Taming the Inner Critic

When creative ideas are stuck inside of us it can be painful. It can feel miserable. We might feel like bursting, yelling or crying, maybe all at the same time. 

That sense of frustration can be directed at sharing your voice or it can be directed at eating you up from the inside.

I’d rather share.

And I’d rather you not be eaten alive from the inside from that voice that wants to be set free.

GETTING BEYOND THE INNER CRITIC

At one point I wanted to join a slow filmmaking movement.

I think creative ideas need time to develop.

A film or book might take years of gestation before it is ready to be born.

Much of that creative time is in living, observing, questioning the world around us and getting curious.

But when it is time to come forward and bring the work out into the world, I prefer to reduce the labor pains as much as possible.

That is why I spent the past several years looking at the highs, lows and flows of the creative process.

During this time, deadlines and commitments became my friend.

They help me get into flow and out of negative thought loops.

If I didn’t create deadlines I would be forever stuck in a room with my monster inner critic. 

If I didn’t make commitments to publish blog posts or send newsletters I’d forever be reading, listening to podcasts, and in research mode.

I’d never take the risk of sharing my thoughts and ideas.

Hear that? My monster inner critic just shouted, ‘but who cares?’

I believe everyone has something valuable to share and I want to hear from you, I want to hear your stories and ideas.

So I have to put the monster inner critic in the backseat to write.

Creative flow helps me find my voice and write my thoughts.

GETTING INTO CREATIVE FLOW

Each type of creative work has a different strategy for getting into flow.

I have a different approach to writing than I do to editing a video.

On really good days I can flow shift–meaning I can write, record audio and edit all in flow.

Those are awesome days!

On other days I can get into flow with one project, say writing my book, but then I’m spent. The days when I’ve written a lot on my book and can’t bring myself to write a simple email.

That being said, here is one process that is helpful across multiple types of creative work. 

THE MAGIC OF PROMPTS 

If I give myself all day to write a blog post, it will be 10 pm and I’ll still have a blank page.

If I give myself 45 minutes, I can generally have a rough draft if I’m doing a short post. If I’m doing a longer more researched post I might have an outline.

You don’t need 45 minutes to get started.

More than the time, it is the prompt that is helpful.

I watched a CreativeLive course taught by the writer Joshua Mohr and he gave the members of the class prompts and asked them to write scenes in just 8 minutes! And they did. They wrote compelling scenarios with specific and interesting characters who expressed their motivations through their actions on the page.

When writing a blog post my prompt is the topic and my intention.

For example:

Intention for the session–write an outline, chapter, rough draft of a blog post, introductory paragraph

Intention for the post–What topic do I want to write about, what section of an argument, what research do I want to share?

Intention for the audience– How do I think the audience is feeling about this topic when they encounter the writing and how do I want them to feel after they’ve read the post?

I initially thought that the time and breathe were the keys to my getting into flow.

Setting a limited timeframe helps focus the brain.

Releasing a long exhale before and during your writing session helps disengage the flight fight response of the nervous system.

These two practices, breathing and timeboxing can help get you into creative flow.

Adding a prompt and setting an intention helps put the inner critic in the backseat.

If you know where you are going, what you want to accomplish, it is easier to keep driving forward.

Test this out today and let me know if it helps you find your voice and express your ideas more easily.

And let me know if you’ve tried variations on this practice.