Befriend Your Inner Critic: Skills for a Productive Writing Practice

You might be familiar with your Inner Critic—the voice that says you’re not good enough. Or compares yourself to others. Or expects nothing but perfection. Our instinct is to push that voice away. But, paradoxically, we can find more inner peace and free up creative energy by moving toward that voice, with curiosity and compassion. The first part of this workshop will cover the roots and purpose of the Inner Critic and how it affects writers, both novices and veterans. Through lecture, discussion, and written exercises, we’ll look at seven types of Inner Critics, including the Perfectionist, the Task Master, and the Guilt Tripper. Finally, you’ll learn and practice specific skills and strategies for managing your Inner Critic so that you can move happily forward in your writing and artistic life. 

Class Format

This class will take place using Zoom videoconferencing. About 15 minutes before your class is scheduled to begin, you'll receive an email from your instructor with a link to join the class meeting!

Scholarship Information

Thanks to the excellent literary citizenship of our donors, scholarships are available for all GrubStreet classes. To apply, click the gray "APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIP" button. In order to be considered for a scholarship, you must complete your application at least one week before the start date of a class. Please await our scholarship committee's decision before registering for the class. We cannot hold spots in classes, so the sooner you apply, the better. Scholarships cannot be applied retroactively.

For more more detailed information about GrubStreet scholarships, including how to contribute to scholarship funds for other students, click here.