Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Will Miller. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Will, 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 can’t say I’ve overcome imposter syndrome. I’ve wondered if certain milestones will fix it, like getting a big sale, hitting a certain number of followers, being accepted into an “important” gallery, etc. But I’m not sure it will ever fully disappear. Imposter syndrome feels more like something you learn to manage as you go. Like instead of taking care of your inner child, you are calming down your angst and self-doubt filled inner teenager.
When imposter syndrome starts creeping up I keep working. I remind myself that feelings of confidence and insecurity come in waves– “I feel rough right now but I’ll feel better next week, tomorrow, or in an hour”. Taking breaks from Instagram is a huge help too, just give myself some breathing room from comparing myself to others.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I’m Will (she/her/hers), I’m 28, and I live in St. Louis, Missouri. Outside of my full-time job as a social worker I am a visual artist. I started painting when I was around 16. I went to the Kansas City Art Institute, but a couple years in I joined the art-school-dropout club. After moving back to St. Louis I switched paths and pursued social work, but painting stayed with me the whole time. It’s developed from being a sporadic hobby to being a consistent obsession.
I work primarily in oils, using traditional techniques to paint modern subject matter. Lately I’ve been really into depicting graphic or illustrative elements in my paintings—graffiti, printed clothing, tattoos, signage– because it makes the piece feel grounded in a specific time and place. Right now I’m prepping for my first solo show in February 2026. I’ll share updates on Instagram (@fedora_mentality), and I just launched my website: willmillerpaints.com.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Developing a creative practice is essential. Getting into the headspace to create is a skill in itself, and it takes consistent practice. Building a routine has allowed me to make steady progress, deepen my understanding of myself as an artist, and approach each project with more ease. It’s made the entire process of creating more rewarding and genuinely more enjoyable.
I was taught to approach a painting by starting with general shapes and building detail layer by layer. Don’t get hyperfixated on one small section before the rest is ready. Working from macro to micro is efficient and makes a piece feel much less daunting. I think this mindset can be applied to any project or task– Just start, don’t stress about perfection, respect the process, and work out the kinks as you go.
Don’t force meaning onto your art. In my short time enrolled in art school, I felt huge pressure to make everything really “deep” and conceptual. When I tried to mimic others, my work felt rigid and artificial (and ultimately I did not enjoy creating it). Everyone’s approach to making art is different. Your work is allowed to exist as it wants. Just making art and enjoying the process is enough.
What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?
2025 has been a pivotal year and I’m proud of how much I have pushed myself. Getting into a steady rhythm with my creative practice (on top of working full-time) has taken trial and error. For me, it has meant waking up before sunrise to paint for a few hours before my 9–5, blocking out whole weekends to finish pieces, and actually sticking to the deadlines I set for myself.
I also see growth in how I present my work. Putting yourself out there (wherever “there” is) as an artist is really vulnerable. In the last year I was featured in a gallery for the first time, launched my website, and really started to put time and care into my social media posts.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.willmillerpaints.com
- Instagram: @fedora_mentality
Image Credits
Max Bouvatte photography
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