Key Takeaways

Imposter syndrome is when you feel like a fake when it comes to making and selling art. You don’t truly believe you or your work is good enough, even if you’re seeing success.
You may feel like an imposter if you didn’t formally study art, someone in the past put down your work, or you lack confidence.
There are 2 main ways you can get past this issue, by first addressing your negative thoughts, and then by taking action.
Getting vulnerable and sharing your work is another way you can quickly grow confidence in your art.
Learn to embrace the things that make you different from other artists instead of fighting them. This will help you stand out and allow your audience to better relate to you.
You can get past this phase with time, mindset work, and quick action. As you gain more experience, confidence will take over and the bulk of your imposter syndrome will fade.

Imagine you designed your dream craft product. You stayed in your own bubble creating it and made a few variations. You uploaded into your online shop, and the whole idea makes you so happy, you're just in love with it and finally ready to show it to the world.

You show it to a friend and she mentions that it reminds her of this other brand that makes a similar item. You Google the brand.

It's epic.

It's amazing.

It's like your product but 700x better.

And the thoughts start rushing in...why did I even think I could sell my art? No one will buy my stuff when this exists. I don't know anything about business...who am I to even call myself an artist?!

Whoa whoa whoa...where did that come from? Pretty sure that a few paragraphs ago you were overwhelmingly excited about your new shop, what happened??

Well this is all thanks to a little monster called imposter syndrome. And she's a little b*tch. ;)

Let's get to know her and understand why overcoming imposter syndrome as an artist is so important.

What is imposter syndrome?

Imposter syndrome is essentially when you feel like a fake when calling yourself an artist. You don't consider yourself an artist for whatever reason (even though you're making art, or even making money). Basically, you feel like what you're making is not good enough to be considered 'officially' art.

Of course, you probably already know that this isn't true...but you still can't help but feel like there must be some tangible requirement you need to meet before calling yourself 'an artist'.

This begs the question, what could that requirement be? And where did all of today's existing artists get the confidence to sell and promote their work? After all, they had to start at some point with nothing, right?

The thing is, all that drama is just fear. Let that sink in.

These types of thoughts are just creating a fake obstacle to self sabotage yourself. This self sabotage prevents you from making the art you want, which keeps you safe in case it doesn't go well, or you get embarrassed and fail.

It's your brain's way of protecting you.

Now that you can see that imposter syndrome is not based on facts, but complete bullshit, let's work on thinking some more productive thoughts that will get you moving in a more positive direction ;).

The Definition of an artist

So, knowing all this, how do you define an artist?

A person that makes art. That's it.

I already know you're thinking, "Yeah, but not all art is good, it doesn't all count."...ok, but hear me out…art is also an industry where the product you're producing is completely subjective.

Art is not the same as a functional product trying to solve a direct problem. There is not a right or wrong way to do it. All kinds of people create all kinds of art that create all kinds of emotional or even nostalgic reactions depending on the person viewing it. Bottom line? People buy art when they like it.

Exhibit A: I could go into a gallery of beautiful landscape art that has sold hundreds of paintings, however, I would never buy something from there. Why? Because I could care less about having a landscape painting. It doesn't mean anything to me.

I walked into a shop in NY yesterday that is famous for it's old fashioned dishes, cup, plates, and kitchen related pieces. They often have a featured artist that is selling artwork in the back of the shop. This month they had a bunch of tiny 5x7 frames hanging, each one with a specific NY neighborhood name and a painting of a single pigeon posing.

Each neighborhood pigeon was a little different. I resonated immediately (how cute would this be in my kitchen?), and bought one. This art was made specifically for NY locals, no one living in Idaho could care less. There is always something for everyone, no matter how weird you wanna get.

Also, tell me how many times you've gone into a gallery or museum and thought...how the heck did that end up in a museum?? This again proves that art is extremely subjective, which in turn proves that someone out there will be willing to buy your art.

Why do you feel like an imposter?

Ok, so next the big question is...WHY is it that you feel like a fraud? Often times this is because we don't have an 'official' training, degree, certification, or background in whatever we are pursuing.

Because of the traditional system we are used to (going to school, passing grades, getting a diploma), it seems somehow wrong to just claim we are something before making ourselves jump through hoops to achieve it.

But what we don't consider is that while yes, some art techniques are only built with months or years of practice, there can still be immense beauty in a beginner's brushstroke, trained or not.

That's why being an artist is super cool...the goal is to find your signature style, and you can do that whether you just start creating one day, or if you've been in art school for years. You'll just have a different approach. And either approach is 'correct'.

Reasons you feel like an imposter

So, let's get into it. Here are some of the common reasons you may feel like an imposter when it comes to making and selling your art:

You don't have an art degree
You've never sold art before (or tried to)
Someone in your past made fun of or put your art down (that stuff sticks with you, but it's time to stop letting it hold you back!)

Do you resonate with any of these? Keep in mind that these reasons are just circumstances. They don't mean anything. But the problem is your brain is giving it meaning without you even realizing it.

For example, the fact that you don't have an art degree might make you assume that your art is not legitimate. And this thought could make you feel like an imposter or phony trying to pose as a 'real' artist.

When you break it down like that, it's easy to see why you might start avoiding your art or being scared to share it openly with the world.

The thing is, just because you don't have an art degree, or you've never sold anything to an actual stranger, it doesn't mean you can't sell your art and make a part time or even full time living from it. This circumstance is not even remotely related to what you are capable of!

Since whatever thoughts and feelings you are having because of those silly circumstances literally mean nothing in relation to your future success as an artist, you can stop wasting your precious time on all that from now on. Next, let me show you move forward quickly by taking small steps.

How to overcome imposter syndrome

If you want to know how to get rid of imposter syndrome easily, you'll need to focus on two main things. The first is to address the negative, bullying thoughts in your head. If you fail to manage these thoughts, it's just a matter of time before they win. That's why mindset work is SO important when going after big goals!

The second thing is to start taking action. It works a little like this. Taking action (even small action) builds knowledge. Knowledge builds confidence. Confidence inspires more action. And the cycle repeats itself until you either stop or learn to manage it.

This work can be simple but you need to stick to it. As time goes on, you'll become more resilient to any doubtful or unhelpful thoughts that show up (and they will always show up!), as well as more confident about your business and products. Next, we'll get into more specifics and a plan of attack on how to combat imposter syndrome fast!

1. Address Your Negative Thoughts

Before you do anything, you need to start recognizing and writing down your negative thoughts, then work to change them. These thoughts could be anything, but start listening to your inner voice every day. Whenever you feel doubt, think, what did I just tell myself? What thought is causing this doubt?

Write those thoughts down over the course of a week. Next, you'll need to come up with a counter to each thought with a competing thought, then back it up with evidence.

Let's start by grabbing that example I just shared and see how an irrelevant circumstance can lead you to feel like an imposter and hide your art from the world.

Circumstance: I don't have an art degree

Thought: My art is not legitimate.

Feeling: When I make art, I feel like an imposter trying to pose as a 'real' artist.

Do you see how this snowballs? Here are some other common thoughts you might have:

- My art isn't good enough

- I'm not an actual artist because I don't have a degree/haven't sold anything/no training...

- Nobody will buy this

- My work will never be as good as (artist you look up to), so why bother?

Pretty self defeating right? How do you get past these intense thoughts?

The answer is to come up with an opposing, or 'antidote' thought. Antidote thoughts are thoughts that counter your negative thoughts. They aim to replace the negative thoughts so you can have more positive feelings which translates into more productive actions. This is a powerful way to overcome imposter syndrome.

Examples of Antidote thoughts:

Negative thought: My art isn't good enough.

Antidote: My art is better than it's ever been, and it's getting better every day.

Negative thought: I'm not an actual artist because....

Antidote: I'm an artist because I make art. PeriodT.

Negative thought: Nobody will buy this.

Antidote: People buy art that I would never buy every day. Someone out there will definitely buy my art.

Now, to really bring it home (highly suggest doing this step), you'll want to back up your antidote thoughts with actual evidence from your past experiences...anything that feels relevant. Here's an example:

Negative thought: My art isn't good enough.

Antidote: My art is better than it's ever been, and it's getting better every day.

Evidence: People I show my art to lately have been excited about it. One friend even commissioned a custom piece from me.

When you read that back, it makes it clear that the negative thought is just that, a negative thought. According to the facts, you're doing better than you think. Go ahead and write out one or two pieces of evidence for each antidote thought you create.

By catching these negative thoughts and then turning them around, you're building resilience, confidence, and getting yourself closer to that creative badass you want to embody. Even if you don't believe these thoughts right away, with consistency and time, you will.

This exercise is the most effective if you can write down your thoughts and antidotes and have it on hand to look at every day! *full disclosure this process is something I learned from a mindset coach, so I can't take credit, but it's SO relevant and helpful when it comes to making art.

Now that you know how to get over imposter syndrome by getting your icky thoughts taken care of, it's time for you to take action. ACTION is one of the biggest steps forward you can take to escape this negative cycle.

2. Start Taking Action

Let's bring it back to what I shared a little earlier:

Taking action (even small action) builds knowledge. Imagine you're starting your craft business from scratch. You don't really know what you're doing, or what to do first. You have a lot of fear over perfectionism and want everything to be 'right' on the first try. Naturally, you become overwhelmed and probably end up doing nothing.

Instead of being worried about doing the right thing, focus on doing something. Do literally anything! By taking one small step forward, you'll learn quickly if that was a good or bad move.

If it was good, great! Take another step. If it didn't go as expected, that's actually good too, because now you can change directions and try to move forward again. The message here is, any step is better than being stagnant.

With that knowledge, you'll become more confident, and confidence will inspire you to take even more action. Here's an example because you know I got you:

You need to get your wholesale license so you can start getting a discount on the supplies needed to make your products, but you don't know where to start.

You could:

Sit there and worry about it, be overwhelmed and keep paying retail prices (omg, no).

OR

You can look up your local small business association and call them to find out what you need to do.

> Next, the association may direct you to a website with the information you need, then you call a second number and someone shows you the right form to submit.

> You fill out and submit the form, receiving your wholesale license in just a few weeks.

This is how one small step can propel you forward. You might not get a direct answer right away after the first step, but you will gain some knowledge that will send you in the right direction.

It's simple, but a lot of people won't even get that far.

Other tips for overcoming imposter syndrome

Get your work in front of people

I always tell my clients and followers that being an artist is the most vulnerable profession they could pursue. You're literally creating art to put out there and be judged...no WONDER it feels like you're naked in front of a crowd when you finally get up the guts to show someone.

You're asking them what they think and basing your talent off a person's (subjective) emotional reaction. When you say it like that it sounds actually pretty nuts, right?

Although it can be super scary to put your work out there, it's good to get in the habit of doing it regularly. Not only will you become more confident by mentally collecting compliments and encouragement, but you'll learn quickly what changes you need to make too.

It's easiest to start out by sharing your work with friends that *important* are representative of your ideal customer. This is critical, because if you're only sharing with family and friends randomly, you might start making changes to your craft products that your ideal customer would hate.

You can still show it to family and friends, but take their advice with a grain of salt. If they despise the colors you chose, but you've done the research to know that that specific color palette is one your ideal customer vibes with, then you can smile and nod and make zero changes ;).

By sharing your work regularly, you'll understand how to fix imposter syndrome quickly and suddenly it will be totally natural to just be making and selling art all day.

Embrace what makes you different

There may be circumstances within your own journey that you view as a problem standing in your way. However, I invite you to embrace them instead and make it part of your story.

For example, I have met with many artists and crafters on calls that struggle from a variety of mental health issues that while at first glance may seem like an obstacle, these issues are actually a unique piece of their story that can help them stand out.

A few of these artists were dealing with anxiety, which inspired them to create art specifically for anxious people. Because they were being so specific about the audience they wanted to create for, they immediately had a super defined niche.

When you're creating art for a very specific audience, although you are limiting the number of people you can sell to, your message and work becomes MUCH more valuable to those specific people, making it easier to sell and attract the right people.

Embracing these little speed bumps can be extremely beneficial when woven into your business, making you more relatable to your ideal customer, and can increase your sales.

Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

Imposter syndrome is not trying to ruin your art career, I promise. It's just trying to keep you safe and in your comfort zone. Unfortunately, when you're building a creative business, it demands that you get out of your comfort zone.

The good news is, if you take small consistent steps, like checking your bad thoughts, and taking small steps forward regularly, you can figure out how to get over imposter syndrome in no time. It's truly a mind game. Are you going to let it win and let your dreams go bust?

If you're working on building your handmade business, know that you don't need to do it alone. Inside my group coaching program for artists and crafters, you'll get practical steps as well as the mindset support you need to battle these never ending negative thoughts every week.

Want to learn more? Let's connect on a free Creative Clarity Call and talk about your dream craft business. Find out if joining Handmade & Paid is your next move to success!

Click to Book Your Free Creative Clarity Call!

Frequently Asked Questions

You may experience this issue due to a combination of many factors, a few being: pressure from those around you, early childhood experiences, or your personality traits like perfectionism.
You can overcome imposter syndrome through a consistent practice of mindset work and taking small actions. If you can learn to counter your negative thoughts with more productive thoughts that cause you to take action, you will struggle much less with this obstacle.
Yes, it can go away for the most part, but not without dedicated mindset work. Because the thoughts themselves will always pop up, it’s more of how much time and effort you want to put into learning to redirect and redefine those thoughts.
Women tend to be more likely to fall victim to this issue, but further research has shown that other groups falling into the minority as far as various genders, race, or class also struggle more with this particular problem.

The Artist’s Guide to Overcoming Imposter Syndrome and Selling with Confidence