“There’s no way this client is going to like this.” “Who would actually be interested in what I’m making?” “There’s a lot of people better at this than me.”
These are the types of thoughts that fill my head when I’m happily plotting along on a creative project, and suddenly imposter syndrome stops me in my tracks.
Imposter syndrome is defined by “Psychology Today” as “relentless self doubt,” even when it’s proven that you have experience in and have previously succeeded at similar tasks to the one you’re working on. Imposter syndrome isn’t a medical diagnosis, but it’s a real experience; one study says that up to 82% (!) of individuals have experienced it at some point.
I find this relentless self doubt pops up when I’m stepping outside my comfort zone — when I’m proposing a radical idea to a client, or I’m working on a creative project that’s different from what I’ve done before. Artist Henri Matisse said “creativity takes courage.” I’ve liked this quote for a long time, and it has started feeling more and more accurate as the years have gone by. Creativity is showing up in spite of the imposter syndrome, in spite of the fact that you may fail.
Creativity takes courage — and that means continuing to show up and practice your craft, even when it feels hard. We can’t magically turn off our inner self doubt, but we can keep showing up for ourselves and work to quiet that voice. The world needs your creativity, and it needs your courage to share it. Who knows who it will inspire and the good it will ripple into the world.
Let’s keep creating, even when it feels scary.
