The Little Yakking Monster
The Little Yakking Monster: “Yakkety-yak-yak-yak.” Shut it, monster.
Most of us have a rambling and babbling voice that chats and annoys and cajoles and sometimes even shouts: A Little Yakking Monster who sits on your shoulder— its voice is invariably critical, judgmental, cynical, and snarky.
Nope! Nope! Nope!
The Yakking Monster is particularly good at hanging out with Creative Peeps. I've learned to ignore him (you can too!) and I don't feed him— in fact, I starve him (I think he’s dead!). He thrives on unhelpful, self-defeating inner narratives. Nom! Nom! Nom! — but no snacks for you, little fella!
Ok, I'm going to stop with the pleasantries and I’ll just come out and say it (didactic warning, #SorryNotSorry):
Do not use self-depreciating or self-effacing language about your work, your skillsets, or your life.
Ever.
Never.
Ever.
— Not in your head. Not out loud. Not in writing. Not on social media. Do not joke about or diminish your creative life. Just don’t do it— it’s food for The Yakking Monster.
Note the language and tone of thought patterns.
Cultivate an awareness of your inner narrative.
Creative Self listens to everything—
Every. Thing.
Honor the part of you that seeks to express itself—
— Honor its presence and wisdom with nurturance, encouragement, gratitude, and respect. This honor is a fostering and reclamation of energy and Creative Self needs energy— lots of energy.
If this seems unrealistic, ‘not you,’ or too bold (Creative Self likes bold!): consider rewording thoughts, statements, or status updates— #LikeSo:
A comment like, ”My (symphony, play, poem, tap dance, etc) isn’t very good” may become, “I’m excited about this work in development.”
Rather than, “I didn’t spend much time on this, but here it is anyway,” try, “This piece is close to my heart, and here’s a bit of this work-in-progress that I’d like to share.”
A little vulnerability. A lot of courage (Creative Self loves courage).
You’re smart. You get it.
Steven Pressfield calls The Little Yakking Monster, RESISTANCE— a Universal Force out to stop you from doing you. I love his books. Resistance is a wily liar and a cheat, a minion of Old Scratch. Don’t listen!
Extend this emotional generosity to others’ works, too— become curious about your engagement and response to the art you encounter— a la choreographer Liz Lerman’s Critical Response Process, wherein a respondent is attuned to their experience and refrains from opinions and judgments (‘I like it,’ ‘I hate it’)— and instead approaches work from a place of experiential neutrality and curiosity, developing an awareness of response: is the work challenging? compelling? etc. It’s possible to engage your own work with this kind of open inquisitiveness as well as the work of others.
“Honor Your Work”
Detail: Cuirass, my breast plate (of mantis thorax) 2016. Acrylic on canvas, 48x36.