wordcamp nashville 2016 "imposter syndrome
TRANSCRIPT
Imposter Syndrome
How to get over it and get on with it
#WCNImposter
Beth Downey
Graphic Designer / Web Developer
#WCNImposter
Beth Downey
Graphic Designer / Web Developer
“Imposter!”#WCNImposter
What Is Imposter Syndrome?
● Term coined in 1978 by clinical psychologists Dr. Pauline R. Clance and Suzanne A. Imes
● Refers to high-achieving individuals marked by an inability to internalize their accomplishments and a persistent fear of being exposed as a "fraud".
#WCNImposter
#WCNImposter
Well knownImposters
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“I have written eleven books, but each time I think, ‘uh oh, they’re going to find out now. I’ve run a game on everybody, and they’re going to find me out.’ ”
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“I have written eleven books, but each time I think, ‘uh oh, they’re going to find out now. I’ve run a game on everybody, and they’re going to find me out.’ ”
Dr. Maya Angelou
Nobel Laureate, poet, memoirist andCivil Rights Activist
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“I still believe that at any time, the no-talent police will come and arrest me.”
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“I still believe that at any time, the no talent police will come and arrest me.”
Mike Myers
Actor, comedian, screenwriter, composer, producer, SaturdayNight Live standout
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“Why would anyone want to see me again in a movie? And I don’t know how to act anyway so why am I doing this?”
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“Why would anyone want to see me again in a movie? And I don’t know how to act anyway so why am I doing this?”
Meryl Streep
Called the “best actress of her generation,” winner of eight Golden Globes & three Academy Awards
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3 Types of Knowledge
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3 Types of Knowledge
1. Stuff you know
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3 Types of Knowledge
1. Stuff you know
2. Stuff you know you don’t know
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3 Types of Knowledge
1. Stuff you know
2. Stuff you know you don’t know
3. Stuff you don’t know you don’t know
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You have been successful in taking a lot of information out of the third category and put it
into the second category; you know of a lot of stuff you don’t know. This makes you feel
dumb and helpless a lot of the time.
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Why You Feel Like A Fraud
Negative Side Effectsof Imposter Syndrome
How we sabotage ourselves
Not applying for positions.
Not asking for enough money (salary)
Not asking for pay raises.
Self Sabotage
BIGNEWS
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BIGNEWS
IT IS OKAY TO SUCK
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Try something new
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Try something new
Yoga
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Try something new
Yoga
$5 class / 1 hour
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Try something new
Yoga
$5 class / 1 hour
I thought I was going to die
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When you suck at something but gradually improve, two things happen:
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When you suck at something but gradually improve, two things happen:
1. You know what being awful at something really feels like
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When you suck at something but gradually improve, two things happen:
1. You know what being awful at something really feels like
2. You realize that you do have talent and/or perseverance and this builds confidence
#WCNImposter
My Own Journey
Art School - (1995 - 1999) Attended alongside many people with far more artistic talent than myself
Graphic Designer (1999 - present) - Never felt like a “real designer.”
Jr Web Developer (2012 - 2015) - worked with Kenneth White at Sprclldr for 3.5 years and stayed keenly aware of what I didn’t know.
Jr Web Developer (July 2016 - now) - work as a Jr Developer at Parthenon Publishing & spent the first month convinced I would be fired bc I didn’t know what I thought I should.
I continue to learn...
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Combatting Imposter Syndrome
● Review what you have learned - you know more than you think you know
● Surround yourself with peers who are supportive of the learning process
● Keep a list of the nice things people say to you about you
● Get involved in your community - be a mentor or a mentee
● Step out of your comfort zone - you might find other things you’re good at too
#WCNImposter
#WCNImposter
Beth DowneyTwitter @PermeliaMedia / Instagram @MissBethD
#WCNImposter