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

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? Noreally!

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 self- torture. - 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

Tools RescueTime.com GetConcentrating.com HeyFocus.com Browser Extensions Firefox: LeechBlock Idderall Google Chrome: Strict Workflow StayFocusd Aids for digital blocking

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

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

Bad dreams

The rule is, jam to-morrow and jam yesterdaybut never jam to-day. It MUST come sometimes to jam to- day, 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

Four Secrets to Enhancing Creative Productivity www.creativebloq.com/inspiration/four-secrets-enhancing-creative-productivity-9126098 Banishing Your Inner Critic alistapart.com/articles/banishing-your-inner-critic/ 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/ My articles for further reading

DeniseJacobs.com Sign up on my mailing list here! denise@denisejacobs.com twitter.com/denisejacobs facebook.com/denisejacobsdotcom slideshare.net/denisejacobs Connect with me! Photo used with permission: http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarronwalter/4629078087/

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