Imposter Syndrome Doesn’t care about your success, so I’m going to teach you How to Deal with it

How many books have you published, or songs have you released? Maybe you walked a certain number of fashion runways. And, even so, you still doubt yourself. Even after publishing my preview and reading the stellar reviews, I doubted myself. That’s the funny thing about imposter syndrome: it doesn’t care how far you’ve come.

Your mind starts running fifteen mph. When that happens, it’s hard to stay present. If you’ve read my blogs, I’ve talked about identity crisis before. You start asking yourself, “Am I good enough?” Or “Did I do a good job?”

OUT OF BOUNDS

I talked about reward systems in my blog Why Taking Breaks Actually Makes You a Better Creative. But here’s a quick recap: rewards can be amazing, but it can also add pressure.

When you go as far as to reward yourself or have someone else reward you, and once or twice, you start looking for that award, because let’s face it, you feel on top of the world. But what happens when you don’t get what you’re looking for and you start feeling small? You start asking yourself, “What did I do wrong?”

IT TUMBLES DOWN

You might be wondering, “What does any of this have to do with imposter syndrome?”

The answer: Everything’s connected.

Think of it like this: if something impacts you deeply, your mind remembers, and so does your body.

Imagine swerving off the road, but walking away with no cuts or bruises. Now, every time you get behind the wheel, your body still tenses, even when there’s no danger.

That’s called a stress response. And that’s what imposter syndrome feels like. It’s anxiety whispering, “you’re not good enough,” even when you know better.

TO BE OR NOT TO BE

The truth is: rewards aren’t always toxic. But if your self-worth is tied to them, they can slowly chip at your confidence. That’s why you’ve got to be the one to fill your cup. No one can do that but you. As a creative, you are vulnerable to everything the world throws your way.

So if you’re not rewarded, that can be a huge hit on whether you deem yourself worthy or not. Listen to me when I say: this is your cup, you have the power.

So, imposter syndrome? Is just anxiety speaking to you. It’s loud because you gave it the microphone. Take it away. As a creative, you have more power than you think.

Imposter syndrome is normal, even for those who already have their cup full, but remember: if you’re successful, there’s probably a good reason.

WHAT DID I WIN?

So, if imposter syndrome sneaks up on you, remember, it’s just anxiety holding the mic. You have the power to turn down the volume. Take a deep breath. Reflect on what you’ve built, what you’ve survived, and what you’ve created. Awards or not, you’re one of the greats.

Take it a day at a time, because that imposter in your head will get quieter and quieter.

Now tell me, did this help you see imposter syndrome a little differently? Let me know in the comments.