A couple days ago I skipped past my inner critic. It was a truly liberating feeling knowing that I can easily bypass that nagging voice.

Freed from my inner constraints, I moved on to the next project. I sat down to research my graduation article “Collaborative Writing, Contradictio In Terminis?” and maybe push out the first paragraphs. For that, I reread an article sent to me by colleague writer and creative writing instructor Chris Eboch. A line in that article triggered me. Chris writes about two colleagues who formed an online group. When they discovered that male writers were much better at supporting themselves as a writer, they began to ask themselves ‘What would a guy do?’ The positive results of their question soon showed in their income.

I linked that information back to my writing life. Everywhere I come and writers are gathered — be it conferences, workshops, courses, online groups, guilds or associations — the majority of the attendees is always female. And yet, there don’t seem to be more published female writers than male writers (this is a gut feeling, not a scientific fact).
It made me wonder where guys go for support. Do they actually need support? Or are they so much more confident and determined, that they can do it on their own? If so, why is that and how do they accomplish that? Had it something to do with the inner critic, the voice that can whip you back to the quicksands of incompetence? Do guys have an inner critic? I asked my husband and my son, both not too unsuccessful in life. All I got was a slightly raised eyebrow and an incomprehensible look. An inner critic? Why on earth would they need a voice that would step on the brakes?

A little stunned, I sat back. Could it be that easy? Get rid of your inner critic and let confidence rule your actions on your road to success?