Welcome to Ignite Your Creativity’s May 2012 Monthly Spark Newsletter! This month we have some tips for banishing your inner critic as well as having our usual book recommendations, monthly writing prompts, free wallpapers, tips, tricks and plenty of inspiration.
Silencing Your Inner Critic
No matter how long we have been working at our creative genre, we are all prone to bouts of insecurity or questioning. We all have that voice that constantly puts us down, tells us we are worthless or wasting our time, and left unchecked it can sabotage our creative happiness.
Our “Inner Critic” can be harder on our psyche than any outside critique we can receive. Some may develop “Imposter Syndrome” where regardless of our accomplishments or prolificity, we somehow feel as if we are frauds or that any success we have seen has been a stroke of luck. Our inner critic at its worse can be destructive. We often blame our lack of success on the fact we are perfectionists. We get bored, procrastinate, become negative or, develop a fear of failure and often set ourselves unrealistic goals that ultimately set us up for failure.
Often, our critic is awakened by outside sources. Our friends, family members or those who are either threatened by, or jealous of our success, will often subconsciously (or not) play on those fears. The voices are usually flashbacks from authority figures: parents, teachers, peers, or coaches. The voices will often pretend they are protecting you by stopping you from doing anything that might possibly invite criticism.
A few tips to send that “Inner Critic” packing:
Believe in yourself
Access and acknowledge your strengths. Think about work that you have done that you are the proud of. Review your accomplishments. Dig out those favourite pieces and remember the thrill you had creating them. Talk to your biggest supporters and ask them for their opinions. Acknowledge criticism if it is valid and productive.
Think positive
Every time your inner critic rears its ugly head, think positive. Post motivational quotes, practice affirmations, read books by your favourite authors and hone your skills to gain confidence and help see your value.
Name your inner critic
Give your inner critic a face. Draw a picture of your nasty critic, give it a name, make it hideous. Remember you brought them into this world, you can banish them. That nasty voice that tells you to give up, that you can’t create and not to waste your time, look them in the eyes and tell them to hit the road. What better way to say good-bye to that critic than by writing it a “Dear John” letter. For those of you who have been lucky enough to not be the giver or receiver of such a letter~ it’s basically a letter you send to end a relationship and bid adieu. If you can learn to laugh at them, perhaps you won’t see that voice as being too serious.
Find Support
Take a moment to think the company you keep. Are you surrounding yourself with people who encourage you or bring you down? You aren’t going to banish friends and family but perhaps you can expand your social circle to include positive, creative friends who will build you up and support you. You share your creative dreams with these friends and perhaps stay away from those who belittle your ambitions.
Creativity Coaching at Ignite Your Creativity
Google “Creativity Coaching” and you will discover thousands of links to people who dedicate their lives to help everyday people reach their creative potential. Ignite Your Creativity is pleased to announce that we are now offering creativity coaching as one of our services. What are Creativity Coaches? Creativity Coaches are life coaches who focus on one’s creative evolution. Our mission is to help you focus on improving and redefining your future by encouraging you to focus on creative pursuits. Many artists, writers, musicians, and other creative people live with anxieties, doubts, fears, and worries that often hinder their creative minds. A Creativity Coach’s main goal is to assist and guide you to reach your dreams and to help you live the creative life you desire. Ultimately, we endeavor to help our client write, paint, compose, find meaning and happiness where the main goal is to create. We will encourage you to set attainable goals and offer a level of accountability through assignments geared to your specific goal. We will inspire you to think bigger and to work on developing your ideas and energies into meaningful creative projects. Together we will help you identify, understand and work through any creative blocks that stand in the way of your goals. Working with us will enable you to become the creative person, you have always wanted to be. The “Ignite Your Creativity” program consists of:
- 4 weeks of creativity coaching via email (consecutive weeks)
- 1 initial assessment email to get started
- 4 emails with tips, inspiration and activities geared towards your particular goals
“It is never too late to be what you might have been.” ~ George Eliot
Affirmation For Creativity
This Month’s Affirmation: “I follow my own unique creative path.“
To use as wallpaper click on image to enlarge, for Windows right-click “Set as Desktop”
Book of the Month
Writing Tools – 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer
By Roy Peter Clark
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This book is definitely a book every writer should have on their bookshelf. Author, Roy Peter Clark, Vice President of the Poynter Institute offers advice to both beginners and established writers. This book covers 50 lessons or “tools” which every writer should utilize. Each section lists strategies for incorporating the material covered into your daily writing. This book covers everything from useful habits such as drafting a mission statement for your work to the basics such as grammar and structure.
Although this book covers some of the information that is available in Strunk & White’s classic The Elements of Style, it goes further by offering advice on character development, plotting, and the importance of creating a support group. This is a book you will refer to time and time again to help you write professional and polished prose.
May’s Book Recommendations
Becoming a Writer [Paperback] by Dorothea Brande (Author)
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How to Be a Writer: Building Your Creative Skills Through Practice and Play [Paperback] by Barbara Baig (Author)
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Everyday You: Create Your Day with Joy and Mindfulness[Hardcover] by Eric Maisel
List Price:CDN$ 21.50
May’s Writing Prompts
History repeats itself…
What was one thing that you had always dreamed of, worked hard for, sacrificed and eventually obtained? Was it a certain job? A degree? A soulmate? Now, take something that you want right now? Are you willing to be as determined and focused as you were in the past to repeat history? What is different now? What stops you? Now that you have some wisdom behind you, what can you do differently? Reflect and write.
A picture is worth a thousand words… Write about a magical place
To use as wallpaper click on image to enlarge, for Windows right-click “Set as Desktop”
Inspirational Spark~Ignite Your Creativity
http://www.igniteyourcreativity.net
Photography & Graphics by Belinda Witzenhausen ©2012
Music by Mike Witzenhausen ©2012
