Dealing with imposter syndrome

Just about every designer I have talked with has dealt with imposter syndrome at one point or another in their life. Yes, even the designers that have been in this field for years.

Imposter syndrome isn't a nice feeling. It manifests when a person doubts their skills, accomplishments and talents and has a persistent fear that they will be exposed as being a fraud. Everyone around them might see them as being skilled in their field; they may have achieved much in their career; but, the person who suffers from imposter syndrome will still feel they are "faking it" and don't deserve success.

Junior designers are sometimes surprised to hear senior designers talk about their experiences with imposter syndrome. Some of the most accomplished designers I know have shared with me this feeling of being a fraud. I deal with it, too.

When I first started designing websites way back in the day, I was overwhelmed with imposter syndrome. Unfortunately, instead of facing it head on and recognizing the feeling for what it was, I let it hold me back. Rather than seek out the advice and feedback from other designers -- which would have helped me become a better designer -- I isolated myself, fearful I would be called out as a fraud.

I felt afraid of other designers because I didn't go to design school. I was a journalist trying to make a career change. I didn't know anyone else who was trying to learn design (and development, in my case). I felt very alone. I went to conferences and met other designers who had already been practicing professionally for many years. I assumed they would judge me and think I was a poser. In my view, I was a fraud trying to break into a field where I didn't belong. So I retreated and did everything myself.

But isolation and fear don't help us grow.

It took many years before I finally realized that seeking out feedback from others was a better way to improve my skills. It's scary to put yourself out there. Once I finally did, I found a community of support and others like me who followed a super windy path.

So, why does imposter syndrome affect us so much?

According to WebMD, many people who have imposter syndrome grew up in environments where achievement was highly valued and success was linked to achievement. American culture tends to prioritizes accomplishment and a hard work ethic, so people may feel pressure to push themselves and measure their self-worth in terms of this measuring stick.

How can we overcome imposter syndrome?

I don't have a magic solution. I only know what I've done thanks to advice from my mentors. Here's what I have learned.

1. Acknowledge the feeling - It's important to learn to recognize when your feelings are imposter syndrome and give those feelings space. Even if we think imposter syndrome is holding us back, we can't move forward until we acknowledge what we're feeling.
2. Celebrate the wins - This has been the hardest task for me. When I feel fearful and "less than," I tend to dwell on what's wrong. My business coach reminds me to celebrate how far I've come. Look back on your career and give yourself credit for your successes.
3. Separate your identity from your role - I learned this from my sales coaches. Sales is hard, and if we let every rejection affect us, we'll get nowhere. That's why it's so important to separate your identity as a human from your various roles -- which could be many. We might have a bad day as a designer, friend, spouse, sister, parent. Those are are roles. But our identity is not our role. our identity is our humanity, and on a scale of 1-10 -- our identity should always be a 10.
4. Own your truth - This is what I talk about in the above video. Owning your truth means being comfortable with who you are where you are. Your journey is different from mine. Comparing yourself to me is like comparing apples to oranges. It's not the same. So don't do that to yourself.

I don't think I'll ever be rid of imposter syndrome. But it doesn't have to rule me. At this point in my life, I'm a lot better at telling imposter syndrome to sit in the backseat and let me drive. Because of that, it's not nearly as loud as it use to be. Hopefully you will be able to do the same.

Good luck on your journey.