00:08
Catherine
Hello there. My name is Catherine and I'm 23 years old, working as a full time freelancer in the media and entertainment industry. And welcome to the How I Diaries podcast. I'm here to debunk all of your fears and doubts surrounding the topic of freelancing and more importantly, get you on your way to a happy and stress free lifestyle doing creative passion that you love.
00:28
So if you find yourself stuck at a job that you hate, wondering how to get your dream started. You've heard of freelancing before, but you're skeptical about what it entails. I'm sharing everything I wish I knew earlier and the tips and tricks I gain every day from my own freelance work. Today we are talking about imposter syndrome and how to overcome it, because most of the time this is the biggest obstacle people have to face when you are deciding whether or not to pursue your creative dreams, for starters.
00:54
In case you're not exactly sure what imposter syndrome is, Google States Imposter Syndrome is the persistent inability to believe that one's success is deserved or has been legitimately achieved as a result of one's own effort or skills. So I'm sure you may not relate to that. Do you find yourself ever questioning your worth and your skills? I know I have.
01:16
I think it's a part of human nature in a way, and it's especially interesting as creative individuals, since, to be completely honest, we are constantly struggling our whole life to get other people to believe in our creative skill set. We are often so shoved aside as hobbies or brainless work or just, you know, extracurricular activities and overall unsophisticated careers, whether it be from parents, teachers, or even just as a society.
01:41
The arts have always struggled to fight for equal respect among all the other career paths there are. So it makes sense why we are so hesitant when we get to a point where we want to take the leap of faith, let alone to add the whole freelancing, working for yourself thing to the mix, which is a whole other layer in itself for imposter syndrome to flourish, but only if you let it.
02:00
So I am lucky enough to have always had supportive parents. Then, unless I want this episode to get you to take the leap of faith and the only person you really need to get on board is yourself and know what the rest will follow. But you can't start something and not fully believe in yourself, you know. Sorry for the cheese factor warning for the remainder of this episode.
02:19
Oops. You know, you got to do what you got to do. But first off, you have to find out what makes you tick. You're at a stalemate with that part of the journey. I have another episode called How to Design Your Life, and that kind of gives a bunch of exercises you can do with yourself to figure it all out.
02:34
It's based off this book that I am reading. A.The link is in the show notes. Anyway, if you're here now, you're at the particular part of your journey where you've thought about trying to make a living out of it, or at least at a point where you are wanting to make money off it in some way, shape or form, or even just in general wanting to share your creativity with the world.
02:52
So what is it exactly that scares you, and what is it that makes you question yourself? I can guarantee you the answer for most of you has to do with other people and their opinions on what you're wanting to do and you know, with the Internet nowadays, we have a lot more to be mindful of and, you know, just overall presence on social media, etc., which is a good thing and a bad thing.
03:13
Good. Because it adds an extra layer of authenticity and thoughtfulness to, you know, what we're putting out into the world. But bad because we are like constantly living in this state of fear that people are going to hate you or embarrass you, call you out, you know, in some way. And overall, judge what you're trying to do and would you believe it?
03:31
The two tough enemies of creativity are judgment and fear. So how do you overcome those two factors? Like I said before, the biggest thing is your own confidence in yourself, not in a cocky, outlandish way, of course, but in a way that is fueled from your passion and belief that you are doing what genuinely makes you happy and fulfills you in your life.
03:50
And just to be really, really stubborn when it comes to not letting anyone get in the way of your happiness and fulfilling your goals. And this needs to be consistent throughout your time as a creative, because it is unrealistic to say that there aren't going to be Internet trolls or people, you know, who talk about what you're doing, etc., and you need to have this confidence throughout in order to deal with those occurrences.
04:11
You know, if you know anything about psychology, judgment comes from insecurity. Always, always, always, always, always. The people who are unhappy with their own lives are too scared to even think of doing something with theirs that makes them as happy and filled as you are. And at the end of the day, just they are jealous of the fact that you were able to put yourself out there and be true to yourself.
04:30
Because, like I mentioned earlier, most people experience imposter syndrome in their day to day lives on this earth. So for you to be someone who overcomes it is a lot and could definitely stir up some projection and jealousy in other people. So you're probably asking, well, how do I gain the unwavering confidence in myself and my work? The industry is oversaturated.
04:50
I don't do anything particularly special anyway. I don't have a degree. I don't have that much experience. Someone out there knows more than me, you know, etc. All those thoughts that are going on in your head and I hate to break it to you, but none of it is true. Nor does it really matter for one huge reason.
05:07
Everybody is unique. Hello. Cheese factor again. Sorry, but it is true. Everyone, no matter how niche, has their own specific story to tell, their own way of doing things, which means you offer something that no one else can, which is a good thing. There are other people in your field, but still, that's the beautiful thing about being a creative individual, an artistic.
05:26
We have our own ways of going about things. Think about the people that you admire who may or may not be in the same craft as you think about why you watch them or buy from them, listen to them or follow them. Do you ever think about how oversaturated their field is? Like literally how many frickin Internet celebrities are there nowadays?
05:45
You don't think about that. You don't think about what they're doing. You don't think that it isn't particularly special if they have a degree or not other experience they have? No. Maybe you think about those things out of curiosity, but it actually doesn't have as much as an effect on their success and whether you consume it or not, as we think it does, think about where they must have started.
06:03
It's right around the same spot you are deciding whether or not to do right now. So granted, there are specific things that would justify wanting to figure out if somebody has a degree or whatever their relevant experience is. The point is, as much as there are people who you think won't buy, listen, watch orcas consume your craft. There are equally just enough people who want anxiety is a bitch.
06:24
I know all it takes is a little lip of the situation or problem you're having to completely change the narrative. You know this podcast, for example, before I started it, I had all of those exact fears that people would question my authenticity and experiences or that I'm too young to speak on this topic, etc., you know, feeling uncomfortable having to promote my passions on social media or having my voice and persona out on the internet in a way I hadn't done before.
06:49
And to be completely honest, these things still do scare me from time to time. But what keeps me going is, at the end of the day, I am happy. And if this podcast reaches at least one person and was able to help them to achieve the same freedom and fulfillment from doing what they love as I do, then no, I would do it a million times over and I don't even care that this is, you know, not a monetary thing for me right now either, which is a really good sign that you're in the right direction, even if your craft does not directly function in the same way that this podcast does.
07:20
You like to add videos, do you like photography? You know, sort of gig on a freelancing platform? Do you like to write? Do you like social media again? Start a service on a freelancing platform. Do you like to cook? Do you like to give advice? Write a book or record a podcast or make any other content to share and teach people?
07:38
Another thing I like to remind myself is look around you and your day to day, literally take notice of everything that is around us today. That was done by some creative person somewhere. You know, the paintings on the wall, in the conference room that you're in, the advertisements on the subway apps on your phone, the movies you watch, the music in the elevator, the clothes you're wearing, the decorations we buy, the furniture, the logos, the food that you eat, the places that you walk into the building, and the cars that we drive.
08:09
If you start thinking about it that way, you'll realize how imperative what we do is and how important it is. These skills we have are not just hobbies. They're equally as respectable as any other skill a human has. And not everyone can do what we do. You are special. Just get that in your head somewhere. Someone could use your skills and you know how are they going to find you if you're not accessible to them?
08:39
I highly encourage you to check out Fiverr, Upwork, Riva, Lancers and Riverlands. Horrible Winter is a new one I just came in contact with and scope out the services on there that some other people are doing. Go down a YouTube wormhole and see the kind of life you can build for yourself as a freelancer. It's never too early and never too late.
08:52
I have a whole other episode on how to transition to full time freelancing, so go check that out. It is usually the most comfortable route that people take instead of what we normally think and fear of, you know, going cold turkey all at once. I get it. You have bills to pay, but there is a way. And if there is a will, there's a way.
09:08
I constantly in mentioning Alex for Wolves podcast, the Freelance Fairy Tales, so go check her out. She comes from a background of writing and corporate and gives more standard advice for side hustles. I'll link her in the show notes she is, who inspired me to take the leap and start doing freelance film and media. And if I would have never taken that leap, I wouldn't have ever had the time to do this podcast and start sharing with you all how it all started for me.
09:29
So that is it for this episode. And if this reaches you and you have any burning questions or stories, I'd be happy to chat and use this as an outlet to connect and build a community. What is your relationship with this topic? Hit me up and follow me on Instagram. Send me a DM on you know your particular struggles with imposter syndrome at How I diaries and we can chat in the meantime go binge all my other episodes for various other topics relating on how to get started doing what you love and please.
09:57
Any episode recommendations I'd love to hear. Let me know what your particular struggles are. You're probably not alone. Please subscribe to this podcast so you can stay up to date, give it a rating and share with a friend who needs to listen to. I post five new episodes at the end of each month, so stay tuned and thank you for listening.