Do you suffer from Impostor Syndrome?
‘Don’t hide your light under a bushel for fear of being branded a fraud – acknowledge your expertise and share it — the world needs every scrap of light it can get right now’
Do you suffer from Impostor Syndrome?
According to Wikipedia impostor syndrome, or fraud syndrome, is a psychological phenomenon in which people are unable to internalise their accomplishments. Despite external evidence of their competence, those with the syndrome remain convinced that they are frauds and do not deserve the success they have achieved. Proof of success is dismissed as luck, timing, or as a result of deceiving others into thinking they are more intelligent and competent than they believe themselves to be. As such it can stop us in our tracks – we are not worthy, so we don’t push ourselves forward on more prominent platforms. We fail to ‘stick our head above the parapet’.
Hmmm… familiar?
Although it’s not a recognised psychological disorder, it manifests itself powerfully in the lives of a lot of creative people – and I include myself in that number. Sometimes it’s a minor hurdle – and simply reminding ourselves that it’s largely just another threshold of anxiety to be stepped over on a daily basis – does the trick. For others it’s a fairly constant companion, and a measurable hindrance to progress.
So how can we overcome this barrier to self-development?
- The first step is to recognise that it’s happening. In some senses to accept that we have to factor it in rather than ignore or deny it.
- The second step is to figure out just how it gets in the way – what’s it stopping us doing?
- The third step is to strategise – how do we behave, how do we plan, what support and advice do we seek in order to tiptoe round it or break through it?
Metaphorically speaking, we need to identify and name the beast before we can kill it.
This not an easy task. When I’m out on the road delivering talks and workshops to creative people I often note that it’s usually not the quality of work that holds people back – rather the quality of their courage and ambition.
My advice? Be bold – aim high.
Surround yourself with supportive people, find someone close to be accountable to. Ask them to help you whilst you undertake the challenge, and to give you a nudge now and again to keep on track. This accountability alone can often make the difference between success and failure.
About Pete Mosley
Pete writes and blogs extensively about the business of creativity — drawing on thirty years of experience of working in the creative sector “where creativity, self-fulfillment and creative business meet”. Pete draws the illustrations for his own stories.
He delivers talks and workshops on Creativity and Business & Professional Development for universities, businesses and creative organisations. Additionally he coaches young people and creative professionals who are starting or developing their own creative businesses on a one-to-one basis.
He is business editor/expert for craft&design magazine, and creates content for a wide range of magazines and blogs in the UK and overseas.
His first book – ‘Make Your Creativity Pay’, was published in July 2011. His second – ‘The Art of Shouting Quietly – a guide to self-promotion for introverts and other quiet souls’, will be released at the end of 2014.
You can follow Pete on Twitter @petemosley
