Read time: 6 minutes
Examine your own narrative
“I don’t know what you mean by your way,” said the Queen: “all the ways about here belong to me”
— Lewis Carroll
💡 Goal: Transform your inner critic and align with your authentic self.
Why It Matters
There is a voice in your head right now. A voice that says “no” and blocks countless opportunities, limiting who you can become.
Your challenge?
Silence this inner critic and change the narrative.
The Resistor
A challenge you will face as a creative is mistaking your inner critic for who you actually are and failing to recognize the patterns. Over time you may have started to believe the story you have been telling yourself.
This can limit your growth.
Your inner critic follows certain patterns or triggers. Unless you are able to look at what these are openly and be honest with yourself you will remain stuck.
A Signal Path
In the late 1970s, after her divorce from Martin Scorsese, Julia Cameron struggled with motherhood, alcoholism, and drug addiction. Despite her background as a writer, journalist, and filmmaker, she also faced deepening creative blocks.
In response to these challenges, she began “Morning Pages,” a daily writing habit. This personal practice grew into a guide that would go on to help others with their own creative challenges.
Julia’s path to sobriety and consistent writing presented its own difficulties. There were times when she considered returning to old behaviors.
Some doubted her new path. But she remained committed, and through self examination she began to understand the importance of her creative pursuits.
From her experiences and the methods she created, “The Artist’s Way” was born. The book has gone on to sell over 5 million copies and impacted musicians from Alicia Keys to Pete Townshend.
Elizabeth Gilbert said, “Without The Artist’s Way, there would have been no Eat, Pray, Love.”
Imagine Julia had listened to her inner critic. How many other influential works, ones that might have touched your life, would never have come into being?
Do you hear this voice? I do. It’s held me back many times.
If you are reading this, I was able to overcome it this time. You can too.
Here are some ideas on how to do it.
Three Cats
✅ Idea: Travel to the places ignorance fears
“Leave the door open for the unknown, the door into the dark. That’s where the most important things come from, where you yourself came from, and where you will go.”
- Rebecca Solnit
🔺 Process: The mistake becomes the teacher
“If you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll never come up with anything original.”
- Ken Robinson
🔹 Result: The old spirits will adjust to the new driver
“The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete.”
- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Origins
strug·gle
great effort and energy to achieve an end or to overcome an obstacle; striving to attain something in the face of difficulty; an opportunity
Switch to Action
Reflect and Record
Dedicate 10 minutes today to write down moments when the limiting voice in your head spoke the loudest. How did it make you feel? What opportunities have you missed due to its influence? By recognizing and documenting these moments, you will begin the process of challenging and transforming that narrative. Recognize the resistance, learn from it, and redirect its energy toward silencing your inner critic.
Go Deeper
You can learn more about The Artist’s Way and the practice of “Morning Pages” on Amazon.
Right now you may be asking yourself; is the work of understanding your limiting voice worth it?
I believe it is.
I am putting my time into Passfilter to prove it.
Why?
Because the authentic stand apart.
I am glad you are here and hope Passfilter can help you on your way to wherever you are going.
Let your signal flow,
Kirk
Looking for other ways to help silence the inner critic? Try the Resiliter Creative Cards