Sesame Wars? Star Street?
So, we’ve gone over what Imposter Syndrome is and how it can be triggered. Maybe it can happen without us identifying it right away. No matter the case, we need to find a way to handle this powerful sensation. An author won’t get very far if they don’t gain some amount of confidence. We get them from ourselves, our friends, our readers, or anything that takes the time to tell us we’re real. Harder and harder to find those these days, but that’s really a big thing that’s needed.
All that being said, let’s see if we can touch on how to help ourselves and others get through such a period.
- What would you say to someone who is suffering from Imposter Syndrome?
- What is one thing you can do to avoid falling into this mentality?
- Have you ever felt like a fraud and how did you handle it?
Legends of Windemere 
1. That this is normal. Others who might be more experienced or more well-known also have gone through this. (https://kajabi.com/blog/celebrities-with-imposter-syndrome ) So that means keep doing what you’re doing.
2. Since I think imposter syndrome is something creatives will face from time to time, I would only caution not allowing it to stop you as it has stopped me many times.
3. I have felt like an imposter many times. I pray for strength and the fortitude to keep going. Another thing I’ve done is to learn more about my craft. But nothing has helped more than actually practicing my craft. It’s like the 10,000-hour rule that Malcolm Gladwell spoke about in his nonfiction. Some might balk at the number. But what he was getting at was to keep doing what you do.
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1. That’s an interesting list.
2. That’s always the challenge. Probably one of the least talked about dangers of creativity.
3. So, it helps to try and work right through it?
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I think so, especially judging by the celebrities on that list who still are working in their craft though they’ve admitted to feeling like an imposter. I know that seems easy to say, given the famous people on that list who obviously were given breaks that most people don’t seem to receive. But at some point they were validated. So I can only point to my own struggle with it and the need to keep going.
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I think validation and support are a big factor. Many get imposter syndrome due to others questioning and criticizing their abilities.
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I would say to someone who is suffering from Imposter Syndrome to think hardest about those things they do well and try to minimize the feelings of the things they don’t do well.?
The one thing I do to avoid falling into this mentality is to write for myself and not worry about others or success.
I have had fraud feelings but just worked harder to push them away.
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That’s really good advice.
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Thanks
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Hey! I wrote about this not long ago too. I thought inknt must be something lots of people deal with. Here is a link to my talk about it. Good stuff!
https://dmichllowe.com/2022/10/19/maybe-im-an-imposter-maybe-im-a-fraud/
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Very cool. I wrote this up over the summer after seeing it mentioned on another blog.
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I suppose I would try to convince them they aren’t an imposter, perhaps share some things to let them know they aren’t alone. I don’t know that there’s anything I can do to avoid it. Stop looking at my sales and reviews seems logical, but it isn’t going to happen. Happens to me all the time. I get upset, but always get back to work.
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Sales and reviews do seem to be downers lately. I check weekly and find no changes.
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I can’t speak to 2 or 3, but I would encourage them to recognize something they did right. A short sale, a passage they feel they did well. So they could see their is success to balance their fears.
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I wonder how much that works. I know for myself, I’ve considered those flukes when I’m feeling really down. It’s like seeing what I ‘achieved’ doesn’t mean much because they’re a part of the facade. It’s like one believes that even imposters can create fake successes.
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But I would remind them, in a low pressure way, that these are things they really did. “You wrote that! Fluke or not, you really wrote that.”
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Guess it just has to be gently driven home.
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But realizing anything you can say might be felt as dismissing their experience. Yes, you can say your piece but the person has to accept it in themself, too.
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