How a creative controls imposter syndrome

Episode 11 December 14, 2021 00:12:34
How a creative controls imposter syndrome
Design, in confidence
How a creative controls imposter syndrome

Dec 14 2021 | 00:12:34

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Show Notes

Have you ever felt like an imposter? 
Sometimes, despite the evidence, I feel my value is really little.
I fear that people will find out about it too and remove the trust they gave me.

Fortunately, I discovered imposter syndrome, realising that this feeling was common.
It is shared by innovators, creatives, designers and many many others. 
Even more when leaders and managers reinforce others' imposter syndrome by being exclusive. 

Listen to find out what I learned, and I'm learning, how mindfulness and design help me be aware and in control of imposter syndrome. 

 

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SHOWNOTES

https://stefano-studio.medium.com/fc3ff33ed960

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Track: Summer
Music composed and recorded by Oak Studios
Creative Commons - Attribution ND 4.0

https://youtu.be/UpRPzujTa7w

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 0 00:00:00 Welcome to design in confidence posted by me. I'm a critical speaker and facilitator in this episode, I will share with you why I skipped a week before posting this episode. That because I felt imposter syndrome. And in this episode, I will share with you how I mindfully designed how to be aware and in control of it. So what is imposter syndrome? Imposter syndrome is when, despite the evidence you think you're not worth of something. So you're afraid that people will find out that you're no worthwhile. Fortunately, there are a lot of people talking about this now, mostly in innovation where they're going against the mentality, fake it until you make it. But this happens many times. And there are psychologists that look into why you might end up feeling this because of your background or your life. I'm not going to talk more about it from a psychological point of view because mine personal syndrome, firstly, makes me realize that I'm not the right person, but in the show notes, you're going to find links to resources that you might find useful. Speaker 0 00:01:11 What I can share with you is my point of view, as a personal feels this, and also some mindful designer. And I can tell you how labeling it helped me to be mindfully aware and in control of it. Sometime I can hear a voice in my head, peak inhibition verus usefully. I don't think you can design and be creative liberally in this voice in my head helps me do give shapes to it. And now I know it looks like Antonio, the critic from Ratatouille, which weirdly looks like my philosophy teacher from high school, but this is another topic. Anyway, these and go in summer hair makes me feel like a fraud. He makes me diminish good feedback. I received makes me think that people hire me because I hit my defects and mixing me still today. Question whether I should share an episode and this has consequences. I ended up on the selling myself many times, and I think that my ideas are not worth sharing. And despite this Antonio go in my head and making this episode. So if you feel the same, you might account signing off of me, sharing how I deal with my imposter syndrome. Speaker 0 00:02:38 Let's bring some mindful awareness into this and understand the problem as Emmy Tracy. You're not your own thoughts, just the observer of your thoughts. Sorry. I'm going to ask myself what does it for me, my decision that I am an imposter, and I can see that partially is bias because I fear that I'm not enough, but that's also normal. Creativity means exploring unknowns and design means making assumptions. So if you are a creative and you are a designer, which I think you are, it's normal to feel a bit like an imposter, your willingness to learn by discovering unknowns and validating. Assumptions is part of the process is normal. That you feel like that you are making it up as you go, which is different from faking it until you make it. You just you're making it too while you're making it, which is different. It's not being fake. Speaker 0 00:03:45 The other thing I think is informing my decision is that they expect too much from myself. Remember what I said before is despite the evidence, I think I'm not worthwhile. And then because I have three bad attitudes about evidence first, I don't celebrate often my accomplishments too, on the value of positive feedback, three, I focus on the negatives. These are things I'm trying to work more and more in my life and improve every day. Something for example, I try to do is my analysis of negative evidence. For example, still today, when I find out that something went wrong, when a project I can hear Mr. Ed go in my head that says you are not a good designer. I make sure that I also listen to Gusto the chef. just made a mistake, making a mistake. Doesn't mean being a wrong as a whore. It just a mistake. Speaker 0 00:04:49 And it's actually an opportunity to learn how to be better. Sometimes I wouldn't expect too much from myself because I raised the bar and that, because I did accomplish a few things in my life before, and they feel that they raised the bar in a way that I'm not gonna match that again. That's okay. Other part is going to be different. And other times I feel other people raise the bar. And that happens though, because I made comparison and I have a specific episode about it that you can check about comparisons. So I'm not going to talk more about it here mostly because sometimes I feel that my input is not welcome and that was happened even more when I was a junior, because I felt I was too junior. So nobody cared about it. I understand that that's a privilege I have though. They're one of the few instances where they came out in my life because I am a white male imposter syndrome happens even more to those that are discriminated excluded. But again, I fairly feel like an imposter to talk more about it. I suggest to check the resources are shared in the notes. And one of them is brunette brown dare to lead the episode about it. Stick around. If you find interest in how I'm mindfully aware of Memphis to syndrome, if you want to learn how I mindfully design, how to be in control of my bustle syndrome. Speaker 0 00:06:15 One of the moments of my career when I felt the most like an impostor was when I was a UX teacher, it was also the first time I felt I was in control of my emphasis syndrome. And then, because I was aware, it was informed by the fact that it was the first time I was teaching. So it's normal that they didn't feel very confidence. I was doing that while doing my first UX job. So as I said that except a bit of imposter syndrome, because there was a new experience. And because I wasn't an expert, but also committed to not be more of an impostor by teaching only my known knowns clarifying when, assuming at a meeting, when I didn't know to me and to my students, instead of making imposter syndrome, undermine my confidence. I use it as a catalyst for learning more while I'm was impacting and moving forward by owning my minimum viable confidence, you are on a journey. Look ahead and celebrate what you've achieved in your figure steps. I mentioned these many times, like in the portfolio episode, bone, your minimum viable confidence by impacting with what you can control, use your imposter syndrome to design your confidence. When creativity exploring unknowns by learning, testing things, and most of all, by asking help to others and collaborating with them. Speaker 0 00:07:56 And since I mentioned others, let's look more about imposter syndrome and other people Speaker 0 00:08:06 Be mindful of how your confidence might have effects on others. Imposter syndrome. My suggestion is that you have to be mindful of whether you are a faking it or you're being honest about it. Recently, I was told by someone that they look relaxed and I had everything under control and that made them feel that they misses something I had to clarify. Did I didn't, I try to be as transparent as possible with those I work with or every night I don't have under control. And if it looks different from that, it's not because I have everything under control, but because I do have under control the feeling or not having everything under control, that helps me feel confident when exploring, trying new things, collaborate and delegate. Speaker 0 00:08:58 Delegating is something that I'm learning how to do. Now. I don't find it easy. It's part of what I'm learning this phase of my career, which is how to accept that I can't directly do everything. I'm learning how to trust others. I'm learning how to focus on how delegation gives me more time and focus to control what I have to do more. I'm also learning how to focus on how the ligating means. Having more things under control as a team embracing when people have different mindset and backgrounds from mine, because they end up controlling things. I will not have even been aware of it. That's the type of inclusive leadership. I try to learn how to do, because if you lead a team and you don't accept that you lack of control, you end up micromanaging. The ultimate way to micromanage is exclusively leadership. If you're not inclusive with those different from you and force those similar to you to become exactly like you, you can scale what you have control of, but these not only for them to feel like in posters, because they pretend to be like you, but also stops them from being themselves, being different from you and have under control things that you're not even aware of. Speaker 0 00:10:22 They will be aware of those unknowns that are actually a tease in your own imposter syndrome. So it's inclusive. Leadership is actually creates a vicious circle where everyone feels like an impostor. Speaker 0 00:10:41 And if you don't have a team to lead, build one, surround yourself with a strong, diverse team of people that are going to balance negative feedback that you get in your life with positive feedback, surround yourself with people that encourage you. And when I do that, I do have, um, Antone ago in my head, the says, well, ditch eating. And my answer is well having in your life, only people that undermine your confidence is not fair or better as Gusto the chef from Rasta two, he says, you must not let anyone define your limits because of where you come from. The only limit is your soul. And I hope this podcast is one of the encouraging voices of your life, but at least a funny one because died sometime make weird voices. But if you don't find these only funny, remember that you can reach out to me every time, go to design and confidence.com. Speaker 0 00:11:43 And then you can see how to contact me both to find the links to relevant resources and people and inspiring for this. And I remind you that took here does not represent any of my affordable or current employees, but in some episode, it is a very Lisa thank you. And if you find these aspiring, please leave a review and share this podcast. Tell people why you think this podcast help your creative confidence become sound as a safe space to talk about these topics and to find support in building their credit confidence. Because if you got this far, I'm sure you're a great listener, which are thank you for, and now it's time for me to shut up so that you can listen to your own thoughts. After this episode, I remember to thank yourself for the time you spent to learn and grow.

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