In Which She Muses about Imposter Syndrome...

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

 Unrelated sunset post for Facebook thumbnail

Tonight I took part in an online chat for an online artistic community that I kind of follow.  I had difficulties getting my computer to talk to Zoom for some reason and I was a couple of minutes late...and kind of quickly got asked to share about my current wins/struggles/ inspiration/ etc.  Didn't really have time to come up with something eloquent, so I just went with my gut and confessed to dealing with imposter syndrome...like, I am here hanging out with creatives to try and convince myself that I really am one.

Now, I do have some objective evidence that at least a few people appreciate my creativity, but I always kinda brush it off as 'yeah, well they're friends/ family so it doesn't really count' (Hi, Mom...).  A number of my closest friends/ family are NOT fans of my creative efforts, so that kinda cancels it out, right?  I mean, folks in the online community I was chatting with have artwork in shows, are published authors/ songwriters/ have actually gotten formal education in their area of talent and I'm...just out here winging it.  And often getting shot down.  Which makes me think, hey, maybe what I'm creating just really isn't that good.  I mean, it's a possibility, right?

But when I confessed to Imposter Syndrome tonight, the chat moderator offered his thoughts... remember, we are accepted in the beloved. It's not about how my art/ creativity compares to any one else, or even if it gets a big audience.  It may just hit one person and inspire them in some way, and ...that's worth it.

And suddenly I remembered a moment at a women's conference back in 2008...the very conference that gave me the impetus to start this blog, now that I think about it...at which Wellington Boone himself gave me a prophetic word, with the central theme that I was 'Accepted in the Beloved'.  I hadn't thought about that moment in a long, long time.

There are some challenges coming in the next couple of months...I'll talk about them when I have to...but it's good to remember that whether or not the end product gets published or performed or even recognized, it's still creativity, it's still my voice...and we all know from reading Dr Seuss that even the tiniest 'Yop' makes a difference, right?.

So...for anyone who happens to stumble on this post who may be struggling with creativity or whatever is in your heart, and you are starting to think that you don't measure up...just remember, if it's your way of sharing what God stirs in you, it's not fake or cheap or bad.  He hears; He sees; He smiles.  

Because you, too, are Accepted in the Beloved.  Whether you have any kind of audience or not.  

You are not an Imposter.  Just a different sort of The Real Thing.