Navigating Writer Imposter Syndrome with Confidence and Creativity
A new approach to a self-defeating feeling
We hear the term imposter syndrome a lot these days. It appears that when someone tries something new, they must be completely confident; otherwise, they have “imposter syndrome.” For a while, I wondered if it was a real thing. Isn’t it natural to feel like you don’t know what you are doing when you begin something new? Does it have to be a syndrome?
A syndrome consists of symptoms that signal a disorder and possibly a disease. It suggests that there is something wrong with us.
Looking at this from a writer’s perspective, I can assure you there is nothing wrong with not feeling like a writer when you begin. It’s to be expected and logical. Even experienced writers feel they “just got lucky” and don’t deserve to be published. Writing is a creative endeavor that will always contain an element of not feeling worthy or good enough. So, we don’t have a syndrome; we are artists.
I wonder if we can come up with a new term that is more positive and encouraging? Let’s look at the symptoms of “imposter syndrome.”
· Anxiety
· Doubt
· (a feeling of) Worthlessness
· Lack of Confidence
