silence the critic!

Creativity is essentially a lonely art. An even lonelier struggle.  To some a bless. To others a curse. It is in reality the ability to reach inside yourself and drag forth from your very soul an idea. ~Lou Dorfsman

When I first started contemplating this entry, my first thought for a title was "Right Brain".  It has been commonly known that creative people were right-brained.  But there is more to it than that.  More recent research reveals that creativity is highest in those that have an increase use of both sides of the brain. Also, the neurotransmitter, norepinephrine is suppressed in the creative process.  Norepinephrine retreives long term memory.  The suppression of which makes room for new ideas.

"Another surprising discovery about the science of creativity was made by researchers Charles Limb and Allen Braud, who performed brain imagery scans on jazz musicians. While the musicians made spontaneous compositions, several higher brain functions in the prefrontal cortex were suppressed. This part of the brain is associated with conscious control as well as self-monitoring. Perhaps the folk psychology idea that the "critic" must be silenced during creative thought is reflected in these findings. Limb and Braud also report that the limbic centers of the brain are unregulated during creative improvision, providing neurological support for the role of heightened emotion during creative pursuits." from www.livestrong.com.

From the creative mind, we have art and music, we have poetry and other forms of the written word.  We have new inventions and computer programs.  Heightened emotion?  I claim that the emotional center is focused on our creativity.  Passion!  

Therefore, we must silence the critic.  The self-doubt, that sense of self-monitoring the stymies the creative self must be vanquished. And creativity takes practice. The more you practice, the easier it to still the small voice that disputes our creativity.  Now is the time to release the author, release the poet, the dancer, the inventor, the musician. Now is the time to create. 

Silence the critic and bless the world with your inspiration. Isn't it time?