Denise R. Jacobs' presentation at the Norwegian Developer’s Conference addresses the detrimental effects of the inner critic on creativity, emphasizing how fear and perfectionism can hinder creative expression. She outlines strategies to combat the inner critic, including reframing failure, practicing compassion, and maintaining perspective to enhance creative productivity. Ultimately, Jacobs encourages embracing imperfections and taking action to foster a more fulfilling creative process.

1. Banish Your Inner Critic
Denise R. Jacobs
The Norwegian
Developer’s Conference
Oslo, Norway
3 June 2014

2. @denisejacobs
#ndcoslo
#banishyourcritic

3. O hai!
Photo: Derek Kearney

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

5. 29 June
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jblndl/3154255478/

6. Instead of creativity
Photo from Flickr.com

7. Destructivity
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevygee/3265941065/

8. The voices in my head were
merciless
http://www.flickr.com/photos/epsos/4887528060/

9. I totally freaked out

10. I shouldn't be writing this
I misrepresented myself
I don't know enough
This should be someone else’s book
I’m going to look stupid
Everyone will see that I’m a fake
What if it's not good enough?
What if I'm not good enough?
No…really!

11. 2 days
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fiery-phoenix/8428079916/

12. Worked non-stop
https://www.flickr.com/photos/53611153@N00/5827849044/

13. Pushed myself to burn-out
http://www.flickr.com/photos/44085287@N05/4052943367/

14. My internal critical voices
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeapalooza/553545517/

15. Made this happen
https://www.flickr.com/photos/70938871@N05/8230432077

16. Physical evidence of fear
http://www.flickr.com/photos/grumpyfeline/4626401443/

17. A different kind of fear
Photo: Denise Jacobs

18. Internalized criticisms + fears
https://www.flickr.com/photos/remoto/5313967682

19. = The Inner Critic
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lance_mountain/2849396572/

20. The “troll under the bridge”

21. F.E.A.R. =
http://cdnpix.com/show/imgs/7a361666e107cd36656d5a66ea2e4e80.jpg

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

23. The enemy of creativity
http://www.flickr.com/photos/richardwinchell/130344669/

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

25. Know your Brainwaves

26. Stress & frustration
https://www.flickr.com/photos/corneveaux/3248566797/

27. Suppress generative
impulses in the brain
https://www.flickr.com/photos/birthintobeing/11841180046

28. Dampens creative
expression
http://www.flickr.com/photos/anieto2k/8156999698/

29. How to ID your Inner Critic
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lambdachialpha/203904103/

30. Not that hard, right?
http://brenebrown.com/2014/04/08/daring-interview-series-meet-gavin-aung/

31. “OMG, I’m SO busy!”

32. “I should have done more by
now…”
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kharied/3315558702/

33. “They’ll find out I’m a fraud”

34. “I don’t know enough”
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Einstein_1921_by_F_Schmutzer.jpg

35. vs. “NAILED IT!”
https://www.flickr.com/photos/paul-drummond/3946893897

36. Impostor Syndrome Paradox
http://www.flickr.com/photos/x1brett/2279939232/

37. “It needs to be PERFECT”
http://www.flickr.com/photos/diepuppenstubensammlerin/7648792510/

38. “I’ll do it tomorrow…”
http://www.flickr.com/photos/irrezolut/2311904560/

39. “Really, I’ll do it tomorrow.”
http://www.flickr.com/photos/irrezolut/2311904560/

40. “I will do it tomorrow!”
http://www.flickr.com/photos/irrezolut/2311904560/

41. Feed each other

42. In order for
http://www.flickr.com/photos/designandtechnologydepartment/4771136128/

43. “The goal is to manage
anxiety so that our energies
are used for the productive
and satisfying art of
creating…

44. …rather than the destructive
and debilitating art of self-
torture. “
- Clare Warmke, Idea Revolution

45. How do we…
http://www.flickr.com/photos/opensourceway/5445602998/

46. Banish the Inner Critic?
https://www.flickr.com/photos/31505964@N08/4691019168/

47. Eliminate
Should/Must/Ought/Have to
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mythoto/3822942678/

48. Say NO to Comparisons
http://www.flickr.com/photos/suvodeb/2559017400/

49. Ask it questions
http://www.flickr.com/photos/opensourceway/4749432145/

50. Be compassionate
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wrote/2646295354/

51. Reassign duty
http://www.flickr.com/photos/shavawnmarie/1326123397/

52. Remember your successes
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pocait/2847866615/

53. (My personal version)
Photo: Denise Jacobs

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

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

56. Cop a Power Pose

57. Breaking the loop

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

59. “Perfectionism is self-abuse
of the highest order.”
― Anne Wilson Schaef

60. The real problem
http://cuttingthecheese.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/26810560251953842_ede18tng_f.jpg

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

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

63. “The Best” vs “The most”
https://www.flickr.com/photos/villify/10871945326

64. Remember egocentricity

65. “You alone are enough. You have
nothing to prove to anybody.”
― Dr. Maya Angelou

66. Decouple your performance
from who you are
https://www.flickr.com/photos/krissen/6824608878

67. Fear of failure
http://www.flickr.com/photos/laughingsquid/2717325940/

68. “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

69. Reframe failure
http://www.flickr.com/photos/laughingsquid/2717326642/

70. And mistakes
https://www.flickr.com/photos/stevendepolo/4498817330/

71. (maybe even embrace them)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/danielagama_fotografando/4029208908/

72. “Failure is only the
opportunity to begin again
more intelligently.”
- Henry Ford

73. Humble beginnings
Twitter, circa 2006

74. Copy the #fail masters
Photo: Denise Jacobs

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

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

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

78. Satisfice
https://www.flickr.com/photos/sleepyvalley/3650673328

79. Be bad/make it ugly
https://www.flickr.com/photos/kpwerker/6051104684

80. “Being right keeps us in
place. Being wrong forces us
to explore.”
– Steven Johnson, Where Good Ideas Come From

81. Perfection ≠ Excellence
https://www.flickr.com/photos/kaldoche/4771465356

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

83. The trick is not determining
which you are…
http://20px.com/blog/2013/09/06/a-field-guide-to-procrastinators/

84. Nor administering a dose of
https://www.flickr.com/photos/116357579@N08/13178367583

85. Increase the meaning/value
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eyeliam/2460475510/

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

87. Don’t do it, just get ready to
Photo: Denise Jacobs

88. “Structured procrastination”
https://www.flickr.com/photos/superamit/1043379069

89. Time & Space Tricks
http://www.flickr.com/photos/indraw/4857101224/

90. Eliminate distractions
From “Shit Black Girls Say”, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXDpfhehb6I

91. Ignore to focus

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

93. Airplane mode
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pieterouwerkerk/699475144/

94. Make it a Sprint
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucamascaro/4975166968/

95. Fill a Quota
https://www.flickr.com/photos/teosaurio/3392883329/

96. Remember this:
Photo: Denise Jacobs

97. My story’s end?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sonialuna/2942020058/

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

99. #FAIL
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eliseporter/2315794956/

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

101. I wrote a book!
Photo: Denise Jacobs

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

103. Bad dreams

104. “The rule is, jam to-morrow and jam
yesterday—but never jam to-day.”
“It MUST come sometimes to ‘jam to-
day’,” Alice objected.
“No, it can’t,” said the Queen. “It’s jam
every OTHER day: to-day isn’t any
OTHER day, you know.”
— from Through the Looking Glass & What Alice Found
There, by Lewis Carroll

105. “Jam” =
Reward / Satisfaction
https://www.flickr.com/photos/macati/2180421766

106. YOU NEVER GET JAM

107. By sharing my experience
Photo: Deloria Jacobs

108. Show you there is an
alternative
https://www.flickr.com/photos/buttersponge/4955768144

109. By understanding that

110. You’ll look at yourself
differently
https://www.flickr.com/photos/edenpictures/3460562429

111. Let yourself create those
imperfect, yet amazing ideas
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bcymet/3564484236/

112. Because, after all…
https://www.flickr.com/photos/aoberg/9652158212

113. The End
Photo: Denise Jacobs

114. 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

115. 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/

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