Talk to Yourself

I talk to myself a lot. I mean a lot a lot. From the moment I wake up to the moment I go to bed, I’m usually carrying on a conversation in my head. It used to freak me out. I thought that I might be going a bit crazy. But I started to realize that it’s not that uncommon for people to talk to themselves. I also realized that talking to myself is a big part of my creative process.

My good friend Kyle is a really talented artist. He created the octopus for this blog actually. I asked Kyle not long ago if he ever talks to himself. Kyle was understandably confused by the question and asked for a little clarity. I restated my question: “Do you ever talk to yourself as part of your creative process?” He replied, “Yeah. I do that now and again.” So that set me at ease. If my pretty normal friend Kyle does it then it can’t be too weird.

I’ve always talked to myself, even as a kid. And it wasn’t for lack of other people to talk to—I came from a family of six kids. There was always someone around to talk to, trust me. I just enjoyed exploring things internally and talking them out. And that’s something that has turned into a helpful tool. The ability to explore an idea and then debate it internally helps keep my mind focused. It helps me be creative.

So it’s strange, sure. But it works for me. I theorize that the majority of people have some kind of inner dialog going on. I’d encourage you to explore that inner relationship. Don’t be too creepy about it, but don’t be afraid to dig into your subconscious and see what comes up. If nothing else it’s a good excuse to stare at a blank wall for a few minutes.