We were lucky to catch up with Djuana Ross recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Djuana, 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.
Truthfully, I began battling imposter syndrome in simply answering this question. The key to overcoming this is to know who you are in that moment. Truth and proper perspective are EVERYTHING when it comes to imposter syndrome! What I have to constantly remind myself is that I am unique. There is no other Djuana Monique! I cannot be more than what I am especially when I am consciously being authentic and seeking to walk in my God-given identity at every moment. I may not be perfect in everything that I attempt to do or try to be, but my efforts are not in vain, and they matter. This sort of pep talk is essential in restoring my perspective of my worthiness to be who I am. I am not an imposter, and neither are you!
I have worked in the arts for the majority of my life, and it is devastatingly easy to fall into the trap of imposter syndrome. Comparison truly is the thief of joy! My nearly 40-year journey of actively engaging in the arts has been full of hills, valleys, unchartered territories, and crowded highways. There have been times when I would enter a brand-new field as a coordinator, administrator, director, educator, or performer, and completely feel inadequate. I would not acknowledge the fact that the client, school, or company had already vetted my qualifications before making a choice to hire me. My perspective would sometimes get skewed whenever I would compare myself to another.
I would describe myself as a realistically humble person and I believe that humility is a great quality one should have. It is fair for me to humbly admit that there are several others far above my abilities in my particular fields of the arts. My admiration and respect of these individuals is well-deserved and are simply based on truth. Nevertheless, this humility helped exacerbate my moments of imposter syndrome at times. I would literally lose sight of the truth of my own abilities, and it would be bad. The imposter syndrome would snowball into “life amnesia”.
Life amnesia is an occurrence when I would forget about actual events and seasons of success in my life. For example, my past careers, works, community contributions, performances, years of teaching, and the like. It was a thing, and it would be ridiculous, honestly! It still amazes that I would forget my own resume’. I don’t think I would not have been able to overcome imposter syndrome if I didn’t have the proof that I am actually somebody. I have found myself shaking my head in disbelief at the letters, awards, documentations, pictures, videos, audio files, scrapbooks, yearbooks, media articles, and human witnesses to many of my artistic feats. Ridding myself of Life Amnesia has been essential in overcoming imposter syndrome.
My husband helped me see this clearly one day. He said that what I actually have is high expectations and standards as a humble person. I respect and have a desire to grow and become better in whatever the focus. That is great, but it should not cause me to engage in life amnesia and forget who I am or question whether I am good enough. I have learned that I MUST keep a proper perspective about my identity and my skills/abilities.
Actively remembering where I come from, where I’ve been, and who I am today brings truth that I cannot dispute. It is all about having a proper perspective grounded in truth. I am the ONLY Djuana Monique Ross there is and there ever will be. God made me and He didn’t make me a copy of someone else! How can I be an imposter when I am already me?
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I work as a piano and voice instructor at a music studio in my area. In addition, I am working to relaunch my own musicians’ mastery organization which will include a community choir by end of 2025.
I am currently rebranding and gearing up for a new season of my podcast to be released summer of 2025. It is called Tru Testimonies Podcast. I will share encouragement and life testimonies of my own and others that will be interviewed. Older seasons can be heard on my website at this time.
I am also preparing to release a new e-book titled, “Champion Behavior: 5 Successful Steps Toward Achieving Results Today” later this summer as well.
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?
I believe that the three qualities that helped me the most in overcoming imposter syndrome are: reflection, resilience, and reading.
Reflection is a necessary quality, particularly self-reflection. Cultivating the ability to analyze yourself in a healthy, truthful fashion is good for the soul and brings tons of clarity. You can see who you really are when you spend purposeful time reflecting on what is happening, what has happened, what tends to happen, and what you want to happen. Upon reflection, you gather tools that help you focus on what you can control. Reflection in truth should be a key habit that everyone should have.
Resilience has been very impactful on my journey. Imposter syndrome is not always easy to overcome. It often finds its way back into your life when you least expect it. When it does, resilience is a quality that I relied upon to help me pull through the tough temptations of giving in to imposter syndrome.
Reading empowering books that help shape your perspective and feed you positively is highly recommended. Non-fiction books that help with personal growth and development are my favorite along with the Holy Bible. The testimonies, research, discoveries, and stories of others’ helps you to realize that you are not alone. Reading gives you insight that you may not have had before and can equip you to keep imposter syndrome away for good.
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, I have purposefully taken stock of my life from every angle. It has been so challenging! I like thinking that I am a pretty together person. I have been this way since I was a young child. Well, I faced a lot of fears and took a couple of big leaps of faith.
My biggest area of growth has been focusing on me instead of trying to help everyone else with their everything. It is safe to say that I have a big heart, and I like to help “fix” things. This lovely characteristic has been a hindrance to me overcoming and fixing some of my own things. Focusing on me has primarily been about taking one step at a time and not overwhelming myself. In addition, I mind my own business and set clear boundaries to allow others to live their own lives. I do not have to fix anyone because God didn’t call me to do that and 99% of the time neither did the people I call myself trying to help or “fix”.
This growth has been so liberating! It gave me the courage to start a new creative venture, expand my career by joining a different music school, and even get a haircut.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.trutalentproductions.com
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MoZart1920
- Other: https://www.MissBJB.com
Image Credits
Photos of me with instruments were taken by Musicologie staff
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
