--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm self-critical but also, I'm not a…" description: "\"I'm self-critical but also, I'm not a very modest person. I'm self-critical in the lead-up to showing anyone anything. You know how people say they wri..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01c/marika-hackman-41757_creative_i-m-self-critical-but-also-i-m-not-a-ver_1737244.jpg" --- # I'm self-critical but also, I'm not a very modest person… ![“I'm self-critical but also, I'm not a very modest person. I'm self-critical in the lead-up to showing anyone anything. You know how people say they write, like, 30 songs and then they'll pick the ones they're going to put on the record? I don't ever get to that point because I self-edit so harshly…” quote by Marika Hackman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01c/marika-hackman-41757_creative_i-m-self-critical-but-also-i-m-not-a-ver_1737244.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01c/marika-hackman-41757_creative_i-m-self-critical-but-also-i-m-not-a-ver_1737244.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01c/marika-hackman-41757_creative_i-m-self-critical-but-also-i-m-not-a-ver_1737244.jpg) > “I'm self-critical but also, I'm not a very modest person. I'm self-critical in the lead-up to showing anyone anything. You know how people say they write, like, 30 songs and then they'll pick the ones they're going to put on the record? I don't ever get to that point because I self-edit so harshly at the beginning. I would never let anyone hear something that I wasn't happy with. But then once I've made it, I'm also not going to turn around and go, "Oh, yeah, I don't know..." If I'm putting it out, anything creative that I do, I think that it's good, otherwise I wouldn't put it out.” [Marika Hackman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marika-hackman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The artist describes a tension between harsh self‑criticism during creation and confidence once work is released, revealing a cycle of perfectionism and self‑validation. **In simple terms:** She edits heavily before sharing but trusts her final product. Key Takeaway Balance self‑editing with confidence in your art. Themes creative process self‑criticism confidence Mood reflective hopeful Type personal motivational When to use this quote - studio recording - album planning - peer review - mental health strategies - public performance Key Concepts Perfectionism artistic identity Questions to Reflect On - When does self‑criticism become harmful? - How can you celebrate completed work? A Different Perspective Over‑editing can stall progress and cause anxiety. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Creative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative/) [Edit Harshly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/edit-harshly-1486476/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Modest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modest/) [Oh yeah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oh-yeah/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Person Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person-self-264377/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self Critical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-critical-599168/) [Self Edit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-edit-1486475/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [If you want to create something that's worth doing you have to self-edit from the get-go. You really must be careful and selective with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dyer-baizley/if-you-want-to-create-something-that-s-worth-doing-you-have-to-self/) [John Dyer Baizley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dyer-baizley/) > [I think directing yourself is a monumental task. Just to self edit as an actor, you work for some directors who don't give you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashton-kutcher/i-think-directing-yourself-is-a-monumental-task-just-to-self-edit-as/) [Ashton Kutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashton-kutcher/) > [I sometimes self-edit when it comes to auditions and go, 'They're not going to cast me, so I'm not going to do it.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-flynn/i-sometimes-self-edit-when-it-comes-to-auditions-and-go-they-re-not/) [Johnny Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-flynn/) > [I self-edit all the time when Im writing. I enjoy reading the story over and over, tweaking it as I go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/i-self-edit-all-the-time-when-im-writing-i-enjoy-reading-the-story/) [Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/) > [“Words sometimes tumble out before I can self-edit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-bloom/words-sometimes-tumble-out-before-i-can-self-edit/) [Rebecca Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-bloom/) > [There were times, earlier in my career, where I didn't have the wherewithal to self-edit, and I probably said things and pushed the limits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dane-cook/there-were-times-earlier-in-my-career-where-i-didn-t-have-the/) [Dane Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dane-cook/) > [...slow down and self-edit and ask yourself the three things you must always ask yourself before you say anything: "Does this need to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-ferguson/slow-down-and-self-edit-and-ask-yourself-the-three-things-you-must/) [Craig Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-ferguson/) > [Deep In Everyone's Soul There Is That One Thing That No One Knows... 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I want to go out there and play great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-brady/i-am-not-a-person-that-s-self-satisfied-just-being-out-there-i-want/) [Tom Brady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-brady/) > [I am a caring person, I will be there for everyone but I am a very self-centered person. My approach towards people is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karan-kundrra/i-am-a-caring-person-i-will-be-there-for-everyone-but-i-am-a-very/) [Karan Kundrra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karan-kundrra/) > [Self perception makes you the person of self worth. If you have conviction and courage you can achieve anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anil-kumar-sinha/self-perception-makes-you-the-person-of-self-worth-if-you-have/) [Anil Kumar Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anil-kumar-sinha/) > [The bonds that unite another person to our self exist only in our mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/the-bonds-that-unite-another-person-to-our-self-exist-only-in-our-mind/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) ## More by Marika Hackman > [If I look back at the songs I was writing when I was effectively a child, there's a big contrast, so I've learnt a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marika-hackman/if-i-look-back-at-the-songs-i-was-writing-when-i-was-effectively-a/) [Marika Hackman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marika-hackman/) > [I have no one else involved in the writing process. 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It's been nice to use my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marika-hackman/the-music-i-m-playing-now-is-the-music-i-always-imagined-myself/) [Marika Hackman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marika-hackman/) > [There was a criticism that stuck with me a little bit, which is that somebody said that I was jumping on a bandwagon by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marika-hackman/there-was-a-criticism-that-stuck-with-me-a-little-bit-which-is-that/) [Marika Hackman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marika-hackman/) [Explore all 10 Marika Hackman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marika-hackman/) ## More Creative quotes > [An artist's creative energy is ephemeral as a flower. It blooms and soon dies. No artist is great forever. Personally, I think I reached…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-ki-duk/an-artist-s-creative-energy-is-ephemeral-as-a-flower-it-blooms-and/) [Kim Ki-duk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-ki-duk/) > [When you're being truly creative, time stands still, and you enter a dimension that can carry you beyond the ordinariness of everyday life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-linn/when-you-re-being-truly-creative-time-stands-still-and-you-enter-a/) [Denise Linn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-linn/) > [I started off playing by ear, and being around a bunch of musicians and playing in the streets and in the different parades and,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/troy-andrews/i-started-off-playing-by-ear-and-being-around-a-bunch-of-musicians/) [Troy Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/troy-andrews/) > [Can you imagine any better example of divine creative accomplishment that the consummate flying machine that is a bird? The skeleton, very flexible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-murchie/can-you-imagine-any-better-example-of-divine-creative-accomplishment/) [Guy Murchie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-murchie/) > [Money is only used for two things. One, it's to make you comfortable, and the more comfortable you are the more creative you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/money-is-only-used-for-two-things-one-it-s-to-make-you-comfortable/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [Beware of self-indulgence. The romance surrounding the writing profession carries several myths: that one must suffer in order to be creative; that one must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brin/beware-of-self-indulgence-the-romance-surrounding-the-writing/) [David Brin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brin/) > [I can't let fear kill my creative brain. Fear is the killer. Your bad choices come from fear. And I'm constantly combating fear. 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Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-m-chu/) > [Many humanists have argued that happiness involves a combination of hedonism and creative moral development; that an exuberant life fuses excellence and enjoyment, meaning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kurtz/many-humanists-have-argued-that-happiness-involves-a-combination-of/) [Paul Kurtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kurtz/) > [The creative strength is good enough and deep enough to bring itself to flower and to grow in spite of this sickness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanne-greenberg/the-creative-strength-is-good-enough-and-deep-enough-to-bring-itself/) [Joanne Greenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanne-greenberg/) > [Anytime I get the chance to sing or work with Michael John, it is such an incredibly fertile and incredibly creative and safe and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audra-mcdonald/anytime-i-get-the-chance-to-sing-or-work-with-michael-john-it-is-such/) [Audra McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audra-mcdonald/) > [What Sri Chinmoy does is God-given! He has a tremendous, a fantastic creative urge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-shankar/what-sri-chinmoy-does-is-god-given-he-has-a-tremendous-a-fantastic/) [Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-shankar/) > [Majority decisions tend to be made without engaging the systematic thought and critical thinking skills of the individuals in the group. 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All intelligent people see this after the fact, but only the creative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-klee/the-creation-lives-as-genesis-beneath-the-visible-surface-of-the-work/) [Paul Klee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-klee/) [Browse all 7,284 Creative quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'm self-critical but also, I'm not a very modest person. I'm self-critical in the lead-up to showing anyone anything. You know how people say they write, like, 30 songs and then they'll pick the ones they're going to put on the record? I don't ever get to that point because I self-edit so harshly at the beginning. I would never let anyone hear something that I wasn't happy with. 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