Banishing your inner critic is easier said than done; it takes patience and hard work. The key to success, according to Denise Jacobs (opens in new tab), is to figure out where this criticism stems from and more importantly, what triggers it.
"Does it show up as compulsive busyness, does it show up as perfectionism or procrastination, or both?" she asks. "It really helps people anatomise their inner critic and then give techniques, especially for perfectionism and procrastination because I think that's what affects people the most.
"It's so you can get to the point where you're actually creating something without your inner critic yapping in your ear the whole time and bogging the process down."
When it comes to training others, Jacobs takes her inspiration from the approach of Buddhist monks: reaching a meditative state by controlling your brain. Much like running a marathon, she says everyone has the capacity to reach this state, it's all a matter of the right training. "You teach yourself to be more creative by instilling a certain set of practices.
While this training is a solo endeavour, Jacobs recognises the importance of human interaction. "Some of the most creative times are when you're interacting with people and you're sharing ideas – you're allowing yourself to be influenced by others," she explains. "I really like to talk about creative collaboration and the innovation that comes from that.
Fire your inner critic, get rid of the evil voices in your head. It's about being inspired, being clear, telling everyone what you want to do and taking advantage of opportunities when they present themselves."
Read the full interview with Jacobs in net issue 273 (opens in new tab) – on sale now. Jacobs' book 'Banish Your Inner Critic' is due for release in early 2016.
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