someone else’s book
I’m going to lo...

2 days
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fiery-phoenix/8428079916/

Worked non-stop
https://www.flickr.com/photos/53611153@N00/5827849044/

Pushed myself to burn-out
http://www.flickr.com/photos/44085287@N05/4052943367/

My internal critical voices
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeapalooza/553545517/

Made this happen
https://www.flickr.com/photos/70938871@N05/8230432077

Physical evidence of fear
http://www.flickr.com/photos/grumpyfeline/4626401443/

A different kind of fear

Internalized criticisms + fears
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

The enemy of creativity
http://www.flickr.com/photos/richardwinchell/130344669/

Creative brainwaves
http://uniteunderfreedom.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Brain-waves.jpg

Stress & frustration
https://www.flickr.com/photos/corneveaux/3248566797/

Suppress generative impulses in the brain
https://www.flickr.com/photos/birthintobeing/11841180046

Dampens creative expression
http://www.flickr.com/photos/anieto2k/8156999698/

How to ID your Inner Critic
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lambdachialpha/203904103/

Not that hard, right?
http://brenebrown.com/2014/04/08/daring-interview-series-meet-gavin-aung/

“I should have done more by now…”
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kharied/3315558702/

“They’ll find out I’m a fraud”

“I don’t know enough”
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Einstein_1921_by_F_Schmutzer.jpg

vs. “NAILED IT!”
https://www.flickr.com/photos/paul-drummond/3946893897

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.)

“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.”

“I will do it tomorrow!”

In order for
http://www.flickr.com/photos/designandtechnologydepartment/4771136128/

“The goal is to manage
anxiety so that our energies
are used for the productive
and satisfying art of
creating…

…rather than the destructive
and debilitating art of self-
torture. “
- Clare Warmke, Idea Revolution

How do we…
http://www.flickr.com/photos/opensourceway/5445602998/

Banish the Inner Critic?

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/

Say NO to Comparisons
http://www.flickr.com/photos/suvodeb/2559017400/

Ask it questions
http://www.flickr.com/photos/opensourceway/4749432145/

Be compassionate
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wrote/2646295354/

Reassign duty
http://www.flickr.com/photos/shavawnmarie/1326123397/

Remember your successes
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pocait/2847866615/

(My personal version)

Maintain perspective
http://www.flickr.com/photos/daikrieg/1294053038/

*WHATEVER*
http://cdn.makeagif.com/media/1-23-2013/quhKj3.gif

“Our bodies change our minds,
our minds change our behavior,
and our behavior changes our
outcomes.”
- Amy Cuddy, Your Bo...

Perfectionism
http://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 process
http://www.flickr.com/photos/spyndle/474122586/

“The Best” vs “The most”
https://www.flickr.com/photos/villify/10871945326

Amen!
https://twitter.com/dickelippe/status/581204005013078016/photo/1

“You alone are enough. You have
nothing to prove to anybody.”
― Dr. Maya Angelou

Decouple your performance from who
you are
https://www.flickr.com/photos/krissen/6824608878

Fear of failure
http://www.flickr.com/photos/laughingsquid/2717325940/

“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...

Reframe failure
http://www.flickr.com/photos/laughingsquid/2717326642/

And mistakez
https://www.flickr.com/photos/stevendepolo/4498817330/

(maybe even embrace them)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/danielagama_fotografando/4029208908/

“Failure is only the
opportunity to begin again
more intelligently.”
- Henry Ford

Humble beginnings
Twitter, circa 2006

Copy the #fail masters

Take steps
http://www.flickr.com/photos/seandreilinger/959864706/

#Fail

Go again

Satisfice
https://www.flickr.com/photos/sleepyvalley/3650673328

Be bad/make it ugly
https://www.flickr.com/photos/kpwerker/6051104684

“Being right keeps us in
place. Being wrong forces us
to explore.”
– Steven Johnson, Where Good Ideas Come From

Perfection ≠ Excellence
https://www.flickr.com/photos/kaldoche/4771465356

Procrastination

The trick is not determining which you
are…
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

Increase the meaning/value
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eyeliam/2460475510/

Mind Tricks

Don’t do it, just get ready to

“Structured procrastination”
https://www.flickr.com/photos/superamit/1043379069

Time & Space Tricks
http://www.flickr.com/photos/indraw/4857101224/

Eliminate distractions
From “Shit Black Girls Say”, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXDpfhehb6I

Tools
RescueTime.com
GetConcentrating.com
HeyFocus.com
Browser Extensions
Firefox:
LeechBlock
Idderall
Google Chrome:
Stri...

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 this:

My story’s end?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sonialuna/2942020058/

February
http://www.flickr.com/photos/doug88888/3709856898/

#FAIL
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dafnecholet/5374200948

#WINNING!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/clappstar/6297835482/

I wrote a book!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/thatconference/9532425040/
Which created AMAZING
things for me

Bad dreams
https://www.flickr.com/photos/agroffman/4613265988

“The rule is, jam to-morrow and jam yesterday—but
never jam to-day.”
“It MUST come sometimes to ‘jam to-day’,” Alice
objec...

“Jam” = Reward / Satisfaction
https://www.flickr.com/photos/macati/2180421766

YOU NEVER GET JAM
http://www.alice-in-wonderland.net/alicepic/through-the-looking-glass/2book42.jpg

By sharing my experience
Photo: Deloria Jacobs

Show you there is an alternative
https://www.flickr.com/photos/buttersponge/4955768144

“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...

You’ll look at yourself differently
https://www.flickr.com/photos/edenpictures/3460562429

Let yourself create those imperfect,
yet amazing ideas
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bcymet/3564484236/

Because, after all…
https://www.flickr.com/photos/aoberg/9652158212

Get the slides!
creativedo.se/dcc15-ic

My upcoming book!
Banish Your Inner
Critic
DeniseJacobs.com/InnerCritic
26 Effective Techniques for
Unleashing Productive
...

Please take the Creative Blocks Survey
Creativedo.se/creative-blocks-survey

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Thank you!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/theredproject/3302110152/