Jacobs - Banish your inner critic: silence the voice of self-doubt to unleash your creativity and do your best work

Copyright 2017 Denise Jacobs.

Published by Mango Publishing Group, a division of Mango Media Inc.

Cover Artwork: Americo Morales

Author Photo: Scott Redinger-Libolt

Cover & Layout: Elina Diaz, Roberto Nez

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Banish Your Inner Critic: Silence the Voice of Self-Doubt to Unleash Your Creativity and Do Your Best Work

Library of Congress Cataloging

ISBN: (paperback) 978-1-63353-471-1, (ebook) 978-1-63353-472-8

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017906492

BISAC category code SEL009000 SELF-HELP / Creativity

Printed in the United States of America

Dedication

For my sister Diane and my mother Deloria.
May they both continue to see, own, and fully stand in the power of their phenomenal creative selves.

Every creative person I know, from designers to CEOs, suffers from the inner voice that tells us were not good enough, were not special enough, and darn it, nobody likes us. While a little humility is a good thing, too much self-doubt can keep you from achieving what you were put on earth to accomplish. Being your best, authentic self is the only way to fulfill your dreams and leave the world better than you found it. Denise Jacobs can guide you away from your self-imposed naysayers and set you on the path to achieving the serene self-confidence you deserve. Nobody charts this terrain better than she does.

- Jeffrey Zeldman, studio.zeldman & An Event Apart

We are our own worst enemy and harshest critic when it comes to expressing ourselves. Fear holds us back from reaching our potential and gaining the recognition we deserve. That is why I am so excited about Denises book. Banish Your Inner Critic is the book I have been waiting for. A book I believe will inspire a new generation to step out of the shadows and shine.

- Paul Boag, author of User Experience Revolution

Creativity will be the universal skill of the future in both business and in life. Banishing your inner critic is an ability everyone will need to work on. Denise is a creativity coach, who goes deep into the reasons why we commonly think we are not creative. She then gives us real solutions for how to overcome those hurdles, and bring out the inner creative inside of us. If you are looking to rekindle your creative instinct, have I got the book for you!

- Jason Cranford Teague, Futurist Author & Speaker

Banish Your Inner Critic: Great book! Easy to read and fun to use. Denise Jacobs has done a wonderful job of taking the complexity of self, and creating a system for each of us to access our creativity and release our creative power. Denise breaks down the inner critic into types and guides each reader through the process to access her distinctive creative self. Banish Your Inner Critic provides knowledge, insight, tools and practice for getting unstuck and expressing full creative potential. Plus, reading Denises book is like spending time with her, and shes an inspiring delight.

- Rebecca Stockley, Co-Founder of BATS Improv in San Francisco CA, www.improvlady.com

Denise brings a practical approach to silencing the voice in your head determined to undermine your ability to work. Banish Your Inner Critic is a manual for finding the destination, direction, and drive to succeed at life. As a remote worker I frequently find myself with self-doubt and rampant imposter syndrome. I now have the tools to purge those blockers from my mind and be the creative person I know I am.

- Aaron Douglas, Mobile Software Lead, Automattic (& WordPress.com)

Banish Your Inner Critic is a must-read for everyone who has ever had self-doubt. As I read Denises book, my head nodded in agreement and heralded a whole heap of ah-ha moments for me. This is Denise at her creative best. I encourage you, Dear Reader, to go deep to banish your inner critic!

- Kylie Hunt, Workplace, Productivity & Happiness Specialist

With creativity comes periods of self-judgment that cause anxiety or paralysis. For designers, there is always this critical voice inside that questions what we are doing from time to time. However, whether you are a creative professional or not, everyone has the potential to be creative. In this book, Denise Jacobs empowers readers to silence their inner critic and unlock their potential to be their best creative self.

- Andy Vitale, UX Design Principal, 3M Health Care

There is an Inner Critic in all of us and it may be the thing that is stopping us from reaching our full creative potential. In this delightful book, Denise openly shares her own struggles with self-criticism, making us feel like we arent alone. She gives us permission to own it, the tools to get unblocked, and get on the path to a more creative self.

- Jessie Shternshus, Founder of The Improv Effect and Author of Ctrl Shift: 50 Games For 50 ****ing Days Like Today

Its harder than ever to turn down the voices and channels vying for your attention; even when you do, you may find your own inner critic ready to thwart your creative efforts. But Denise Jacobs offers compassionate and practical guidance for overcoming those doubts, channeling your focus, and getting down to creating.

Kate ONeill, founder of KO Insights and author of Pixels and Place: Connecting Human Experience Across Physical and Digital Spaces

The high tech world has created an epidemic of impostor syndrome. People doubt themselves. You can disagree when others doubt you, but when you doubt yourself, whos going to defend you? Take your power back! In this book, author Denise Jacobs gives you the practical tools you need to own the room by owning your self. Banish that inner devils advocate and become as powerful as you can be.

- Alan Cooper , Software Alchemist, co-founder of Cooper, and Author

Table of Contents

Chapter 6 | Im Not As Creative As Everyone Else
- Comparison Syndrome

Banish your inner critic to Madagascar on an expedition to search for rare lemurs.

Marelisa Fabrega, writer & blogger (inspired by SARK, Make Your Creative Dreams Real)

Introduction

Are You Doing Your Best Work?

Youre feeling the pressure to perform: youre on a tight deadline, and there is a lot riding on your ability to come up with something great.

But, try as you might...nothing. You cant think, you cant problem-solve. Youre uninspired. Generating new or interesting ideas?

You wish!

Why?

Because you

• shoot down your ideas before they even have a chance
• call yourself a failure because others around you are succeeding
• discount your ideas because they arent 100 percent original
• tell yourself that youre just not creative at all
• have a hard time valuing what you create