We were lucky to catch up with Alexander Flynn recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alexander, 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 know how 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 short answer is that I didn’t. No matter the level of self-confidence I achieve, there will always be those thoughts of comparing myself and my works to others. It’s human nature, at least for creatives. But I’ve learned two important things to help alleviate those thoughts.
The first is to remind myself that all of the best creators in various fields; writing, music, art, etc — they all started in the same place I did. The beginning. None of the most celebrated creators throughout history started with the abilities that they are praised for.
The second thing, to put it bluntly, is to not be afraid to suck. To be brave enough to fail is not only essential for alleviating imposter syndrome, but it is also necessary to be a creator in any field. I embrace that neither I nor the things I create are ever going to be perfect and recognize that perfection itself is a lie.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
My primary focus is in photography and I love it because of how doing it influences the way that I view the world around me. It helps me to appreciate all of the moments that I have the distinct pleasure experience, both with and without a camera in hand.
While I’ve reached a decent number of goals and have had some noteworthy achievements this year in the realm of photography, I’ve recently found success in the field of creative writing and would like to highlight that experience.
Earlier this year I came across an anthology contest being run by Cloaked Press, an indie publisher based in Cleveland OH. I wrote and submitted a short story for this contest and ended up being one of the featured authors in the 2025 Edition of Cloaked Press’s horror anthology, Nightmare Fuel.
Officially becoming a published author was a huge win for me and it gave me a great boost of motivation and inspiration to continue to pursue any and all creative endeavors that I set my mind to. I even started a “Brush-It List.” Like a bucket list, but for things I want to make.
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?
The first and most important quality was the rediscovery of the passion I held as a child. Those small embers that first sparked my creativity before the world told me to “get my head out of the clouds.”
I never quite understood the notion that the passion and pure unashamed excitement of a child should be recognized as something we shouldn’t strive for as adults. I would strongly argue opposite — that a childlike passion is fundamental to any creative field.
The second most impactful quality I have found is, as I mentioned earlier, being brave enough to fail. Some of the most important things you will ever do in life, creative or otherwise, are on the other side of fear.
Third, but certainly not least, I have found that it is absolutely necessary to try new things. It doesn’t really matter if you’re good at them or not. Exploring other creative fields outside of your comfort zone will fuel your creativity and inspire you to do more with your chosen specialty if you have one.
Lastly, my advice to those who have chosen to pursue their creativity is to not take the easy way out. Creativity thrives on difficulty. Offering yourself reasonably achievable challenges will raise you to heights that you don’t believe yourself to be capable of.
Nurture your own skills and your own imagination and you will find versions of yourself that you didn’t know existed.
Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?
In the past 12 months my biggest area of growth has been learning to push beyond the boundaries of my insecurities and doubts and finishing creative projects that I’ve started.
In the past, I would look at something I was making and if I didn’t like it I would just think that it’s not good and that would be the end of it. I wouldn’t do much to try and improve because honestly I was stuck thinking I couldn’t.
The creator I am today stands upon the graves of countless projects that never got finished because I convinced myself that I couldn’t do it or that the project wasn’t good enough, but I really think I’ve done a better job this year of challenging myself and making a real effort to better both myself and my crafts.
I’ve got my eyes on bigger and better things over the horizon, and it starts with being kind to myself and allowing myself the room to try and potentially fail at something because in the end, the only way I’ll ever grow is by failing a few times along the way.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weirdlystandard
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@weirdlystandard
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/bookish_flynn
Image Credits
Alexander Flynn.
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