Episode 571: How to Overcome Your Inner Critic

Listen to the show in the player at the end of this post.

Subscribe to the free show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Spotify here.

Email us at APQPodcast@meredith.com

*BONUS for our podcast subscribers! Get 60% off a subscription to American Patchwork & Quilting. Click here to take advantage!

*BONUS for our podcast subscribers! Get 50% off one digital quilt pattern of your choice in our online shop. Visit apqshop.com, and use coupon code PODCAST at checkout.

This episode is Part 1 of 2 in a topic we're excited to explore. On this episode, we'll examine how to overcome your inner critic. And next episode, we'll look at how to overcome outer judgement. The inner critic comes in the form of nagging and negative thoughts about ourselves. Sometimes they're a fleeting thought and sometimes it's a statement we repeat to ourselves over and over. These thoughts may be telling us we're not good enough, they may cast doubts on our goals, and they dimmish our accomplishments. Your thoughts greatly influence how you feel and how you behave, so this negative self-talk can be destructive to your feelings of self-worth, your mental health, your willingness to try new things, and how happy you and fulfilled you feel with your sewing life. We share some ways to silence your inner critic, and if all else fails, how to work with it to have a positive sewing life.

The Creative Types quiz from Adobe Create is an exploration of the many faces of the creative personality. Based in psychology research, the test assesses your basic habits and tendencies—how you think, how you act, how you see the world—to help you better understand who you are as a creative.

Take the quiz here.

Beth shares what's she's proud of in her quilty life. Beth has been learning to free-motion quilt on a longarm machine, and recently did swirls on her Positive Effect quilt (get the pattern here), and it turned out great.

If holiday stress or end-of-the-year to-dos are keeping you from finishing your projects and crossing items off your list, try changing the finish line. Lindsay shares more about this idea.

Try bringing along a quilt on your next trip. Traveling with a quilt lets you bring a little piece of home with you, infuse the quilt with good memories, and get great photos of the quilt in a new location.