We recently connected with Dennis McBride and have shared our conversation below.
Dennis, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we now have words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
The Least Talented
I am truly the least talented person I have ever known, and yet I can do many things quite well. I feel that as a society, we reach to talent as a way to dismiss ability and work. I have coached many people who have been told by a mentor that they should not do something because their mentor saw limitation instead of possibility.
I teach that all things are available through dedication and good work. I have never met anyone who woke up one morning and could simply do a task without any preparation. Of course, there are those who have an aptitude to accomplish a goal, and here I will assert that in order to be world class at any skill, we must put in the necessary time.
Talent or aptitude is simply the easy way to start; however, without dedication and perseverance, little is achieved.
I have heard Michael Jordon described as a talented basketball player, and I will say that this is inaccurate. As a child, his brother was a much better player than Michael, and their father showed favor to his brother. Michael wanted that favor and worked incessantly to get it. He did this by spending countless hours to become skilled at his craft. This is less about talent, and more about tenacity.
I find that when I begin to learn a new skill, I am quite terrible at it; yet through dedication and study, I get better. I can remodel a house, or write a concerto, and many things in between; and all of this is accomplished by trying. That’s it, I try.
I tell my students that it only takes 20 seconds of courage to begin any task. However, that same 20 seconds can feel like an eternity if you are under severe stress or if you are being shot at. And, if you are the one doing the shooting, it can become impossible to even try.
That is why I encourage people to try, and give them a safe place to start. Once they get through the first 20 seconds, they find that it is not nearly as impossible as they believed. I then explain that by reaching to the people around them who Love them, and through study and good work, they can develop the ability that once seemed illusive to them.
Each one of us has the same amount of uniqueness, and we must celebrate and teach the world what that means, for only I can teach the world who I am, and only you can teach the world who you are.
So teach us your dance, or paint us your picture, or sing us your song, or write us your Truth. The world will be a better place if you do.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I have been a professional musician for nearly 45 years. In July of 2022, I opened a small art gallery called Front Street Studio in Old Sacramento, CA.
Since I was 4 years old, I dreamed of a place where everyone would be accepted, regardless of their circumstance. By opening the gallery, I created a place where art, poetry, music, and comedy were celebrated. In so doing, I found remarkable Truths.
I focused on people, instead of economics, and discovered that hundreds of people were effected by our theme, “Love Matters.”
I found that by offering a safe place of acceptance, people who are traditionally not served because of their personal situations, could find acceptance and express their Truth through Freedom of Speech.
I explained that Freedom of Speech is not Free, and as such must be exercised in order to be experienced. If we don’t use it, we will lose it. I explained that if you have the guts to speak your Truth, then I have the wherewithal to listen, regardless of whether or not I agree.
In February of 2024, I was forced to close the studio; Love is free, but lights aren’t. In the 19 months that Front Street Studio functioned, hundreds of lives were affected. This statement is substantiated by reading the comments on our Instagram, @frontstreetstudio916, left by people who visited the studio, some of them only once.
An entire group of people have picked up the banner of Love Matters, and we are looking to find funding, and a new location for our dreams. In the interim, we are having local pop-up’s at parks and homes to keep the community together. We play music, create art, socialize and continue to support each other.
I can be found most days sharing my Love through music by performing on the boardwalks of Old Sacramento.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Due to my severely violent childhood, I was afforded an opportunity to grow. The dysfunction and abuse did not allow me to stay reticent in any one area for too long.
The environmental factors that would have supported my healthy development during the critical periods that most children experience for healthy mental growth were not afforded to me or my siblings. As a result, they were the catalyst to my success. I sought out that which I needed to be genuinely happy.
I have been victimized in every way, and mostly by my own traumas. The single greatest lesson I understand about victimization is, “Learn from it, or do it again.”
These seemed to be the only options I had. After years of trying and failing, I eventually discovered the human inside the imposter.
I teach that all things are possible, and the only limitations are the ones we choose. We may not be able to do it by someone else’s timeline; still, it can be achieved if we try, and are also willing to be bad at it for a while.
I have a friend who says, “Don’t let anyone should on you,” and I agree wholeheartedly.
My ability to genuinely maintain my smile is directly linked to my tenacity and determination. I knew that the insanity that was my life could not be the only option I had.
I looked to mentors and found that most insisted that my dreams could not be achieved, and others told me that I was insane for even trying. Still, there were those who encouraged me.
I change lives everyday because I simply never quit. Yes, I get down, and even depressed by my struggles. Still, I persevere.
I remember Dr. Maya Angelou saying that when she was down someone always showed up to help her. She called them her Rainbows.
I agree with what she said, for there was always a Rainbow who showed up at the right time for me, as long as I was willing to get up and see them.
I am now 55 years old and have experienced a life that some may describe as eventful. I realize that every step brought me here, and by accepting responsibility for my actions, along with the strength to challenge my own gnosis, I could heal from anything.
The single most important lesson I learned was that I could not hoard my information. The more I share my Truth with my world, the stronger I solidify it in my own life.
When we try, fail, and achieve, we find Truth. Sharing that Truth with those around us lets us heal in ways that are remarkable, even to the most cynical people.
Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?
There is a folkloric saying of, “Jack of all trades and master of none.” I have heard this used to negate me and others, or at the very least, diminish us.
The complete phrase is, “Jack of all trades and master of none is the one most likely to get the job done.” This seems to address the fact that a comprehensive knowledge of many subjects can offer insights that a singular perspective cannot.
I found that when I took the time and effort to learn even some of the most mundane abilities, I could translate them into greater works of knowledge.
Digging a ditch, walking for three days across Northern California, remodeling a friend’s house, building furniture, working on my car, playing multiple instruments, having a 3 1/2 octave vocal range, and trimming trees taught me I could accept physical labor. Writing a database, penning a concerto for a friend, writing a book, learning how to cook, learning how to socialize, and dedicating my time to read an entire library of books so that I could communicate better taught me to utilize my brain.
I have conversations with people of all walks of life. From wealthy successful people to unhoused individuals, I find ways to talk to them all. I can do this because I studied many discourse communities and am able to talk on a variety of subjects. The real key to my ability to communicate well is my ability to listen.
This may have been the hardest lesson for me to learn. Letting go of what I know and accepting the limitations of my knowledge allows me to hear the individual instead of judging them based on the content of what they’re saying.
I have found that in order to join a discourse community there is a level of accepted knowledge, or self-congratulatory wisdom, that must be adhered to for inclusion. I am often able to help someone who is “stuck” in an idea by offering an insight from a non-traditional source.
By having multiple sources of information, I can grow my own individual subjectivity and accept the limitations of my singular perspective. This allows me to participate in the conversation without the need to be right.
We are often told that the opposite of war is peace, and it is my experience that this is not accurate. Those of us who were born in war or violence have a near impossible time finding peace due to our hyper-vigilant minds.
Hours of meditation can sometimes leave a hyper-vigilant brain more stressed and frustrated. We don’t know why we can’t do as the yogi instructs, we just feel lacking. I have found that the opposite of war for me is creativity.
When I create everyday, I am able to find my peace, and that is the one thing that had remained illusive throughout most of my life until I understood that I felt better when I learned something and used that information to create.
Everything that I have tried to do required creativity, and when I took the time to learn and create, I healed and subsequently found peace.
As a side note, I have found two things that seem to be impossible for me to learn: juggling and hula-hoops. As much as I have tried to learn these skills, I have failed over and over again with both. Most everything else I have tried, I eventually got pretty good at it. With these two skills, however, I cannot develop mastery no matter how hard I try. Sometimes the answer is no, and we have to be strong enough to accept that.
I would suggest to anyone reading these words to try as many things as you can and give appropriate effort for all that you do. You are the only person to determine what appropriate means, and remember: you do not have to be a master of everything all the time. Allow yourself to learn because that is the fun of life.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @lovematters4907
