What Is Imposter Syndrome
I covered imposter syndrome back in 2020, and while my feelings on this concept haven’t changed, a colleague confided in me that they were considering giving up writing because they didn’t feel worthy of the success they had received. That is the definition of imposter syndrome. The feeling that you don’t have the right to speak on a subject because you are a fake even though you are in a given field. I’m here to tell you that all creative people suffer from imposter syndrome somehow. It’s natural.
How To Deal With Imposter Syndrome
Okay, so I said every creative person suffers from it, so how do you deal with it? I think that is the million-dollar question. We each need to handle imposter syndrome in our own way. I can tell you that one of my colleagues has a poster below her monitor that says, “You’re A Writer, Bitch! Now Get To Work!” For her, that is motivation enough to force the voices in her head to take a step back.
I wish a message like that were enough to shake the feeling of imposter syndrome. I have to fight the negative thoughts that I’m not good enough to be a writer daily and that I’m a fake. That I’m an imposter. That’s normal for a creative. I just set deadlines I set at my desk. I put words on the page, and when I’m done, I look back at my writing and say, “See, Andy, you are a writer.” Are there days that I get discouraged? Of course, but those days, I work even harder to prove I’m a successful writer.
In Conclusion
However you deal with the feelings of self-doubt or imposter syndrome, you must realize two things: you are still there doing that task you doubt, and it is your talent that the world needs. We need to focus on releasing our talent and less on negative thoughts. Don’t let self-doubt or imposter syndrome hold you back. Release your talent into the world.
