How to Transform Your Inner Critic to Ignite Your Creativity

How to transform your inner critic to ignite your creativity … 

In my opinion, the main reason for low self-worth is the “inner critic.” This is a part of ourselves that constantly criticizes us for whatever we do.

This part tells us that “we’re not good enough, that we’re stupid or dumb, that we’re not beautiful enough, and that no matter what we do, we’re destined to fail.” This critic is a strong mind-f*ck that rehashes our mistakes over and over again.

The critic tries to prevent us from feeling shame and hurt, often sitting on top of our inner child. It acts as the internal parent within us. When the critic’s voice becomes very strong, it can be overwhelming, leading to feelings of depression, anxiety, and even procrastination in our endeavors.

When the critic is so powerful, we may feel that no matter what we do, we won’t succeed anyway. This creates a sense of futility in our mindset. The  critic can be relentless.

It manifests in our personal interactions and projects. Chances are, if you are a high achiever with a perfectionistic streak, you have a strong inner critic within you. This means that nothing is ever good enough for the critic: no matter what you accomplish, you still don’t feel worthy.

As a result, you find yourself in a constant cycle of achievement while still feeling inadequate.

What I’ve discovered is that the inner critic cannot be repressed or suppressed because it is a part of you. The more you try to suppress it, the more it pushes back and becomes stronger. Instead, you can learn to embrace the critic with the following steps:

 #1: Have a dialogue with the inner critic. Imagine the critic as a separate entity. Start to understand the fears behind the inner critic and address those fears.

If the critic constantly criticizes you by saying, “If you do this, you’ll fail,” ask it, “Why are you so afraid? What’s the worst that can happen?” The inner critic will reveal its fears.

Then you can respond, “I understand that fear. What can we do to make you feel less anxious?” By acting on those points, you will learn to self-soothe your inner critic, which will lessen its grip and power over you.

 #2: Strengthen your inner child. When the inner critic looms over your inner child, your inner child/essence may feel stifled, leading to procrastination or a freeze response that blocks creativity.

To protect your inner child, set a boundary by encapsulating it in golden white light. This allows your inner child to move freely within that boundary and encourages exploration and play.

Tell your critic, “You have no place here for now; this is a time for the inner child to explore and play.” Encourage your inner child by saying things like, “It’s time for you to play and explore. There are no mistakes; it’s okay.”

By reparenting your inner child, you strengthen your essence. You can balance the voice of the critic while continuing the dialogue with it as it transforms. Eventually, the inner critic will learn to work with you instead of against you, allowing you to transmute its energy. And the inner child will be able to unleash the creativity within naturally!

The inner critic will learn to set boundaries with the outer world, discern situations, and support you rather than undermine you. It will approach life with a mindset of growth and self-love, rather than self-hate, moving away from the belief that there’s something wrong with everything you do and that you need to be fixed.