Belonging
What do you call a fake noodle?
...
An impasta!
Imposter syndrome: A psychological condition characterized by persistent doubt concerning one's abilities or accomplishments accompanied by the fear of being exposed as a fraud despite evidence of one's ongoing success.
As a book editor and business owner, I spend at least a small portion (though usually much more than that) of my day struggling to convince myself I'm not a total fraud.
That undergraduate degree? Pfffffft, no, I got that during COVID. That was a joke.
That MBA? Pffffffft, that curriculum is so outdated. Anybody could have done it.
Those editing certificate courses? Pffffffffft, I still have to look things up in the Chicago Manual of Style.
Years of technical editing experience? Pfffffffft, the Army doesn't count.
WHY DO I DO THIS TO MYSELF?
Why is it so hard to believe that I might have actually earned something? Why do I have to keep convincing myself that I'm smart? Why am I having to talk myself into promoting myself as a professional?
Imposter syndrome is seriously debilitating, and I know for a fact it's not just me struggling with it.
I see it from writers all the time.
"I'm not published, so I'm not really a writer."
"I only write on my blog, so I'm not really a writer."
"I don't make money doing it, so I'm not really a writer."
"I only write fanfiction, so I'm not really a writer."
The only thing you need to do to call yourself a writer is write.
That's it.
You don't need to share your writing with anybody else.
You don't need to be published.
You don't need to make money.
You don't need to write nonfiction.
You don't need to write novels.
You don't need to do anything but write.
If you write, you're a writer.
In general, the writing community tends to be very accepting, welcoming, and understanding. If you write, you're a part of it.
And you're exactly where you're supposed to be.
We put so much pressure on ourselves to meet criteria that simply doesn't exist. We live in a society that constantly bombards us with ideas of what success looks like, and we're led to believe that if we haven't achieved these arbitrary markers, then we've somehow fallen short.
We need to be kinder to ourselves. Let's stop comparing our journeys to those of others and start celebrating our own unique paths. We need to embrace the fact that we're all human and we'll never be done learning or growing—and that's okay! We're never going to reach a point where we know everything and we're 100% comfortable. We need to remember that imposter syndrome is not based in reality. We are not frauds; we are capable, talented individuals who are worthy of success and recognition. We're allowed to believe in ourselves. We're allowed to promote ourselves. We don't always have to be humble.
So the next time imposter syndrome starts to whisper in your ear, remember that you are not alone. You belong to a vast community of writers who all struggle with feelings of doubt. We are not defined by our fears but by our persistence, resilience, and passion. That, my friend, is the true measure of success.
So keep writing, keep creating, and start believing in yourself.
You've got this.