Self-Doubt and the Need for Approval: How To Make Friends with Your Inner Critic

Let’s talk about self-doubt and the need for approval.

Self-doubt is a normal and even healthy part of the creative process. It can help us to question our work, identify areas where we can improve, and push ourselves to be better. However, too much self-doubt can be paralyzing. It can prevent us from sharing our work, taking risks, and growing as creatives.

The need for approval is even more dangerous. When we’re constantly seeking validation from others, it’s impossible to be truly authentic in our work. We start to create things that we think other people will like, rather than things that we love and believe in.

The key is to learn to make friends with our inner critic. We need to acknowledge that self-doubt is normal and that we don’t have to please everyone. We also need to trust ourselves and believe in our work, even when others don’t.

Here are a few tips for making friends with your inner critic:

• Recognize that self-doubt is normal. Everyone has self-doubt, even the most successful creatives. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.
• Listen to your inner critic, but don’t always believe it. Your inner critic is often trying to protect you, but it’s not always right. When your inner critic tells you that you’re not good enough or that your work is terrible, ask yourself if there’s any truth to what it’s saying. If there is, try to learn from it and move on. If there’s not, ignore it.
• Talk to your inner critic. Personify your inner critic and have a conversation with it. Ask it what it’s afraid of and why it’s trying to sabotage you. Once you understand your inner critic’s motivations, you can start to work with it instead of against it.
• Focus on your own approval. The only person whose approval you need is your own. If you believe in your work, that’s all that matters. Don’t let other people’s opinions dictate your creativity.

Working on your Need for Approval

It’s also important to remember that you don’t have to please everyone. There will always be people who don’t like your work. That’s okay. It’s impossible to please everyone. The most important thing is to create things that you love and believe in.

If you find yourself constantly seeking validation from others, it’s important to ask yourself why. Are you afraid of failure? Are you insecure about your work? Once you understand your motivations, you can start to work on overcoming them.

Here are a few tips for overcoming the need for approval:

• Trust yourself. Believe in your own judgment and abilities. Know that you are capable of creating great work.
• Focus on your own goals. What do you want to achieve with your creativity? Don’t worry about what other people are doing or thinking.
• Surround yourself with supportive people. Find people who believe in you and your work. These people will help you to stay motivated and focused on your goals.
• Remember that you don’t have to please everyone. It’s impossible to please everyone. Create work that you love and believe in, and don’t worry about what other people think.

It’s not easy to overcome self-doubt and the need for approval, but it’s possible. By following the tips above, you can start to make friends with your inner critic and trust yourself as a creative.