Learning from one another is what BoldJourney is all about. Below, we’ve shared stories and insights from phenomenal artists, creatives and entrepreneurs who’ve successfully managed to overcome imposter syndrome.
Olivia Reeves
Imposter syndrome is one of those annoying things that pop up, almost like gnats or ants in your house. It doesn’t matter what time a year it is or how clean your house is, they will find a way to come in. Sometimes the rain will bring in the ants to search for a new home. Just because they might be searching for a “new home” that doesn’t mean you should allow them to stay. Just like any ‘bug’ (aka negative thought) you can kill it. Read more>>
Jonathan Bain
Damn, now this is a question I struggle with on and off, especially with the monster that is social media! As a creative, imposter syndrome is always lurking somewhere in my mind. It’s not easy to ignore. I’m always looking for creative inspiration, whether it be from other Directors, painters, books, or magazines; you can’t turn around without finding some inspiration. But that same inspiration can allow me to get deep in thought of “Why doesn’t my work look like that?” or “Why don’t I get booked the same as these people over here?” Read more>>
Sarah Landauer
I struggled a lot with imposter syndrome getting into the independent comics scene, mostly because I didn’t grow up reading comic books. Ask me about in-depth Marvel or DC lore outside of movies and I’m completely lost. I did casually read some manga here and there starting in middle school, but comics in general were largely outside of my particular brand of nerdiness. Read more>>
Erick & Roland Funes|
I have always been a firm believer of “fake it till you make it”. Any time you start something new its going to feel uncomfortable & daunting. Most fields you go into their will be people with greater knowledge, experience, education, talent etc., so when competing you may feel like an impostor; like you really don’t belong. However, everyone and every company has something that is unique to them. Faking it till you make it helps you get experience in the field while also realizing what you have that is unique to you. Read more>>
Nicolette (Nikki) Mullins
Imposter syndrome is something that I had to face early on in my career. In my life, I have been used to being viewed as the underdog-someone who was not expected to take the lead and dropped jaws whenever I did. Rather than feeling proud of my accomplishments, I oftentimes felt they were clouded with irony. Read more>>
Ashley Berthoumieux
Imposter syndrome is only as real as you believe it. The real imposter is the self-limiting belief that you are not qualified or wise enough to carry out a job or responsibility that you’ve trained extensively for. I try to remind myself of this every time I think I need another certification or professional degree to give nutrition advice for a specific medical condition. Read more>>
Jenna Sloan
When we first started Mahoney Moments, I definitely felt imposter syndrome, because I wondered who would trust me with such an important day when I had very little experience. I know after planning my wedding that this was something I was good at and passionate about. Luckily, people took a chance on us and I was able to overcome imposter syndrome with each wedding we planned and each positive review we received. Read more>>
Came Moreno
With meditation and working harder every day, I began to focus all my energy and creation on my work and, above all, improve every day. Read more>>
Brian Hall
I learned a ton about how the artists, musicians, and writers I most admire were received by critics and audiences of their time. It turns out that they get ignored and criticized just as much as anyone else … which to me says that being ignored or criticized doesn’t actually reflect on the quality of your work. Which means it’s best to ignore that stuff. Which I (usually) remember to do. Read more>>
Nicole Juntura
I’m not sure I’ll ever really overcome imposter syndrome, but I’ve come to terms with it. I’ve witnessed many forms of creativity up close and seen countless examples of people who were “in charge” and “supposed to know what they’re doing” but really had no clue like the rest of us and persisted anyway. Social media doesn’t tend to show the sweaty side of things and we all put filters on the reality of what we’re doing or how it makes us feel. Read more>>
Alexandra Villasante
I didn’t. I’m not sure Imposter syndrome is something you overcome, once and for all. Imposter Syndrome comes from inside and outside; my inner critic tells me I don’t belong out of fear that I’ll be rejected. Outside voices and institutions tell me I don’t belong because I’m a woman, the daughter of immigrants, queer, or any number of other nonsense reasons. Read more>>
Stacey Laricchia
When thinking about the big picture of who I am, I swear there should be stamps all over me. Like a high end designer logo, except my logo says something along the lines of “hot mess” or “fraud”. I learned at a very young age that how you present yourself will determine how others see you, how they view you. My mother, a Southern Belle from Texas moved to the East Coast after high school and immediately dyed her curly orange hair black and worked with a speech therapist to lose her southern accent. “Nothing says slow like a ginger with a drawl”. Read more>>
Ynana Rose
Imposter syndrome is like a voice inside our heads that only focuses on our faults. It’s an imbalanced perspective that points us away from our authentic selves. It is entirely rooted in fear. I always wanted to be a singer, a songwriter, a musician. It is one of my callings. I had crippling stage fright, instruments don’t come easily to me, & my left brain is very strong…& I believed that these things meant that I couldn’t become a creative person. Read more>>
Brian Raudenbush
For me, imposter syndrome was something that crept up on me like a thunderstorm that comes on a sunny day. When I first realized I was feeling it, I was so deep into the feelings I didn’t know how to get rid of them. Let me set the scene…I was just given the sole designer role at a startup that found me through my posts on Instagram. This role came with more responsibility than I was ever given before in my career and I was overcome with feelings that I wouldn’t be able to deliver what they expected. Read more>>
Leanne Jamison
First, I believe overcoming imposter syndrome is an ongoing process each time I uplevel. There are always new rooms to enter into and new doors to open with new opportunities to learn. When each door is opened, there is a new crowd in there that knows more than I do. I love learning and embracing new opportunities, and with each comes just a smidge of imposter syndrome…at least until I gain my footing and become more comfortable. Read more>>
Christine Weimer
I’m unsure if imposter syndrome is a thing that I will ever fully overcome. I think I’ll get better at managing it over time, but I believe it’ll always be with me. I’ve learned over the years that it’s unproductive for me to try and fight against the things that trigger fear, doubt, and perfectionism in me. I’m much better off working with those emotions, sort of allowing them to have a seat at the table. I think those voices need to and deserve to be heard. Read more>>
Aliya Foster
Something that has really helped me overcome a lot of my imposter syndrome is getting rid of the idea that views, or lack thereof, correlate to an artist’s experience or worthiness. When I changed my mindset and began seeing other creators’ work as inspiration and motivation, that is when I started to really get rid of my imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is something a lot of artists, creators, and business owners experience and struggle with. I haven’t completely gotten rid of it and I don’t think it will ever be completely gone. Read more>>
Rev. Dr. Elizabeth Rios
Navigating the challenges of imposter syndrome as a woman of color in a dominant culture that often undermines our worth requires constant intentionality and self-affirmation. For me, overcoming imposter syndrome involves several key strategies that I practice daily. Read more>>
Jalisa Buck
Honestly, I don’t think imposter syndrome is something you ever completely overcome. Every time you level up, it sneaks back in. For me, it’s just part of the journey. I’m always striving for better, so I’ve learned to accept it as normal. When it shows up, here’s what I do: 1. Acknowledge It: Instead of fighting the feeling, I accept it. This makes it easier to manage. Read more>>
Rachel Martin
Overcoming imposter syndrome has been a journey rather than a single event for me. When I first started my career in advertising in New York City, I often felt like I had to prove myself constantly. Moving on to senior roles and eventually founding Mindful & Good, those feelings didn’t just vanish. However, a few key strategies helped me manage and eventually overcome them. Read more>>
Brianne Costa
Overcoming imposter syndrome can be a challenging journey, but it’s definitely possible with the right mindset and strategies. Personally, I have found that acknowledging my feelings of self-doubt and recognizing that they are just that – feelings – has been a crucial first step. Instead of trying to push these thoughts away, I’ve learned to accept them and then challenge them. Read more>>
Kinsey Williams
I genuinely believe that imposter syndrome is something we never fully overcome. As a wedding photographer, it serves as a powerful motivator for me. It pushes me to continually seek out new knowledge, explore innovative techniques, and draw inspiration from other creative minds. Read more>>
Ransom Roberts
Imposter Syndrome equals Ego Dissolution and Self Love. [best form of self love – HONESTY]. I had to be honest with myself and reflect on all the moments that I ever felt that energy show up. Ego Dissolution involves looking at your shadow (subconscious) and what inner child is showing up and needs to be acknowledged. Once acknowledge, you do the work to alchemize that emotion, that cord, that mindset, the perspective. You integrate and move authentically. Read more>>
Josh Welles
The more work I got, the more I realized that no one knows what they’re doing. Everyone is just looking to the most confident person to lead the way – even if that person is wrong. I started to do things the way I wanted to do them and all of a sudden I gained a little success. Read more>>
Francesca Petruccelli
good ol imposture syndrome. if you are a creative and you haven’t experienced this to date, then heaven bless you because this is just all too familiar for me. With that said, I would say that I haven’t quite overcome imposture syndrome. Being in the world of social media it’s almost impossible to avoid and to not compare yourself to others in the world, let alone the industry….and as a photographer, my mind is always changing its creative direction. Read more>>
Abi Linhardt
I discovered imposter syndrome while pursuing my MA in rhetoric and writing at the University of Findlay in northern Ohio. I had been a writer for some time by that point and had even written a handful of books, poems, short stories, and lots of essays. For some reason during my younger years, I never questioned my worth or the quality of my writing. Perhaps that was the hubris of a young, dreaming writer. What a time that was! Read more>>
Deb McConnell
Imposter syndrome is a very real issue and setback for so many artists, including myself. The need to prove my worth as a creative gnawed at my psyche almost my entire life. It limited my ability to perform at peak creativity, apply for residencies, art exhibitions, grants and art competitions. All that has changed in the past few years. I’ve arrived. Arriving is not something that just happens one day. It’s a slow process with many twists and turns along the way. Read more>>
Jake Leckie
For many years I struggled with the fact that many of my colleagues went through a rigorous formal music education, earning degrees in performance, and having some measure of success at a young age. My path was not so straight-forward. I did not really know I wanted to be a bass player until I was out of grad school. Music has always been a big part of my life – I started piano lessons in first grade, and played in bands all through elementary and high school. Read more>>
Alyssa Larson
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As I started teaching pasta workshops and putting my recipes out on social media I definitely had some imposter syndrome. How could someone like me with no formal cooking training be creating and sharing recipes and also teaching others how to do it? One way that helped me was to have an actual workshop with my close friends first. I taught them all how to make pasta at my house and got their feedback, and every one of them had a great time and learned a new skill! Read more>>
Erika Cervantes
Imposter syndrome has hit me so many times whether it was doubting myself or thinking I’m not as good enough.
I think some of the ways I have learned to overcome imposter syndrome is to stop and remember that I have worked hard to get where I am and to truly believe in myself. I think it also helps sometimes to lean on others for encouragement on the days that I don’t feel I have any myself. Read more>>
Emma Evans
Dealing with imposter syndrome is an ongoing thing for me. I remind myself often that I’ve put in the hard work to become a certified wine expert, and that most people—probably around 98%—know less about wine than I do! Read more>>
Brandon Stearns
It’s kind of tricky actually. I’m not sure I’ve fully overcame imposter syndrome but rather it’s something I continue to work on. What really makes it difficult is the saturation of content I see on my social media feeds throughout the day. Seeing everyone else make really cool films, music videos, etc. made me doubt myself a lot! I think what’s most important when addressing it, was simply talking with my friends about it. Read more>>
Fernanda Ibarra de Lopez
As a small business owner and artist, I’ve learned that dealing with imposter syndrome is more of a journey than a final goal. Even with a clear understanding of my achievements and skills, I still encounter moments of self-doubt. I’ve come to see these moments as a natural and valuable part of the creative process. By embracing these feelings with self-reflection and resilience, I find they play a vital role in my growth and creativity. Read more>>
Alina Avila
When I first started photography in 2019, I had major imposter syndrome. I was self-taught and doubted if I had what it took to be a photographer. A few years ago, I was listening to a podcast where the founder of a successful company admitted to still struggling with imposter syndrome and that is when it clicked…we ALL doubt our worthiness. Imposter syndrome is a lie rooted in doubt and fear. Read more>>
Israel McCullough
I overcame imposter syndrome by first normalizing and acknowledging how I felt about imposter syndrome. I had a talk with a trusted friend about my struggles, and I was surprised to learn that I was not the only one that felt this way, that I aren’t competent enough or don’t fit in a certain group with others. I also had to reflect on my achievements based on my hard work and dedication. Read more>>
