Imposter Syndrome
Trusting the inner creative
September 2026
Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.
~ Andy Warhol
All creatives know the moment when what they hoped would be their masterpiece looks more like a disasterpiece. While in the midst of making a painting, novel, or song, anxiety rises when the pieces don't come together as envisioned.
Drafts are just that —unfinished and in need of polish. Completing a work in progress takes grit, perseverance, and confidence. Sylvia Plath knew this all too well when she said, "The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt."
Phrases like It's not good enough, This work is uninspired and derivative, It seems amateurish, or Why waste so much time on something no one will care about? have likely been uttered by even the most famous at one point in time.
Fear of failure can certainly paralyze. Salvador Dalí agreed when he quipped, "Have no fear of perfection, you'll never reach it." Procrastination turns out to be a formable foe when self-doubt settles deep.
Imposter syndrome can cripple motivation as well, when it feels like one is only "pretending" to be an author, artist, musician, and the like. What's the measure of success anyway? Vincent Van Gogh's paintings, indeed, garnered minimal recognition in his lifetime and Antonio Vivaldi's baroque music faded into obscurity for more than a century after he died.
Knowledge is power, as they say. Understanding that many have walked that road of self-doubt and kept going provides hope for those following behind. Other strategies can help, too.
For instance, set attainable expectations. An initial attempt likely won't be ready for publication, so practice and revisions should be part of the plan for a manuscript. Oversights and blunders, furthermore, are typical. Bob Ross captures a way to shift that mindset from failure to opportunity with, "We don't make mistakes, just happy little accidents."
Finding a support network or sage guide provides a crucial safety net that can gently forge and encourage. Maya Angelou, for example, served as mentor to Oprah Winfrey, providing empowerment and inspiration. A writing critique group can do the same for aspiring authors.
In the end, dance or write or sing or draw like no one is watching. "If you hear a voice within you say 'you cannot paint,' then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced." Wise words from Vincent van Gogh.