We recently connected with Amber Staedtler and have shared our conversation below.
Amber, 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.
Good old imposter syndrome. I first heard the term about 8 years ago. A light bulb went off. It was like finding a definition for so many of my struggles. Why I never felt good enough despite the genuine success I had achieved. Why I always gave credit to luck or coincidence instead of my own hard work. Why I could see the beauty in the achievements of others but never in myself.
How did I overcome it?
I have always had a career in the arts. A field that is very competitive and often cut throat. I was designing and pumping out work like a machine. I found zero joy in it anymore. I needed a change.
Around the same time I found myself going through a divorce and it turned my world upside down. This was when I decided to start creating art for myself again. I had to break a lot of the rules I used to follow. I had to accept failures in order to move forward.
These are the ways that I break free from imposter syndrome:
1.Allowing myself to share my successes no matter how small or large. Just a few years ago I finally started sharing my art on social media. Until then I felt it braggadocious to share my accomplishments online, or anywhere for that matter.
2.Focusing on the facts: Yes, this was my idea. Yes, I created this. And guess what, there are actually some people out there who appreciate it.
3.Own it: own my wins and my losses.
4.Allowing space for failures. My failures have taught me more than most of my successes.
5. Allowing myself to ask for help. I used to think that I was only able to claim my accomplishments if I did them from start to finish on my own. No advice, no mentorship, no one else’s help. Now I am constantly asking for feedback and opinions. When I don’t know how to do something I allow myself to ask for help.
6. Stop comparing myself to others. They say comparison is the thief of joy. It absolutely is. It kept me back from a lot of opportunities. It’s hard sometimes with the pressure of social media but I just move at my own pace.
7.Making sure that I show my appreciation to others, especially my fellow artists. I know a lot of us struggle with imposter syndrome so encouraging them helps us both.
8. Embracing my own personal struggles. I’m a single mom who struggles with mental and physical health issues. I have a chronically ill child who requires a lot of my time and attention. So many things in my life are beyond my control. So f it… I’m going to do what I love while I can and not worry what other people think. I know who I am and what I’m capable of.
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?
Im an artist, a designer, an educator and a single mom to 14 year old twins. I am usually trying to juggle all four at the same time. Not always as successfully as I’d like but that’s okay.
I consider myself an abstract, intuitive, expressionist artist inspired by the female existence. I use form, color and movement to express the love, loss and pain of my journey as a woman, mother, friend and lover. Every piece I create captures a moment of my time, of my poetry and my story. All fleeting: often never to be seen or heard from again.
When I’m not in the studio painting, I work as an educator in elementary emotional support… while continuing my 17 year journey as a designer in fashion, marketing and book publishing.
The most exciting part of my artistic career is that it is always migrating and transforming, just like me. It’s how I navigate through all the stresses in my life. I get to tell my stories and share them with the world. My children are watching me do something I love and take chances. They’ve seen me come out of the dark and become such a better version of myself. That might be the best part of all.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
When it comes to art, skill can often be learned. Creativity is something quite different. The ability to have both is powerful.
With Reslilence, self awareness and gratitude you can really go far. These are in life as well as in art.
Resilience: You will fail, you will hear critism. You can not let it get the best of you. Comparing yourself to others or seeing your collegues as competition will only isolate you.
Self Awareness: Embracing your uniqueness. Know your strengths and your short comings,
Gratitude: Focus on what you are able to do. Be thankful. Stop looking for the things you lack. Kick your ego to the curb. Confidence is important but arrogance is ugly.
Food for thought but one of the most important things I was told my first week of art school was that being an artist meant a committment to a different type of lifestyle. Truer words have never been said.
How would you spend the next decade if you somehow knew that it was your last?
Currently I am facing challenges as a mother. My daughter has significant health problems which means I sometimes have to stop creating. She will always be my number one but it can be hard to keep my artistic momentum.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.amberstetler.com
- Instagram: amber_stetler
- Facebook: Sketchbook: Artwork by Amber Staedtler
- Linkedin: Amber Stetler
Image Credits
I took all of my photos.
Model in photo with clutch; Morgan Rowland
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
