Impostor Syndrome
Imposter Syndrome 😒
She's a sneaky little shit, ain't she?
She seriously bulldozes all of us at some point.
One second you're a polished powerhouse, totally in your element, owning your hustle, kickin' ass and takin' goddamn names.
In the next, something triggers an insecurity. You see someone you admire doing "so much better" than you are in this moment. And all that powerhouse energy starts to fizzle.
Why does seeing someone else kicking ass in their work sometimes make us doubt our own?
Why do we diminish what WE have worked for?
What unique, magical value WE bring?
Creative beings like us draw inspiration from the world around us. It's what makes us to vital to society!
We're naturally drawn to others doing killer work that breaks the mold. It's how artistic movements are born.
So, my dearest love, I implore you:
Try not to judge your everyday against someone else's highlight reel. Just like galleries and portfolios, social media is highly curated.
Fight that urge to compare your step 2 to their step 12.
Even if the steps are reversed, and you feel like you "should be so much further along by now," that's a call to action to look inward at your own strategies and vision (I might know someone who can help with that, too 😉).
So the next time you see someone doing the raddest shit you've seen in awhile?
Pay them a genuine, substantial compliment.
Hell, purchase a piece!
You never know; they might be battling a rough case of Imposter Syndrome themselves.
And you just helped reaffirm why their art matters.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on Imposter Syndrome. Have you experienced it? What did/do you do to bring yourself out of the mucky muck?