A Guide to Beat Up The Impostor Syndrome

Hey everyone!

Today, I wanted to write about a problem many of us face and how we can address it in a few steps. Let's divide this article into problem and solution sections.

THE PROBLEM

My approach to problem solving involves breaking down the issue into its most basic, undeniable facts, which I call "fundamental truths." These are the core realities that hold true no matter what. At the same time, I aim to identify and eliminate any "assumptions" I might have. Assumptions are beliefs or ideas I take for granted without concrete evidence. By focusing on fundamental truths and removing assumptions, I can tackle the problem more effectively.

Fundamental Truths of Impostor Syndrome:

1. Skill Underestimation: People with impostor syndrome systematically undervalue their own competencies and achievements.
2. Fear of Exposure: The core belief is that one's 'fraudulence' will eventually be discovered, leading to shame, embarrassment, or loss of reputation.
3. Over/Under Attribution to External Factors: Successes are often attributed to luck, timing, or the effort of others, rather than one's own ability.
4. Dependency on External Validation: There is often a reliance on external markers of success (e.g., awards, praise) to temporarily alleviate feelings of inadequacy, but these are not enough to eliminate the underlying syndrome.

Popular Assumptions of Impostor Syndrome:

1. Success Equals Competence: The assumption here is that every successful person must inherently be competent and deserving, so if you doubt your competence, you must not deserve your success.
2. Perfectionism: Another assumption is that any mistake or shortcoming is a reflection of your inadequacy, rather than a natural part of the learning process or something that everyone experiences.
3. Infallibility of Others: People with impostor syndrome often assume that their peers do not experience doubt or mistakes, adding to their own sense of isolation and inadequacy.
4. External Validation is Unreliable: While consciously sought after, external praise is often internally discredited under the assumption that others are just "being nice" or don't have the full picture of your abilities.
5. High Achievement Erases Doubt: The assumption that reaching certain milestones will eliminate feelings of impostorism, though often these feelings persist or even intensify after achievements.

In conclusion, the components of the Impostor Syndrome problem are Skill Underestimation, Fear of Exposure, Over/Under Attribution to External Factors, and Dependency on External Validation. These are the issues we need to address; anything else is just assumptions.

THE SOLUTION

Now that we have a clearer idea of what Impostor Syndrome actually is, we can address each fundamental truth based on its function. Our goal is to remove subjective measures and move toward simple facts that help us see things as clearly as possible. We can do this by asking key questions.

Skill Underestimation
As an artist, what are your skills for? 

This is a complex question since artists work in different fields. But in simple terms, skills are there 'to make an understandable interpretation of the real world using artistic techniques.' I think this is a fair and straightforward definition based on its most common function. 

So, in my opinion, underestimating skills is only valid when you can't represent your idea effectively. In other words, as long as you can present an idea and someone else can understand it, you're already addressing this subject.

You might not yet feel comfortable with the way you create, but the truth is, on a personal level, skill underestimation is useful as a self-awareness tool for improvement. What you need to avoid is the irrational decision to stop based on feelings of frustration, among others. The solution is to improve, not to stop. If you can't bear the size of the challenge, make the challenge as small as you can and move one small step at a time.

Fear of Exposure
What's the worst thing to be exposed for?

We have this natural fear of public humiliation, and I think it's based on survival instincts. For instance, in our past, being publicly shamed badly enough might have made you unable to reproduce, potentially leading to your death. It's a matter of species self-preservation, you know (I'm assuming). But now, in my opinion, the worst-case scenario in which you can be exposed is for doing something illegal or mean for no reason. Simple solution: don't do illegal stuff and don't be mean for no reason.

So if you're worrying about something that doesn't involve any of those cases, understand this: "people mostly care about themselves". They might give you some attention from time to time, but aside from that, they don't have a checklist of the things you do or don't do. They might keep track if the things you do hurt them, but aside from that, what others think about you is not even a true representation of who you are. No one knows you better than yourself, and you are constantly changing.

Over Attribution to External Factors
Is the end result truly balanced?

Success is a combination of different components, many of them you can control and many you cant', be critical about where the weith of work is and how that among of work affects the end result. For instance let's set three simple cases:

• Case of Over Attribution to External Factors: "I didn't get the job because my studio doesn't like me." In this case, you're attributing your failure entirely to an external factor, ignoring your own role. Maybe you didn't perform well in your job, or perhaps you didn't prepare adequately for the opportunity.
• Case of Under Attribution to External Factors: "I didn't get the job solely because I'm not skilled enough." Here, you're ignoring external factors that could have influenced the decision, like studio needs or timing, and placing all the blame on yourself.
• Case of Fair Attribution to External Factors: "I didn't get the job; some of it could be due to the studio preferences, but I also recognize that I could improve my portfolio in specific areas." In this balanced view, you acknowledge both your role and the external factors, giving you actionable insights for future opportunities.

A good rule of thumb to find a fair balance between responsibility and external factors is the "50/50 Approach." Simply ask yourself: "What percentage of this outcome can I reasonably attribute to my own actions or lack of action?" If it's less than 50%, you may be over-attributing to external factors. If it's more than 50%, you might be taking on too much personal blame. Aim for a balanced perspective that considers both sides equally. This approach helps you focus on what you can control while acknowledging what you can't, fostering a healthier outlook on success and failure.

Dependency on External Validation
What is your goal?

We are social creatures, and the consequences of external validation, like a good reputation, can be useful in problem solving. 

The issue arises when you can't separate who you are from the 'persona' others think you are. People don't really know you; they build a version of you in their minds that doesn't fully represent you. Their opinions are based on that little avatar of you. You can't consider these perceptions as fundamental aspects of yourself. There may be some truth behind those avatars, but they don't fully shape you as an individual and consequently don't show your full potential. You're more than what others think you are, and there's a high probability that you're more than you think you are too.

External validation as a form of motivation is also very useful, but it must be balanced with a different goal, and here's why (story time):

When I started sharing art on social media, I got motivated by getting likes and comments, like a game. This pushed me to try something different every day and get that juicy attention to fill up the empty hole in my chest. But my motivation AND goal were the same: just validation with no meaning whatsoever, empty. This can only take you so far.

The solution was to aim for a job (a bigger goal), so I could solve tougher problems with money. Another bigger goal was improving my art. By viewing the self-improvement process as a road, I realized that those popular art posts that felt like a 'win' and those unpopular posts like a 'failure' were nothing but small steps bringing me closer to my goal of becoming a skilled artist. This doesn't mean that you won't care about external validation; it means that the emotional dependency will be less strong.

For instance, imagine every piece of art you create/share as a 'brick.' You'll share each new brick you build with the world, but the 'praise,' 'awards,' or 'criticism' are just small moments in time. Because every new brick you build gets you closer to building your 'house', where you can stop worrying about paying rent to other people. Focus on the bigger picture and use validation as one of many other tools.

Conclusion
You cannot solve what you can't see or understand. Critical thinking and the pursuit of truth will help improve your vision. I hope this article, although long, helps you address this common issue so you can focus on bigger problems!

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