14 min listen
You're an Imposter and That's Okay—Here's Why
You're an Imposter and That's Okay—Here's Why
ratings:
Length:
15 minutes
Released:
Dec 7, 2016
Format:
Podcast episode
Description
Self-doubt used to be my best friend.
Hell, it still is as I continue to become more vulnerable and push my creative career forward.
Seriously, I feel like an imposter every day.
Why should someone take me seriously and why should someone care?
The imposter in me feeds me these objections:
You work a day job and am not a proven self-sufficient artist
You have student loan debt and no financial freedom
You don’t have prolific, big name clients*
It's really hard to not let this type of thinking bring me down. Yet at the same time, I realize that none of these things matter if I keep doing what I know and enjoy the most.
This episode is dedicated to showing you that you are not the only one facing an inner struggle each day.
I want to convince you that you are an imposter and that’s okay—it means you’re going in the right direction.
My Current Struggle
I’ll be honest; I’ve been in a brand identity crisis since about last year once I got heavy into blogging. Just when I think I have things figured out I begin doubting it all the next day.
One of my biggest struggles is how to position myself to the creative community and how to offer my services.
On one hand, I’m an artist / freelancer and my work is what got me any attention in the first place.
On the other hand, I feel I can serve a bigger purpose than just creating art—that’s where the blogging, speaking and podcasting manifested from.
With art, I’m extremely confident in my abilities compared to the boy years back who was terrified to share his work with anyone.
Confidence continues to build especially since taking up freelance again. I’m getting great clients who pay great because they know they are working with a specialist.
I'm a specialist because only I can do what I do best—it took a long time to realize this. Although people can and do rip my style and work, no one else can replicate the message and context I inject into it.
This applies to you too!
I’m good with this part of my brand. When I’m creating, I’m in the moment and feel the most alive. It’s truly the only time I’m not dwelling on the past or laser focused on what’s next in the future.
However, the doubt creeps in with the ‘influencer’ side of my brand for lack of better terms. By influencer, I’m essentially saying I am using different channels like writing and speaking instead of just art to encourage creatives.
I don’t understand why but I’ve been convinced I had to separate these two identities within my business.
I ask myself:
Can Perspective-Collective really house the artist / freelancer along with this influencer role?
Can I have an umbrella job titles that combines these both?
I realize I’m extremely over thinking things but this is a real pain point for me.
Practically every piece of creative motivational content I’ve produced since pursuing this path has made me cringe when I hit publish.
There is this element of feeling fake for many reasons:
I’ve lacked clarity on how to communicate what it is I do outside of art.
I’ve been filtering myself for the longest time trying not to offend people.
I’ve felt corny and hella cheesy with the majority of my messaging because I couldn’t be my true self.
These are just a few reasons.
I know I am more than art, but I don’t know how to communicate this.
I’ve been called a coach, influencer, consultant and mentor several occasions so I thought this is the route I needed to go.
I should probably use my audiences' language right?
I tried giving myself the title of “Creative Coach” or “Creative Mentor” and I died a little bit inside every time I called myself it publicly.
It just doesn’t feel right.
Sadly, since I have been speaking more at conferences, I’m terrified of my idols thinking I’m a corny piece of shit.
I don’t want to care what they think but damn, I really do care.
The imposter within me tears me apart day-by-day as I feel I’m proclaiming I’m something I’m not.
It screams, “Scotty, you’re a 28-year-old artist who has a day job. Why the hell should a
Hell, it still is as I continue to become more vulnerable and push my creative career forward.
Seriously, I feel like an imposter every day.
Why should someone take me seriously and why should someone care?
The imposter in me feeds me these objections:
You work a day job and am not a proven self-sufficient artist
You have student loan debt and no financial freedom
You don’t have prolific, big name clients*
It's really hard to not let this type of thinking bring me down. Yet at the same time, I realize that none of these things matter if I keep doing what I know and enjoy the most.
This episode is dedicated to showing you that you are not the only one facing an inner struggle each day.
I want to convince you that you are an imposter and that’s okay—it means you’re going in the right direction.
My Current Struggle
I’ll be honest; I’ve been in a brand identity crisis since about last year once I got heavy into blogging. Just when I think I have things figured out I begin doubting it all the next day.
One of my biggest struggles is how to position myself to the creative community and how to offer my services.
On one hand, I’m an artist / freelancer and my work is what got me any attention in the first place.
On the other hand, I feel I can serve a bigger purpose than just creating art—that’s where the blogging, speaking and podcasting manifested from.
With art, I’m extremely confident in my abilities compared to the boy years back who was terrified to share his work with anyone.
Confidence continues to build especially since taking up freelance again. I’m getting great clients who pay great because they know they are working with a specialist.
I'm a specialist because only I can do what I do best—it took a long time to realize this. Although people can and do rip my style and work, no one else can replicate the message and context I inject into it.
This applies to you too!
I’m good with this part of my brand. When I’m creating, I’m in the moment and feel the most alive. It’s truly the only time I’m not dwelling on the past or laser focused on what’s next in the future.
However, the doubt creeps in with the ‘influencer’ side of my brand for lack of better terms. By influencer, I’m essentially saying I am using different channels like writing and speaking instead of just art to encourage creatives.
I don’t understand why but I’ve been convinced I had to separate these two identities within my business.
I ask myself:
Can Perspective-Collective really house the artist / freelancer along with this influencer role?
Can I have an umbrella job titles that combines these both?
I realize I’m extremely over thinking things but this is a real pain point for me.
Practically every piece of creative motivational content I’ve produced since pursuing this path has made me cringe when I hit publish.
There is this element of feeling fake for many reasons:
I’ve lacked clarity on how to communicate what it is I do outside of art.
I’ve been filtering myself for the longest time trying not to offend people.
I’ve felt corny and hella cheesy with the majority of my messaging because I couldn’t be my true self.
These are just a few reasons.
I know I am more than art, but I don’t know how to communicate this.
I’ve been called a coach, influencer, consultant and mentor several occasions so I thought this is the route I needed to go.
I should probably use my audiences' language right?
I tried giving myself the title of “Creative Coach” or “Creative Mentor” and I died a little bit inside every time I called myself it publicly.
It just doesn’t feel right.
Sadly, since I have been speaking more at conferences, I’m terrified of my idols thinking I’m a corny piece of shit.
I don’t want to care what they think but damn, I really do care.
The imposter within me tears me apart day-by-day as I feel I’m proclaiming I’m something I’m not.
It screams, “Scotty, you’re a 28-year-old artist who has a day job. Why the hell should a
Released:
Dec 7, 2016
Format:
Podcast episode
Titles in the series (100)
3 Ways to Kill the Pressure & Stop Projecting Defeat: ## A Defeated Mindset Makes It Hard to Start Or Stick With It Do you deal with projecting defeat and tell yourself: - _I want to make money from my talents but don’t know where to start?_ - _I don’t know what I’m doing, why start when I won't get anywhere?_ We all want to be successful but this foreshadowed failure can stop you from even starting or sticking with it. How can you silence that inner critic and pick a road to start down? Honestly, I think the majority of us creative have no idea where we are headed—me especially. Each year, the road seems to drastically change but the hardest thing I ever did was to start. The second hardest thing I’ve done is stick with it. **With a defeated mindset, it makes it hard for things to ever change and evolve if you don’t take the first step and begin in a blind direction.** I think when you’ve made up your mind that you have to be successful and make money off by Side Hustler's Perspective with Coach Scotty Russell