We are often our worst critics, feeling like an imposter. Criticising ourselves for not belonging. Not being good enough. Comparing ourselves to others who we think are more successful. Looking for answers to “imposter syndrome”, I found out most people experience this sense of being fake, regardless of success or experience, which was quite surprising.
How do we overcome this negative self-talk preventing us from putting our work out into the world?
I believe the answer lies in recognising that we all do it. Everyone has their own harsh criticism to deal with. If you know your opinion of your work will be harsh, it loses some of its power. If you tell that voice that you are still learning and others will never judge it as harshly as you do, you may get a chance to be brave and publish your work.
If you become more present with that feeling, knowing that this part of the process, it becomes more OK to do it despite that feeling. This may be what the experts talk about when they say things like “Feel the fear and do it anyway” or “Don’t wait for inspiration; make it a habit, then inspiration will show up”.