Your Inner Critic Is a Big Jerk: And Other Truths About Being Creative

129 Pages·2016·7.54 MB·English

by  Danielle Krysa

TO EVERYONE WHO IS DETERMINED TO LIVE A CREATIVE
LIFE, NO MATTER WHAT THE JERKS SAY.
Text copyright © 2016 by Danielle Krysa.
Illustrations copyright © 2016 by Martha Rich.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission
from the publisher.
ISBN 9781452148496 (epub, mobi)
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Names: Krysa, Danielle, author.
Title: Your inner critic is a big jerk : and other truths about being creative /
By Danielle Krysa ; With illustrations by Martha Rich.
Description: San Francisco : Chronicle Books, 2016.
Identifiers: LCCN 2015037482 |
ISBN 9781452148441 (pb)
Subjects: LCSH: Creative ability.
Classification: LCC BF408 .K79 2016 | DDC 153.3/5—dc23 LC record available at
http://lccn.loc.gov/2015037482
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CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 9
CHAPTER 1 Everyone Is Creative 13
FIND THE FUN. 14
NURTURED VS. NOT SO MUCH 17
Projects from the Kindergarten Drawer 19
NO SUCH THING AS “TOO LATE” 20
OWN YOUR CREATIVITY. 21
CHAPTER 2 Excuses Are the Enemy 23
VALID EXCUSES, SCHMALID EXCUSES 23
BUCKETS OF LIES WE TELL OURSELVES 25
ARE YOU SERIOUS? 28
Add Creativity to Your Calendar. 28
Set Deadlines. 30
Get a Room. 30
Form Habits. 31
Surround Yourself. 32
Procrastinate with Purpose. 32
NO MORE LIES 33
CHAPTER 3 Labels Are for Canned Peaches, Not People 35
WARNING: THIS LABEL MAY STOP YOU BEFORE YOU START. 35
“I’m a parent.” 36
“I work in a cubicle.” 37
“I live in a tiny town.” 38
“It’s too late.” 38
“I’m a fraud.” 38
SCHOOL: TO GO OR NOT TO GO? THAT IS THE QUESTION. 40
Self-Taught 40
Formally Trained 41
THE SCHOOL OF LIFE 45
FILL THE CAN. 46
NEW AND IMPROVED! 47
CHAPTER 4 Blank Paper Can Be Blinding 49
DON’T LET PAPER PUSH YOU AROUND. 49
EMBRACE CREATIVE POTHOLES. 51
UGLY IS A PERFECT PLACE TO START. 54
DEER IN HEADLIGHTS 56
Rule No. 1: Make Some Rules. 56
Top Ten Rules to Play Within 57
CHAPTER 5 A Green Eye Is a Green Light 61
JEALOUSY WAS MY GREEN LIGHT. 62
Say It Out Loud. 63
Write It Down. 65
Make an Admiration Action List. 65
Look Behind the Curtain. 65
Find Inspiration, Avoid Imitation. 67
YOUR GREEN-LIGHT ASSIGNMENT 68
CHAPTER 6 Your Inner Critic Is a Big Jerk 71
AN INVESTIGATIVE ASSIGNMENT 71
Step One: Identify “The Voice.” 71
Step Two: Pinpoint the Attack. 72
Step Three: Unmask the Guilt. 72
STAND UP FOR YOURSELF. 73
EXPERTS HAVE IT ALL—INCLUDING SELF-DOUBT. 74
THE SILVER LINING 75
Take It with a Grain of Salt. 75
Explore a Different Angle. 76
Discover a New Path. 76
TURN THE CRITIC INTO A CHEERLEADER. 77
Give It a New Name. 78
Rewrite the Script. 78
Prove It Wrong. 78
Talk About Pros, Not Cons. 79
Say Thank You. 80
A NEW FRIEND? 81
CHAPTER 7 No One Can Wrestle the Pencil Out of Your Hand 83
“ME TOO” STORIES 83
MY STORY 85
TURN CRITICISM INTO CREATIVE FUEL. 92
Put the Gloves Down. 93
Say It Out Loud. 93
Criticism of Your Work Is Not Criticism of You. 93
Click Delete. 94
Pick Up Your Pencil. 95
CHAPTER 8 Failure Leads to Genius 97
QUOTE OF THE DAY 98
REDEFINE FAILURE. 100
THE GIFT THAT GIVES BACK 100
YOU SAY FAILURE, I SAY FEEDBACK. 102
THERE IS PERFECTION IN IMPERFECTION. 104
NEVER NOT BE MAKING. 105
Find Brilliance in the Scraps. 105
Be Present (A Thirty-Day Challenge). 106
CREATIVE JUMP-STARTER IDEAS 106
Play Nicely with Others. 108
CHAPTER 9 Creating in a Vacuum Sucks 111
SUCKING SOURCE 111
LET THE SUN SHINE IN. 112
FIND YOUR TRIBE. 115
WHEN YOU SHOULD NOT SHARE 118
CHAPTER 10 Blocks Are Meant to Be Broken 121
Blocks Are Just Part of the Deal. 122
As Easy as 1-2-3 122
Imperfection 123
The Great Outdoors 123
Rules 124
STORM BEFORE THE CALM 124
ELIMINATE THE SOURCE. 125
Inner Critic 125
Outside Criticism 125
Deadlines 126
Commissions 126
Life 127
KNOCK-A-BLOCK 127
THE ZONE 131
WELCOME TO THE CLUB 132
Acknowledgments 135
About the Author 135