When you’re making art, do you ever feel like you don’t belong? Like you’re an imposter…
Sometimes it’s a small voice in the back of your head making you second guess yourself, when other times it may show up in the form of crippling paralysis that makes you want to procrastinate doing your work.
What I’m talking about is the dreaded imposter syndrome—the feeling that you’re a fraud and that you have no right to do what you’re doing. And this feeling is something that almost all creatives deal with at one point or another.
The fear and the feeling of imposter syndrome never really goes away.
I’ve been doing client work since 2013 and I still feel like an imposter with almost every new client I work with.
But somehow I manage to get my work done and I still get paid.
Regardless of how scared I am, I still need to eat and I still have bills to pay.
There are a few things that always come to my rescue when I’m tempted to give in to the tyranny of imposter syndrome, and I want to equip you with these 3 “tools” to help you overcome your fear and actually get your work done.
So the next time imposter syndrome rears it’s ugly head, just remember these three things:
1. Just show up and do the work
Here is a quote by the author Neil Gaiman.
He is a incredibly successful author and well known among writers.
He work has gone on to be New York Time’s Bestsellers, made into feature films, and is one of the most successful authors of our generation.
In regards to becoming a writer, here is what Gaiman has to say:
“I got out into the world, I wrote, and I became a better writer the more I wrote, and I wrote some more, and nobody ever seemed to mind that I was making it up as I went along, they just read what I wrote and they paid for it, or they didn’t, and often they commissioned me to write something else for them.”
When you are doing freelance work, just remember that a career in the arts is messy and undefined and sometimes the most important thing you can do is just to show up and do the work.
Don’t think about whether or not you belong, don’t think about whether or not you are qualified, and don’t think about how the work will measure up to other artists and creatives. (Sometimes you gotta have that rebellious I don’t give a crap attitude.)
Just show up, do the work, and don’t hesitate to take the money when it is payday.
But another common issue that comes up is the discomfort you deal with when you’re actually making the work.
2. Creative work is uncomfortable, even for the pros
Making art, writing, making Instagram posts or doing any kind of creative work is usually pretty uncomfortable.
Seriously though, one of the scariest things you can do is to stare into the intimidating abyss of a blank canvas without having a clue what you are about to make.
But regardless of the discomfort, the work still needs to be made.
This quote by big name author, Kurt Vonnegut, is a breath of fresh air. (Out of all of the famous authors, Kurt Vonnegut is one of the biggest names in the industry.)
This is what he has to say about his writing:
“When I write, I feel like an armless, legless man with a crayon in his mouth.”
If one of the most successful and influential writers of the last century feels like an armless, legless man with a crayon in his mouth, then you can take comfort in knowing that creative work never really gets comfortable.
Yes this seems kind of contradictory, but just know that if you feel uncomfortable then you are probably doing something right.
But what if you’re showing up to do the work, you’re getting out of your comfort zone, but you can’t help but to feel discouraged when the work you are making doesn’t feel like it’s your best work (or even good work, for that matter).
This brings me to my third point…
3. Keep making work, even if it’s crappy
I was listening to a podcast where investor/author/entrepreneur Tim Ferriss was interviewing another bestselling author and they were talking about their writing habits.
Tim said that he copes with fear and imposter syndrome with this one rule:
“Just write two crappy pages a day.”
Showing up to write a book seems daunting and overwhelming, but if all you need to do is to show up and write two crappy pages each day then you are much more likely to do it and keep at it.
This applies to making art as well.
Just do one hour of crappy drawing each day.
Or 30 minutes of crappy drawing each day.
Or 2 crappy sketchbook pages each day.
The trick is to set the bar really low so it isn’t intimidating, and then just show up to do the work.
Sometimes you’ll scrap the two crappy pages and never show anyone, but sometimes you may feel really inspired and go on to create 10 really awesome pages that turn into something bigger.
What’s most important is that you are showing up consistently to do the work, and that you aren’t letting your fear or your self-doubt get in the way of you doing your work.
And yes, I know… All of these quotes have been from writers or about writing. But these quotes apply to any kind of creative work, because they are dealing with the issues of fear and discomfort.
So if you’ve been letting fear and self-doubt get in the way of you making your masterpiece then take back control and put fear back in its place!
Take what you’ve read here, be encouraged, and get back to doing what you were created to do.
And if you liked this resource and want similar inspiration and resources then I encourage you to sign up for the SAI email list.
I’ll send you an occasional email with some of the best inspiration, advice, and marketing tactics to help you take your art career to the next level.
Just click the green button below to sign up. Cheers!
4