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Crafty Tuesday Imposter Syndrome
Oct. 23rd, 2018 11:32 amImposter Syndrome is defined as “the idea that you’ve only succeeded due to luck, and not because of your talent or qualifications”.
Psychologists Pauline Rose Clance and Suzanne Imes first identified imposter Syndrome in 1978. It was originally considered to mainly as a problem for women especially within the work force in jobs that were predominantly male dominated.
Since then the definition has expanded to add men to the list of people who deal with it.
Or as I call it “that little voice in my head that tells me that I am not worthy of the acclaim I am receiving and someday they will figure out you are a fraud.”
I have to say I have heard that voice less and less as I have gotten older.
I didn’t consider myself an artist until an artist that I respected informed me that the puppets I build are each a work of art even if it is a recreation because I am transforming it into puppet form. My dolls are works of art not just me being crafty.
Another artist got me to see that I will always see the flaws in what I make where others see the project as a whole and don’t know what the flaws are. I know I could do better each time I finish a puppet up but there comes a point that I have to step back and let the puppet stand on its own.
I am much more comfortable to put my puppets out there for others to see than I was 30 years ago.
I have also gotten better over the years. The more I do, the better my craft becomes.
I have been told that I need to believe in myself, which is not easy to do at times. But slowly I realize that I do believe in what I can do. I take on projects that I would have balked at even 10 years ago.
I learned not to compare my work to others work. There are always going to be people who are just going to be better than me and I feel proud that I taught a couple of them how to build puppets. I love teaching people how I do what I do because then there are more people experimenting with puppetry that keeps the art form alive.
I now feel comfortable calling myself an artist but it took some doing to get my brain there.
Do not belittle what you can do.
You have skills that you use to create each and every day.
And when that voice whispers in your ear, tell it to shut up because you do know what you are doing.
I believe in you.
I am grateful for opportunities to teach puppetry.
Psychologists Pauline Rose Clance and Suzanne Imes first identified imposter Syndrome in 1978. It was originally considered to mainly as a problem for women especially within the work force in jobs that were predominantly male dominated.
Since then the definition has expanded to add men to the list of people who deal with it.
Or as I call it “that little voice in my head that tells me that I am not worthy of the acclaim I am receiving and someday they will figure out you are a fraud.”
I have to say I have heard that voice less and less as I have gotten older.
I didn’t consider myself an artist until an artist that I respected informed me that the puppets I build are each a work of art even if it is a recreation because I am transforming it into puppet form. My dolls are works of art not just me being crafty.
Another artist got me to see that I will always see the flaws in what I make where others see the project as a whole and don’t know what the flaws are. I know I could do better each time I finish a puppet up but there comes a point that I have to step back and let the puppet stand on its own.
I am much more comfortable to put my puppets out there for others to see than I was 30 years ago.
I have also gotten better over the years. The more I do, the better my craft becomes.
I have been told that I need to believe in myself, which is not easy to do at times. But slowly I realize that I do believe in what I can do. I take on projects that I would have balked at even 10 years ago.
I learned not to compare my work to others work. There are always going to be people who are just going to be better than me and I feel proud that I taught a couple of them how to build puppets. I love teaching people how I do what I do because then there are more people experimenting with puppetry that keeps the art form alive.
I now feel comfortable calling myself an artist but it took some doing to get my brain there.
Do not belittle what you can do.
You have skills that you use to create each and every day.
And when that voice whispers in your ear, tell it to shut up because you do know what you are doing.
I believe in you.
I am grateful for opportunities to teach puppetry.
