Over the last few weeks, you've probably had a bit more time on your hands. And I'll bet you spent a good chunk of that time on Instagram scrolling through other designers' feeds, right? It's so great to be inspired by others, but sometimes those feeds can make us feel less confident about ourselves and our work. Even without social media, we've all experienced moments of doubt, or wondering if we're even good at what we do! I know I have! And those moments of doubt are even more prevalent when the future is uncertain, and everything seems so up-in-the-air. We can wonder if we're even good enough to continue after the pandemic is contained. Is it worth it?!

Those are classic signs of imposter syndrome - where you feel like someone is going to eventually find out that you're a fraud. Or... that you never should have been a designer in the first place. It can be even worse in times of uncertainty - and we're definitely in that time. But, now is the worst time to suffer those huge doubts! So let's take a look at all of the symptoms of imposter syndrome and I'm going to give you a solution for each one.

It's Just Me

You may feel like you're the only one who feels like a fraud, but studies show that over 70% of people have had these thoughts in their careers! Social media actually makes this worse because it looks like EVERYONE except you is doing fantastically. But remember that a huge part of that online world is smoke and mirrors. Everyone has highs and lows, good days and bad days. Remind yourself that you are not alone in feeling like an imposter.

I'm Actually Not Good at This

Feeling like you're not good at your job is a confidence issue. Look through your portfolio and remind yourself that you do have skills! When you look at magazines or Instagram feeds, don't use it as a time to compare your work unfavorably. Instead, get ideas for upcoming projects. Figure out where you could improve the styling in your own designs. Or think about ways to push the envelope on your next project. We ALL should continue to learn and improve - that's just how it works!

And work on that confidence! Remind yourself of praise you've received from clients. (I always keep those thank you notes!) Look back at all of the great work you did over the last year. Pat yourself on the back and celebrate you, because you deserve it! And one last thing - stop that nasty voice in your head that says you're no good. She's not telling you the truth!

I'm Going to Fail

This feeling is SOOOO common - everyone has felt it! But there are two ways of handling a fear of failure. You can let it stop you in your tracks, or you can use it to psych you up. If you freeze in fear, you're definitely not going to succeed. But if you use that fear to push you, to make you more creative and to motivate you to work harder, you can harness that energy to truly do your best! So, get some pump-you-up music playing and take the fear out of failure by realizing that it can be motivating.

To help you get your mojo back, click here to download Tips to Organize Your Creativity - it's my FREE worksheet that will motivate you to do your best work!

 

xoxo,

Kathleen