Imposter Syndrome is a new buzz phrase that has floated around podcasts, blogs, and forums for the last few years. Imposter Syndrome is all psychological. It deals with thought patterns of doubt and the feeling that anything we have done is actually blind luck. It views oneself as a fraud.
It questions everything. Why did I get picked? I don’t deserve any of this, if they only knew who I really was. I can’t believe they keep letting me work on this? Eventually this will run out.
Eventually they will realize I am not actually that great.
Someone must be playing a trick on me. I don’t really know what I am doing? I am not a professional. Surely, this good streak will end. I hope I can execute again as well as I did last time.
These are the thought patterns of Imposter Syndrome.
You have to look at the root of why you may feel like an imposter. For most, it's that they feel like they stumbled into success and then once success is achieved on any level, even at the basic starting level of just someone compensating you anything for your work, we often fear we can not execute again, this normally leads to a spiral for most people.
Imposter Syndrome comes from a lack of experience but also a lack of belief that what you do is unique enough to always have value.
Imposter Syndrome struggles with perception verses reality.
Imposter syndrome thrives on negative talk, self doubt, and also is fueled anytime someone may critique you or ask you a question you don't know.
You have to find some space and detach yourself from your work. You are not your work. What you do and create musically is not you, it is something you do, but it is not you. Unless you can view critique and what you create with open hands and view it not as your actual identity as a human you will always struggle with self doubt and feel like an imposter.
There is no point in being successful if you always feel like a fraud.
Another key factor that I have encountered is that people often think about how others may be viewing them. We make up fake situations and fabricate things that no one ever says to us. The internet has allowed for too many conclusions to be made about each other without actual context and communication. We then do this in our own head about why we don't deserve things, or why we are never going to be able to make another great song again or be able to execute on a project.
This leads to the ultimate mindset shift that either frees people or keeps them a slave to self doubt and imposter syndrome.
Abundance verses scarcity mindset.
Understanding it is one thing, putting it into action is another. Imposter syndrome is heavily reliant on control and blocks the flow of life. It views each thing we do as maybe the last, as if there is a limited amount of good and projects in the universe. It views what we do as limited as if we can only luck out so many times. It has a tight hold on life and what we have achieved instead of having an open hand and jumping into the flow of abundance in life.
There is unlimited work, unlimited projects because we have the gift of creation.
All music is created from nothing therefore there can be unlimited work and chances to create. Unlimited times to try, learn, and grow. Failing or not nailing a project is the reward just like success is. Abundance views all of life as a teacher and that the reward is the process. There is so much to be said about this, but that is a taste.
Finally one other thing.... imposter syndrome implies that you are being an imposter of someone or something. It may imply that you view another artist as the real deal and you are just an imposter. You may view Max Martin as the real deal but you are just an imposter producer. Once again this is a scarcity mindset and views yourself as not unique nor does it allow for you to see that what you offer, your lane, being true to yourself is actually your key to crushing imposter syndrome.
When you stop chasing everyone else and comparing yourself to anyone else, you literally have no one to be an imposter of.
You are "you". Until you embrace yourself and accept yourself and your work and view it as the key to your success, longevity, and fulfillment, you will struggle to feel good enough because you are chasing someone else's lane. Something tangible I'll end with. Just start each day by writing down... "I am already enough, nothing I do or accomplish will make me more or less worthy to be a whole human". This will change your life.
Peace
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