Conquering Creative Self-Doubt: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome as a Musician
Feeling like you’re not cut out for a life in music? Learn powerful strategies to overcome imposter syndrome and start finding success with newfound confidence.
by Randi Zimmerman of Symphonic Blog
Many of us work for years to become someone we’re proud of. Whether that be through our external accomplishments or internal goals, we try our best to meet a standard that society deems as “success”, especially in the music business. But what happens when we finally get there? When you’ve met your big goals and things are finally falling into place… For some of us, we’re greeted with something called Imposter Syndrome. The feeling of not being good enough no matter your successes, and that you don’t belong in the space you now find yourself in. Although untrue, it feels like a heavy weight that you occasionally push down again and again. The truth is, you’ve worked hard to get here. You do belong. No less than anyone else. You deserve all of this and more, and this post is here to help you remember that in times of doubt.
Let’s Talk About It…
Although Imposter Syndrome is not an official diagnosis or psychological condition of sorts, it still affects people all over the world at varying degrees. From the biggest artists in the game to your hometown DJs at your local bars and beyond, many of us have felt these intrusive thoughts at some point. And like intrusive thoughts, it takes practice to learn how to pull yourself out and back into the real world.
To learn how to do this, it helps to understand where these thoughts are even coming from to begin with. A big part of it comes from the pressure to be the best at everything you do, a pressure that is exceedingly normalized in the music industry. Maybe the track you’re working on isn’t coming out exactly like you imagined. Maybe you’re comparing your own journey as an artist to others’. As I’m sure you already know, us creatives tend to be harder on ourselves than anyone, and we can perceive small failures as indicative of our overall worth.
In reality, that’s simply not true. And deep down, you know this, too.
But if you’re struggling to see otherwise, here’s what you can do…
Remember, You Are Not Alone.
Many people experience Imposter Syndrome; not just you and me. Even the biggest artists in the world have noted feeling these feelings. Billie Eilish has 9 Grammy’s, and she still feels insecure about her talent some days. David Bowie even told Q Magazine, “I had enormous self-image problems and very low self-esteem, which I hid behind obsessive writing and performing… I was driven to get through life very quickly… I really felt so utterly inadequate. I thought the work was the only thing of value…” back in 1997. Even the great and legendary Maya Angelou once said, “I have written eleven books, but each time I think, uh-oh, they’re going to find out now. I’ve run a game on everybody, and they’re going to find me out.”
At the end of the day, we know how incredibly talented these people are, and yet they have also felt this same pressure that you do now.
Reflect On Your Achievements, Big AND Small
It can be difficult to accept your achievements, but physically writing them down can help you see how good you truly are doing. Try making a list of everything you’re proud of yourself for accomplishing. Whether that’s playing a good show or having a good day making music, you should be proud of the progress you’ve made and continue to make. So when you do have a day of doubting yourself, think back on all the good you’ve already done.
Reframe Negative Thinking Patterns
As a creative, you are your own worst critic. Even aside from within the artist space, the pressure our industry places on all of us is enough to make anyone question their worth. This negative thinking pattern can be hard to escape from once you start, and it can be debilitating for not only your creative flow, but your mental health as a whole. And to tell you a secret… your anxiety is lying to you.
Sometimes all you need is a new point of view. Let’s say you keep thinking down on yourself, like you can’t do anything right. Reshape that negative thought into, “Yeah I messed up, but who doesn’t?” or “That may not have gone my way, but now I know how to be better next time.” There may not be a way to fully halt your intrusive thoughts, but you can learn how to assess and reshape them into something more positive.
We did an article about this called, “How To Reframe Negative Thinking Patterns”, which breaks this down even further.
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Separate Your Negative Thoughts From Reality
We all do it. We all get lost in our heads sometimes. We dwell on the things we’ve done wrong and let those missteps sway us from trying in the future. It makes sense that our first response is typically to find a way to avoid anything that could possibly trigger ourselves to feel this way again, so we shut ourselves off from new experiences, get lost in the “what ifs”, and become hostage to self doubt. All this makes it harder and harder to differentiate between which thoughts are real and which are projected insecurities, intrusive thoughts, and negative thinking.
The key to really implementing healthier thought processes is to learn to separate the negative thoughts from reality, and move forth with the confidence to try again. The next time you have a thought that tells you you aren’t enough, take it by the horns, really assess it, and hold it separate from yourself. Is that thought really true? Of course not! Remind yourself that you are, in fact, more than enough. Take control of that thought, and push it aside. By practicing this, you can learn to keep the good stuff and cast out the bad whenever it arises.
Embrace Imperfection
Let’s face it, perfection is impossible. It’s an unattainable feat that steals the joy from what being a musician is all about. No matter how hard you try, how many hours you put in or tears you shed, things will never be “perfect”. What you can focus on though is progress over perfection. Progress doesn’t have to be linear either. Whether you’re going up, down, sideways or 10 steps backward, everything you do can be considered progress. Every “failure” teaches you things that you simply can’t learn otherwise, and the slow days are just as important as the wild ones. Learn to embrace that every day isn’t going to be butterflies and rainbows, and that’s okay. Sometimes, even the bad days are good days in disguise.
Surround Yourself With Supportive People
This one is no big secret, but the people you surround yourself with can directly impact your mental health. It’s just a fact of life. If the people around you are hyper-critical, negative, and self-doubting, that will rub off on you big time. If you surround yourself with other creatives who create a space of acceptance and openness for you, you can easily seek out their support and feel less pressure to keep everything bottled up in fear of judgement.
If you don’t currently love the community around you, change it! Join online communities of like-minded people. Go to events where you know good people will be. Reach out to other artists on social media and build relationships with them. The best part of this industry is the sense of community we all share. Nobody does this thing alone, and there are people out there with the same struggles and worries as you who are also looking for support.
Let Go Of Comparison
As they say… comparison is the thief of joy. Your journey is not meant to match that of anyone else. Your challenges, your wins, everything that makes you unique is just that, unique to you. By shifting your perspective away from comparing yourself to others, you can combat those feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt and refocus on the positive. Instead of fixating on others’ successes, invest your energy into your own growth and creative endeavors. Learn to practice self-compassion. Treat yourself with kindness and recognize that everyone experiences their own doubts and insecurities.
The only thing you can control in this life is you. You decide whether or not to make a change, to grow out of old habits, refocus on the future, and be mindful of the things you need in order to move forward with confidence. In times of doubt, remind yourself that you have proven your worth time and time again. You have created great things, written great music, expressed your unique self to the best of your ability, and that is more enough.
As always, you got this.
