How To Deal With Imposter Syndrome As a Young Designer

Published with Inside Design in 2019

Imposter syndrome seems to be a trendy term I see these days and it’s something that I go back and forth in-between, especially when I encounter new situations. I feel paralyzed but have been counteracting it with excitement and a sense of purpose and intention for every action I take (this has worked wonders for me and you should try it too). In my words, I see imposter syndrome as a dark stream of smoke that comes out of your belly button when you are attempting to overcome your fear (for anyone who watches Adventure Time, you know what I am talking about). It tells you that you can’t do something because you aren’t good enough, and that you won’t ever be able to do something because you simply can’t.

From Abigail Abhrams article, the reason why we may experience imposter syndrome is that experts believe it has to do with personality traits — like anxiety or neuroticism — while others focus on family or behavioral causes, Ervin explains. Sometimes childhood memories, such as feeling that your grades were never good enough for your parents or that your siblings outshone you in certain areas, can leave a lasting impact. “People often internalize these ideas: that in order to be loved or be lovable, ‘I need to achieve,’” says Ervin. “It becomes a self-perpetuating cycle.”

I’ll be providing a more personal take on this and my tips on how I approach it. It’s not just specific to design, but is applicable to other areas of life.

You aren’t going to get over feeling like an imposter right away. Take small steps.

The above statement may sound bleak, but have you ever thought to yourself that by age x, things will change? I felt like by the time I graduated college, I would be a better presenter than I once was, but there are times where I feel like I haven’t improved at all! Not true at all.

I don’t ask myself if I am an imposter or not everyday, but this can manifest into other forms such as form of setting unrealistic goals for myself, over exceed everything I do to the point of exhaustion, or having the constant feeling that I am not good enough. I can also feel terrible after an event that even though it was…