The Artist's Way

6 Tips to Silence the Critical Inner Voice by The School of Feedback Guitar

boy guitar sitting outdoors by Unsplash, CC0 Public Domain

The critical inner voice is an annoyance. If it annoys you, then you have a right to annoy it right back.

The list that follows comprises six extremely potent ways of challenging the critical inner voice. I hope it provides you with some ammunition to engage this annoying little rat with confidence, and eventually turn it into an ally.

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Identifying the Critical Inner Voice by The School of Feedback Guitar

Record player vinyl by Unsplash, CC0 Public Domain

The critical inner voice is the nagging, negative, debilitating little squeak that appears when we are learning and in the mood for experiencing something new. Examples:

  • "You'll never be able to do this."
  • "Seriously? Why are you trying so hard? You know you'll fail."
  • "You'll lose interest sooner or later. Good luck."
  • "Why bother? Just give up."

If you have this voice in your head, chances are that it's wreaking havoc on your enjoyment of guitar. Obviously, we can't let that little dork of a voice win, so we're going to make it obey us and stop being the disgusting little know-it-all that it thinks it is.

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