If you haven’t heard of imposter syndrome, you probably aren’t in the creative industry. Just kidding. Imposter syndrome has hit the world by storm – giving a name to the feelings/experiences many people have and are facing regarding their work and careers. If you’ve ever said or thought the words, “I’m fooling everyone. I feel like a fraud,” you already have some experience with imposter syndrome. Welcome to the club that none of us thinks we’re good enough to be in.
Experiencing feelings of inferiority is common across all different professional industries, but as creatives ourselves, we would like to note that our industry is particularly inviting when it comes to joining the imposter club. Why? In this industry, we very rarely have a one size fits all performance indicator. Trying something new can be scary, uncomfortable and anxiety-inducing. And yet by any definition, this is what creativity (and our industry) is all about. It’s no wonder then that feelings of imposter syndrome are rife in the creative industries.
In order to know how to work with imposter syndrome and these feelings of inferiority, we need to know more about the club we’re joining often unwillingly, so here goes…
What is imposter syndrome?
Imposter syndrome is defined, in part, as “persistent doubt concerning one’s abilities or accomplishments accompanied by the fear of being exposed as a fraud despite evidence of one’s ongoing success,” according to our friend, Merriam-Webster. Does this sound familiar? Same.
Imposter syndrome was originally assumed to apply primarily to high-achieving women. In the last 40+ years, however, it has been recognized as a more widely experienced phenomenon. Imposter syndrome can affect anyone—no matter their social status, sex, race, gender, work background, skill level, or degree of expertise. It’s estimated that 70% of people will experience at least one episode of imposter syndrome during their lifetime.
Do I have imposter syndrome?
If you’re wondering whether you’re part of the 70%, ask yourself the following questions:
- Do I agonize over even the smallest mistakes in my work?
- Do I look for validation in authority figures—such as a boss or family member—and give them the power to dictate whether I am successful or not?
- Do I attribute your success to luck or outside factors?
- Am I sensitive to even constructive criticism?
- Do I feel like I will inevitably be found out as a phony?
- Do I downplay my own expertise, even in areas where I am genuinely more skilled than others?
If you answered yes to any or all of these questions – you’ve joined the imposter club but don’t worry, there are so many different strategies to cope with imposter feelings.
Characteristics of imposter feelings
- An inability to realistically assess your competence and skills
- Attributing your success to external factors
- Berating your performance
- Fear that you won’t live up to expectations
- Overachieving
- Sabotaging your own success
- Self-doubt
- Setting very challenging goals and feeling disappointed when you fall short
Questions to ask yourself to combat imposter syndrome:
Strategies to cope with imposter feelings include talking about what you’re experiencing, questioning your negative thoughts and avoiding comparing yourself to others. Unfortunately, there really is no quick and easy fix to imposter syndrome, it’s a journey of unlearning that starts by asking yourself some hard questions.
Here are a few to consider:
- What core beliefs do I hold about myself?
- Do I believe I am worthy of love as I am?
- Must I be perfect for others to approve of me?
Deep breaths – we know, it’s A LOT!
To get past these big and difficult feelings, you need to get uncomfortable to become comfortable confronting some of the deeply ingrained beliefs you hold about yourself.
This exercise can be confusing and difficult because you might not even realize that you hold them.
8 Techniques to overcome imposter syndrome
1. Share your feelings
Talk to other people about how you are feeling. Irrational beliefs tend to fester when they are hidden and not talked about. Getting an outside perspective can shake some irrational beliefs and ground you in reality.
2. Question yourself
Every time you have a negative thought about your abilities or wonder if you’re qualified for a job, pause and ask yourself: Is the thought actually (truly) accurate? Does it make sense to believe that you are a fraud given everything that you know?
3. Step outside of yourself
Every time you compare yourself to others in a social situation, you will find some fault with yourself that fuels the feeling of not being good enough or not belonging. Instead, during conversations, focus on listening to what the other person is saying. Be genuinely interested in learning more.
4. Reframe your thinking
Assess your abilities objectively. If you have long-held beliefs about your incompetence in social and performance situations, make a realistic assessment of your abilities. Write down your accomplishments and what you are good at, then compare these with your self-assessment.
5. Embrace the creative stage you’re in
Imposter syndrome is especially common among new creatives who’ve started a new role. Celebrate the creative stage you’re in at the moment. If you’ve started a new role, give yourself time to settle in and accept that you won’t know everything straight off the bat. If you’re just starting out, embrace your mistakes and learn as much as you can. And if you’ve been in the role for a while – try to reframe these feelings from a place of inadequacy to a place of improvement.
6. Take baby steps
Don’t focus on doing things perfectly, but rather, do things however you can, reasonably well, and reward yourself for taking action. Why yes, I will have a glass of wine for sending one email – thank you. If you have imposter syndrome, it can be tempting to invalidate even the smallest win. Resist that urge by listing every success and allowing them to resonate emotionally. Over time, this practice will give you a realistic picture of your accomplishments and help affirm your self-worth.
7. Use social media moderately
(Funny coming from a digital marketing company). We know that constantly being on social media relates to feelings of inferiority especially if you are portraying an image on social media that doesn’t match who you are or is impossible to achieve will only make your feelings of being a fraud worse.
8. Stop fighting your feelings
Don’t fight the feelings of not belonging. Instead, try to lean into them and accept them. It’s only when you acknowledge these feelings that you can start to unravel the core beliefs that are holding you back.
We would like to take this opportunity to applaud all creatives that are doing (and trying to do) their thing despite being in the imposter club. We see you, we feel you and we are you. We’ll be here, asking ourselves the hard questions and unlearning our deep-rooted feelings of inferiority while making work we feel proud of. It’s a good first step for us and will be for you too.
