Quotes and Action Steps Series (#11). “If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.” (Vincent Van Gogh)

Vincent van Gogh (via Wikipedia)

“If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.” 
                           Vincent Van Gogh

What does that mean?

Unquestionably, we are talking about overcoming self-doubt. And there’s nothing more painful about the creative process than struggling against this feeling. Your inner critic was the cause of each of these moments of self-doubt.

You surely read that you need to combat, silence or even kill your inner critic.
But the inner critic is a psychological concept used to describe a part of your personality that judges yourself and your work.
Are you sure that you want to combat a part of your personality as an enemy?

And you need to remember that the same inner critic that judges our work so hard provides us with the ability to form opinions, to make decisions.

The inner critic is actually a very important part of the creative process.

Where can I apply this in my life?

You need to cultivate a balanced view of your creativity.
 
You inner critic can whisper: “Who am I to write (to paint, to take photos)?”
 What you do may not be the greatest work ever seen, but you will have to start, and the doubter will be quiet for a while.

Then there will be several steps.
Step 1: do (write, paint, photograph) it. Step 2: Get feedback and improve it. Step 3: Stop changing your work, you are making it different, not better. Step 4: Start working on your next project.

The more you are doing the better.
Just paint. Just write. Just take photos.

Only then your inner critic will always find something positive to say when giving you constructive criticism.

Thank you for reading!
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