We were lucky to catch up with Sharifa F recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Sharifa, thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.
I’ve dealt with impostor syndrome on two major occasions in my life: when I first started teaching after graduate school and when I decided to become a gaming content creator. Both times, it was scary. There was a feeling that none of this would work out in my favor and that I would be exposed for not having the skills and abilities that I said that I had.
However, on the flip side, I’m also ridiculously optimistic, and have and weirdly innate belief that if I focus all my attention on something intensely at the beginning, I will eventually get the hang of it, figure out the patterns, and go from impostor to somewhat of an experienced person. So for a long period, I neglected everything else to focus so intently on what I wanted to be. It certainly wasn’t the healthiest approach, but it was my only way of ensuring I could accomplish my goal.
When it came to becoming a gaming content creator, I started strictly on YouTube. I did deep research on how to start creating content, what starter equipment I needed, and how to edit a decent video. After that, I started reaching out to other creators in an effort to build a community. I tried to do that in the most genuine way, because as a newbie in content creation, reaching out to other streamers can be seen as pushy and opportunistic, and that’s not what I wanted at all.
After a while of reaching out, making content, and never straying from my path, I did build a community and was able to meet some amazing streamers who are now lifelong friends. It’s a journey I’m still going through, and I’m not in the exact place I would like to be with streaming, but man, the experiences and people I’ve met along the way have made it all worth it.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
As I am traversing through my creative career of content creation and gaming, I see myself making shifts and going for new projects that I find fulfilling and fruitful.
As of right now, I’m focusing on my art career. I have loved making art since I was a child, and would often make stories and comics just based on my own imagination. My brother Jeremy was one of the first people to foster my imagination and my love for creating. We used to play with our stuffed animals, dolls, and action figures as kids, and make a variety of pretend shows that we created completely on our own. We even had a name for our network that the shows were on, called Kids Day: we were pretty innovative. Even now, my imagination runs wild, and I have so many ideas and stories that I would love to make into a real novel or comic.
In the summer, I’m excited to be launching an online art store called Gamma’s Goods. It will be a funny little shop where I sell original and fan art of all the favorite nostalgic media that I consumed growing up. I’m a girl who likes anime, games, music, shows, and movies from the Y2K era and the 2010s. So many more from past eras, and I know someone who is like me will find it all relatable (and hopefully cute!). It’s all very new, and I even opened up the Instagram page @GammasGoods to start displaying my art, with my first post going live May 24th!
I’m also very excited to be going to Dreamcon this year at the end of May, and meeting some awesome content creators, cosplayers, and like-minded individuals in general who enjoy all things nerdy.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
In hindsight, I think the three qualities that were most impactful on my journey would be patience, consistency, and a love for what you do. Content creation/ being a creative is not for the weak, especially as a newcomer. It’s discouraging to see something you put hard work into get no views or appreciation. Always having to figure out how you can make things better can make you feel like all you’re doing is failing. I think with patience, consistency, and a love for your goals, it will push you forward and allow you to continue, even when your hard work is not being reflected in numbers.
People who come into it strictly for the money and/or fame tend to give up on creative careers because there is no other motivating factor to help them continue. Instead, focus on improving the quality and consistency of your creative work and become addicted to bettering what you do, even without an audience.
All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?
My biggest obstacle is my own brain. I get distracted very easily, and focusing on a task for a long period of time is hard for me because of my inability to sit and do a long, boring task. Some people have told me those are symptoms of ADHD or something of the like, and I agree that that may be exactly what it is. Getting myself diagnosed is something I am also currently pursuing to see if I can get my focus in check.
However, even if that turns out to be the case, there have been many content creators with ADD/ADHD who are successful and have many techniques and medications that help them with their attention and focus.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://gammasgoods.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewizgamma/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheWizGamma
- Other: https://www.twitch.tv/thewizgamma
Image Credits
Two of the Photos are at Comic Co. One where I cosplayed as Chun-Li and one where I met Freddy from Five Nights at Freddy’s.
One of the photos is a community night with the other streamers that I met along my journey.
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
