So Impostor syndrome, I have always kind of had flutters of it, but recently it seems to be haunting me, any advice? Articles to read?
As i've mentioned in the Question, i've had flutters of it over the years, but recently it seems to be really disrupting any creative flow or direction when it comes to pre and post production of shoots. I mean, I either don't do the shoots or I do the shoot then I just stare at the images and pick holes in them. It's not healthy, so I was wondering does anyone have any advise, good reads, books, films anything that is somewhat helpful! Stay healthy and happy everyone!
Replies7
- Struthless has a good video on this and some great videos in general for creatives: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHkfEoc-3mk
- I do exaclty the same, esspecially the bit staring at work picking faults with it. I try to look at this as a positve because you're just being self critical so you can improve and progress. This has to be standard for most creatives. Remember how you view your work is not how everyone else sees it.If you spent hours just looking at your work thinking it was the best thing ever then there's no development. The trick I guess is not letting it all be about the bad bits but focus more about what you love about it too (and I know you must love some of it). I feel I'm nowhere where I'd love to be in terms of my skills but realise that's probably always going to shift as I improve so i'd never be happy. So I also have to be content with where I am else I risk not enjoying any of it! Looking back over the years and seeing your progress always helps too.Also it's always important to ask what is it's purpose, in terms of client work I just try and focus on making sure they are happy. I guess personal work has no deadline or sign off but it's ever ongoing anyway. One last thing and I don't mean this in a negative way but I think understanding that nobody else really cares because everyone is dealing with their own same issues. Also that if you just try and be a better version of yourself each time and not like everyone else, it's alot easier.Sorry, went off a bit there! I just understand how frustrating it can be but a break and enjoying something else as mentioned below can help too. Good luck and wish you a positive creative 2021.
- Honestly, I think there's a lot to be said for writing. Write down specifically what you didn't like about the results.Then, assuming you have time / whatever, get away from the photos for a day. Do something totally unrelated.Then revisit, and look at what you wrote. Chances are that the flaws aren't as bad as you thought, and the very act of expressing them means that next time around, you'll know how to improve those flaws.
- I feel similar from time to time and I found these articles helpful: https://durmonski.com/articles/:)
- Yeah, I've had this REALLY bad too over the past few days.What helps me?• Reading over my goals• Acknolwedging my past success (no matter how small)• Get around people who think you're better than you think you are!Working out and spending time with the family works well too, in order to clear your mindHope this helped a little
- I think that beyond literature and articles on this topic one of the most imporant things that I understood in regards of Impostor Syndrome, fear, avoidance etc was understanding that our brains are naturally wired in a way that they are designed to protect us. So for instance, when a big project comes in, your brain will send fear signals and one of them can be in a form of an impostor syndrome in this sceanrio. What is does essentially, it is "protecting" you from an unfamiliar scenario, protecting you from a situation in which you may or may not fail, protecting you from a situation that perhaps you are "not good enough" for. Which is utter bullshit of course. Same thing comes with any sort of risk taking, once again, it is about what the brain perceives as risk taking. Most of the things that I've done in my life were treated as scary by my brain but I listen to my spirit guide much more so only at a later stage I understood what people are mostly afraid of. They simply listen more to the brain. For me it's more scary to not dare rather than dare and fail.Hope this helps.And warmly recommend this book - Mindset by Carol Dweck
- Brilliant thread on this very topic here: https://the-dots.com/asks/anyone-else-struggling-with-impostor-syndrome-any-advice-on-how-to-get-past-something-like-this-19071 - I hope that helps :-)
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