There are lots of common themes and questions that crop up during my workshops and 1-2-1s. They include, how can I get an influencer (more of that in another post at another time), what if I make a fool of myself on social media, the list goes on. However, one 'fear' that so many people have relates to imposter syndrome. As the new kid on the block in their particular field, there is that continuous gnawing feeling that you are not going to be good enough, that other people are doing it better than you and that no one will look at or smell your perfumes twice, as Jo Malone and all the rest have already been there and done EXACTLY what you are trying to do.
It is, of course, a valid concern. How can anyone possibly turn their little project into something that will ever compete with the big players? First of all, you aren't competing with the big players, at this stage, your main competitor is you. Procrastination, insecurity, fear of failure all mean that your biggest obstacle right now is you and you alone.
Secondly, all your competitors started somewhere. Jo Malone at her kitchen table being a prime example. She will have felt the same trepidation and anxiety but stuck at it, turning her passion into a multimillion pound business. She had the belief in her own ability, nurtured her passion and the rest is history. Her story is unique, as is yours. Whether you are a coach, a candlemaker or a car valeter, your story and your passion is yours and no one else's. That makes you unique, and naturally therefore, not an imposter. You are not trespassing on someone else's skill or territory, you are not invading someone else's space, as this space and this territory are your own.
In the good old days of walking into a bookshop (I'm sure many of us still do) or when you were in WHSmiths at the airport, about to head off on holiday and you needed that plane and beach book of escapism, you no doubt perused the aisles and shelves, maybe initially looking for an author's name that you recognised. However, your eye would automatically be drawn to a title or a cover that really sparked your interest. Picking up the book, you naturally flip to the back cover to read the synopsis of what lay inside. If written well and you were intrigued, you would buy. At this stage, you have no idea whether the author has written 50 books or this is their first foray into fiction. And what's more...you don't care. You are in! That front and back cover have you. You are committed to the purchase, purely based on the aesthetics, title and summary of what that bundle of imagination has in store. And what was the author's name again? Who cares? You are more interested in the little taster of the sordid adventures of a llama breeding pregnant nun who stumbles across the corpse of a local drug dealing painter and decorator who disappeared 20 years ago after winning the Eurovison song contest representing San Marino singing a cover version of House of Pain's Jump Around (look it up if you were born post 2000. Great song!)
If the book you bought was a debut, someone somewhere including a publisher and editor, had faith in the writer. But more importantly, the author themselves had faith. Undoubtedly supported by a spouse, friends and family, they did it and you just bought their baby (metaphorically of course!). The trimmings were so well done that you were interested and took the plunge. And it is the same for us. Whether we have mown a hundred lawns or 1, catered for 2 people or 2000, taken 1 professional photograph or thousands, it doesn't matter. It's how we 'dress' it that matters. 'The most unoriginal graphic designer you will ever meet' is your book title and will grab people's attention, supported by a portfolio of your work (whether commissioned or just your doodlings) on Instagram. That is your book cover. You can see where I am going with this.
When I secured my first clients, they didn't care how many other clients I had worked with. They were sold on my ideas. If you make table cloths from the discarded down of the Glaswegian penguin, people will care more about where you got the inspiration from, the penguins themselves and you, than they will how many 'units' you have sold.
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