Meet Douglas Weissman

We recently connected with Douglas Weissman and have shared our conversation below.

Douglas, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

I get hit by imposter syndrome all the time. It has nothing to do with how much I’ve been in a particular sector, who I’m talking to, or what project I’m working on. It’s generally present. The best way for me to overcome imposter syndrome time and time again is to remind myself I am providing others with my experience. I am not (as in, I am not the person) positioning myself as the expert, necessarily. I am only giving my experience to others in the field to help explain or explore new ideas.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

It’s fun to say that my day job is travel writing but at the moment my biggest projects are the novels I am working on. I recently published Girl in the Ashes, a novel about a serial killer in Occupied Paris during World War II. It’s odd to say writing about a serial killer was fun but there were elements of the story that pushed my boundaries of human understanding, human willingness, and the ways I could use an image to my advantage.

Now that Girl in the Ashes is available on platforms like Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and Bookshop.org., as well as in bookstores around the US, I am moving forward with another writing project my four-year-old daughter inspired. It’s about a rainbow farmer.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

The three most important qualities or skills that impacted my journey were—and remain:

1. Tenacity
2. Curiosity
3. Gratitude

Tenacity is hugely important because there are always roadblocks, time-sucks, or distractions that can pull you away from writing. People tell you no. People say the writing isn’t good or the story isn’t there. There are rejections, ghosting, lack of direction, moments of little—to no pay, etc. But understanding your real goal and pushing toward it, no matter the obstacle, is the only way to get it done.

My curiosity is a thing that endlessly feeds me and fuels me. It takes me down rabbit holes that inspire new stories, connect me with people who have incredible stories, or explore concepts I may not realize will pay off in the long run. I have read books, visited countries, worked odd jobs, all so I could learn more about something that grabbed my curiosity. It’s worked out for me.

Gratitude, I feel, is one of the only ways to succeed. It’s about acknowledging those who have helped you along the way, those who have encouraged you along the way, and those how are willing to take a moment out of their day to provide a stepping stone, whether it helps them or not. Gratitude is awareness of what others do for you, and making sure they know that you notice.

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?

The hardest part for me is when I feel overwhelmed. I know what I should do in those moments. convincing myself, It’s difficult when I have so many projects due, or so many meetings in a day, or I’m juggling too many things at once and I don’t know how I will get them all done. But in those moments the best thing to do is to walk way, Not forever—for 30 minutes or one hour. I go for a walk, listen to nature or a podcast or a book. I take my dog with me. In those moments away, I don’t check my phone or emails. I give myself space from the things that are overwhelming me. When I come back to my desk, I can see things more clearly.

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