With imposter syndrome, every win feels like you’ve tricked someone, and every loss feels like you’ve finally been found out. In both scenarios, you’re a fraud.

A few ways I've found to help combat imposter syndrome (thread):

1. First of all, realize that if you have imposter syndrome, it means you care — a lot. This is a good thing. And probably better than the alternative of ignorant blind confidence. Imposter syndrome isn’t all bad— it indicates you have a lot of passion and drive for what you do.

2. Remember that no one knows what they’re doing all the time. It might look like they do, but that’s an illusion. There will always be a learning curve, and you often have to learn as you go. Preparedness can be key, but sometimes you just have to wing it.

3. People of color, women, minorities disproportionately feel imposter syndrome. This is natural — there are less role models in the field to look up to. If you feel other in a group, you’ll feel like you don’t belong. (continued)

Regardless of who you are, find yourself a mentor. Someone who has slightly evolved feelings about their self worth and work. They might deal with imposter syndrome in a different way now than they did then. In the same vein, be that encouraging voice for someone else.

4. Remind yourself of your accomplishments: achievements, goals realized, awards, and hurdles overcome. You’ve probably been successful more times than you realize. These weren’t flukes — you actually earned them.

5. Expect to fail. To succeed at everything you try, to get no negative notes, to never be criticized or given feedback is an impossibility, full stop. Humans make mistakes. You wouldn’t hold someone you love to an impossible standard (I hope), so why treat yourself that way?

6. Know that your feelings are not facts. Your interpretation of an event is much different than the facts of the event itself. If you feel like a fraud, it doesn’t mean that you are one.

7. Realize that most people have imposter syndrome on some level. It’s a normal feeling that infects most creatives and beyond, we just don’t talk about it much. So talk about it, normalize it, and realize how fucking awesome you are.