Banish Your Inner Critic

Denise R. Jacobs

The Norwegian
Developers Conference
Oslo, Norway
3 June 2014



@denisejacobs
#ndcoslo
#banishyourcritic

O hai!

Photo: Derek Kearney

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

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

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 totally freaked out

Noreally!
I shouldn't be writing this
I misrepresented myself
I don't know enough
This should be someone elses book
Im going to look stupid
Everyone will see that Im a fake
What if it's not good enough?
What if I'm not good enough?

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

Photo: Denise Jacobs

Internalized criticisms + fears

https://www.flickr.com/photos/remoto/5313967682

= The Inner Critic

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lance_mountain/2849396572/

The troll under the bridge

F.E.A.R. =

http://cdnpix.com/show/imgs/7a361666e107cd36656d5a66ea2e4e80.jpg

(Also,
F.E.A.R. =
F*ck Everything And Run)

The enemy of creativity

http://www.flickr.com/photos/richardwinchell/130344669/

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

Know your Brainwaves

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/

OMG, Im SO busy!

I should have done more by

now
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kharied/3315558702/

Theyll find out Im a fraud

I dont 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/

It needs to be PERFECT

http://www.flickr.com/photos/diepuppenstubensammlerin/7648792510/

Ill do it tomorrow

http://www.flickr.com/photos/irrezolut/2311904560/

Really, Ill do it tomorrow.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/irrezolut/2311904560/

I will do it tomorrow!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/irrezolut/2311904560/

Feed each other

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 selftorture.
- Clare Warmke, Idea Revolution

How do we

http://www.flickr.com/photos/opensourceway/5445602998/

Banish the Inner Critic?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/31505964@N08/4691019168/

Eliminate
Should/Must/Ought/Have to

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mythoto/3822942678/

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)

Photo: Denise Jacobs

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

*WHATEVER*

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

Cop a Power Pose

Breaking the loop

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

Remember finished
product
https://www.flickr.com/photos/phatcontroller/3667889959/

vs. process?...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/spyndle/474122586/

The Best vs The most

https://www.flickr.com/photos/villify/10871945326

Remember egocentricity

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 choice.
- character of Cypher Raige (played by Will Smith), After Earth

Reframe failure

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

And mistakes

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

Photo: Denise Jacobs

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

Fail in private
http://www.flickr.com/photos/seandreilinger/959867550/

Try again
http://www.flickr.com/photos/seandreilinger/959864706/

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

http://www.flickr.com/photos/irrezolut/2311904560/

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
https://www.flickr.com/photos/32135758@N02/5325454434/

Dont do it, just get ready to

Photo: Denise Jacobs

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

Ignore to focus

Aids for digital blocking

Tools
RescueTime.com
GetConcentrating.com
HeyFocus.com

Browser Extensions
Firefox:
LeechBlock
Idderall
Google Chrome:
Strict Workflow
StayFocusd

Airplane 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:

Photo: Denise Jacobs

My storys end?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sonialuna/2942020058/

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

#FAIL

http://www.flickr.com/photos/eliseporter/2315794956/

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

I wrote a book!
Photo: Denise Jacobs

Which created AMAZING

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

Bad dreams

The rule is, jam to-morrow and jam

yesterdaybut never jam to-day.
It MUST come sometimes to jam today, Alice objected.
No, it cant, said the Queen. Its jam
every OTHER day: to-day isnt any
OTHER day, you know.
from Through the Looking Glass & What Alice Found
There, by Lewis Carroll

Jam =
Reward / Satisfaction

https://www.flickr.com/photos/macati/2180421766

YOU NEVER GET JAM

By sharing my experience
Photo: Deloria Jacobs

Show you there is an

alternative
https://www.flickr.com/photos/buttersponge/4955768144

By understanding that

Youll 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

The End

Photo: Denise Jacobs

My articles for further reading

Banishing Your Inner Critic

alistapart.com/articles/banishing-your-inner-critic/

Four Secrets to Enhancing Creative Productivity

www.creativebloq.com/inspiration/four-secrets-enhancing-creative-productivity-9126098

Reigniting Your Creative Spark

alistapart.com/articles/reigniting-your-creative-spark/

Breaking the Perfectionism-Procrastination Infinite Loop

webstandardssherpa.com/reviews/breaking-the-perfectionism-procrastination-infinite-loop/

Connect with me!

DeniseJacobs.com
Sign up on my mailing list here!

denise@denisejacobs.com
twitter.com/denisejacobs
facebook.com/denisejacobsdotcom
slideshare.net/denisejacobs
Photo used with permission: http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarronwalter/4629078087/

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