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Do you often find you sew accompanied by an uninvited guest: your inner critic? That little voice that questions your skills, doubts your decisions, and convinces you that your creative work is not good enough?
If so, Haley and I have some tips to banish your inner critic—or at least learn to tolerate its presence.
We’re taking a break from the podcast for the holidays, so we’re re-airing some of our favorite episodes. This episode is one of our faves because we show you how to recognize, manage, and even quiet that pesky inner critic when you sit down to sew.
If you want the full transcript of the podcast, you can find it originally posted here.
Uderstanding Your Inner Critic
Your inner critic is not inherently “bad.” Neuroscientist Jill Bolte Taylor, in her book Whole Brain Living, explains how different parts of our brain interact to shape our thoughts. The left emotional brain—the analytical yet emotional side—is responsible for identifying potential problems and protecting us from harm. However, this survival mechanism can also manifest as self-doubt or perfectionism, stopping us from pursuing creative endeavors.
Rather than fighting this part of yourself, try to understand and accept its role. Acknowledging your inner critic can help you work with it instead of against it.
Learn How the Inner Critic Affects Your Creativity
The next time your inner critic shows up, pause and listen to what it’s saying. Make note of when it arrives—is it when you start a project, right in the middle, or at the end? Try to learn as much about it and what it’s really trying to say as you can.
Haley shared that her inner critic doesn’t rear its head when she’s deep in the creative process. Instead, it emerges when she’s sharing her work with others—whether on social media or presenting designs to the team. This vulnerability often leads to second-guessing and worst-case-scenario thinking.
For me, the inner critic often manifests early in the process. I might struggle to start a project due to a fear of wasting time or not achieving perfection. My perfectionist tendency can make me hesitate, putting up a barrier before I even begin a project.
Trying to understand your inner critic, or at least identify what it’s saying, how it wants to sabotage you, and when it’s most likely to show up, will help you get your defenses ready.
Tips for Silencing Your Inner Critic
Here are some practical ways to manage your self-doubt and keep creating, despite what your inner critic attempts to do.
Tip 1: Acknowledge the Feeling
Recognize when your inner critic is speaking up. Identifying that critical voice—you can even give it a nickname—can help you separate it from reality.
Tip 2: Question Your Inner Critic
When your critic shows up, ask yourself a few questions:
- Why do I think this?
- Is it true?
- Can I learn anything from this?
Engage in a constructive conversation with your inner critic, rather than taking its words at face value. If what your critic is saying has some truth, you can practice that technique a little more, take a class, or reach out to a friend for support. But if there’s not much truth to your inner voice and it’s not going to help you grow your skills in a healthy way, do your best to move on.
Tip 3: Notice recurring patterns in your self-doubt
If you recognize your critic’s patterns, try your best to brace yourself for its arrival. Understanding that these beliefs are not facts but feelings can empower you to move past them and overcome them when they first start to arise.
Tip 4: Practice Self-Compassion
Treat yourself the way you’d treat a friend—kindly and supportively. When that critical voice gets loud, remind yourself that it’s okay to feel vulnerable, and you’re not alone in these struggles. We all have that little voice!
Tips From the Seamwork Community
Seamworkers on our Community shared additional strategies for quieting their inner critics:
- Diane’s approach: Call it out! When self-doubt arises, Diane suggests literally telling your inner critic to “bug off.” Naming and dismissing that critical voice can strip it of its power.
- Amy D.’s humor trick: Amy uses humor to diffuse anxiety. If you catch yourself giving too much power to a sewing project, laugh at the absurdity and remind yourself, “It’s just fabric!”
- Carla’s self-care mindset: Carla reframes sewing as self-care, comparing it to getting your hair or nails done. By focusing on the joy of the process rather than the outcome, you can alleviate any pressure you’re feeling.
The Takeaway: Your Inner Critic Might Show Up, But You Don’t Need to Listen
Your inner critic is a natural player in the creative process, but it doesn’t have to dominate your experience. By acknowledging its voice, questioning its motives, and reframing your perspective, you can reclaim your creativity and rediscover the joy of making.
What about you? What does your inner critic say and when does it show up? Let’s help each other banish these negative thoughts!
