Originally published at The Daily Post on WordPress.com.

Impostor syndrome is the pervasive feeling that you’re faking your way through success, and that your achievements are attributable only to good luck. There is an unsettling, nagging worry that accompanies impostor syndrome, that somehow, someday, someone is going to find out that you’re a great big phony. That you’re really not as really good as you’ve cleverly convinced people that you are. That you’re a fraud.

In this article, I’ve decided to focus on impostor syndrome in the photography community, but everything here can be easily extrapolated onto any professional field or any creative pursuit. I’ve collected some thoughts from a few of the I Heart Faces Creative Team; Amandalynn Jones and Julie Rivera, as well as Texas photographer Karyn Kelbaugh, and author, speaker, and photographer Tamara Lackey; all of whom are WordPress bloggers as well.

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You are the expert on you.

“…you are the boss of your art.” — Karyn Kelbaugh

Karyn Kelbaugh points out, “It all comes back to stopping looking elsewhere for validation, and realizing you are the boss of your art.” She advises that a critical step in overcoming impostor syndrome is realizing that what we’re really working toward is becoming the best version of ourselves. Setting realistic, measurable goals is one way of  achieving this. You can’t deny your own success if you reach a goal that is plainly measurable. Set a goal to master exposure, or shaving time off of your editing workflow, or updating your photoblog daily. If you’re an aspiring professional, set a goal of how many jobs you’d like to book in a specific period of time.

Give yourself room to breathe, but hold yourself accountable. And most importantly, give yourself credit for the wins.

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Mind your thoughts.

An interesting thing about human nature is that we are able to easily evaluate external information and stimuli, but we have to make a conscious, often uncomfortable effort to examine our own thought processes and perceptions. Especially about ourselves.

Tamara Lackey relates, “One of the best practices I ever started was simply the act of watching my thoughts come in and trying to objectively see them for what they were – usually noisy, fear-based opinions that had nothing to do with my talents, my ability or my passion for this work. I think the simple act of noticing your thoughts can make a genuine dent in your feelings of inadequacy because, over time, you start to change your own mind about yourself.”

Most photographers and other creatives would agree; we are our own worst critics, and the ability to filter feelings of inadequacy is not a skill that is easily mastered. Learning to recognize damaging and unfair thoughts from our own inner voice is the first step in quieting them.

“I think the simple act of noticing your thoughts can make a genuine dent in your feelings of inadequacy because, over time, you start to change your own mind about yourself.” -Tamara Lackey

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Preparation is key.

“I had everything in place that an impartial outsider suggested I would need. Why should my opinion, clouded by self esteem issues and doubt, be more accurate?” – Julie Rivera

Have you dotted all of your i’s and crossed all of your t’s in preparation to share your work, but you’re still feeling like an impostor?

Julie Rivera recalls a pivotal moment for herself as a professional photographer, “My opinion of myself as a self-professed “Professional Photographer” finally changed when, after several years of using that title, I read yet another Steps to Owning a Photography Business article and mentally ticked off each item. Licenses, insurance, taxes, contracts, intentional pricing, solid business practices, a proven workflow and process, and consistent photographic results for clients. I had everything in place that an impartial outsider suggested I would need. Why should my opinion, clouded by self esteem issues and doubt, be more accurate?”

If people love your art, believe them. Give yourself permission to love it too.

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“Comparison is the death of joy.” – Mark Twain

It is important to not compare our learning phase to another artist’s pinnacle.

Comparison is at the heart of impostor syndrome, and it is especially damaging to creatives that are just beginning to explore their craft. The Internet is awash with stunning portfolios of professional artists that have already mastered their technique. Karyn shared a wonderful quote by Ira Glass, about “The Gap” between a person’s ambition and the quality of their work. Initially, that gap is pretty wide. With time and hard work, the gap begins to close, and skill more closely reflects the artist’s passion.

It is important to not compare our learning phase to another artist’s pinnacle.

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You can’t be brave unless you’re afraid.

One of the things that I tell my children is that they can’t be brave unless they’re afraid. Fear gives us an opportunity to rise up and be brave in the face of it. Impostor syndrome is largely born out of fear, and we are conditioned to fear fear.

Acknowledging fear gives us an opportunity to be brave.

Acknowledging the fear gives us an opportunity to be brave. Amandalynn Jones shares, “Somewhere into my third year as a professional photographer I realized that after every shoot, I bounced back and forth between eagerness to share the images as fast as I possibly could, and the sinking fear that when I showed what I’d made to others that someone would point out the obvious; that I had no actual talent or skill to celebrate. I have since found that when I am finally able to recognize and appreciate my own accomplishments, it’s only when I stop looking at what others are thinking or producing and focus on actively believing that what I am doing is worthwhile. Because it is.”

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