01Welcome to Shut Your Monkey

05/10/16 • 16 min

1 Listener

The monkey is your inner critic. It’s the voice inside us that says, “This [whatever creative thing you want to do] is a mistake!” Dare to draw and the monkey will hurl insults at your work; try to write and it’ll screech. The monkey’s job is to keep you from being creative, and it can sabotage all areas of your life.

Join Danny Gregory, artist and best-selling author of Shut Your Monkey and the artists, authors, therapists and creatives he interviews. Together we'll learn how to shut our monkeys. In this premiere episode, Danny tells you how to identify the monkey’s voice before it mugs your creative endeavors.

This week's Monkey Tale: Christie tells the story of her monkey’s chatter—that she’s too old to make art, doesn’t have enough time or money, and that everything she does is ugly. Hear how she wrassled that chimp to the ground to pursue her creative dreams.

What’s your experience with your monkey? How has it affected you, and how have you overcome it? Record your Monkey Tale at dannygregory.com/monkey.

The Shut Your Monkey podcast is brought to you by Sketchbook Skool, online art klasses that teach you how to be creative—no matter what the monkey says. See what it’s like to take a klass at Sketchbookskool.com. Use the promo code MONKEY and save 20 percent off your first kourse. Take that, monkey...

What’s your experience with your monkey? How has it affected you, and how have you overcome it? Record your Monkey Tale at dannygregory.com/monkey.

Next Episode

02Meet Your Monkey - Susanna Suchak

What does your monkey—your inner critic—look and sound like? In this podcast, Shut Your Monkey author and host Danny Gregory helps you identify the monkey and shows you why it is not you.

Then, Danny talks to artist, therapist, and creativity coach Susanna Suchak about how the monkey can affect all areas of your life, the scientifically proven therapeutic value of journaling, and how to quiet your chimp’s damaging chatter.

Monkey of the Week: The Blunderer, the monkey that tries to stop you with doubt. If that fails, it tells you that whatever you’ll doing will burn the house down.

Monkey Tale: Debra’s monkeys really don’t want her to write. Find out why and what she did.

What’s your experience with your monkey? How has it affected you, and how have you overcome it? Record your Monkey Tale at dannygregory.com/monkey.

This podcast is brought to you by Sketchbook Skool, online art klasses that inspire you to be creative—no matter what the monkey says. See what it’s like to take a klass at Sketchbookskool.com. Use the promo code MONKEY, and you’ll save 20 percent off your first kourse. Take that, monkey...