It crept in and settled there, waiting, never leaving, not even if I was successful. That damn Impostor Syndrome. I felt like I’d always get turned down for everything, and if I didn’t, there must be some mistake or they couldn’t find anyone better, or it was just a one-time thing and I shouldn’t get used to feeling hopeful. If I wasn’t spending my time trying to convince myself to just get over my fears and make art already, I was chewing my fingernails because I’d made art but it probably wouldn’t be good enough.
It was bad. And sometimes, it still is. But I want to tell you how I improved–and how you can, too.