As creatives, it can be really hard to define our worth.

It’s the whole reason I created Creative Business Kitchen – to help other creatives who struggle with pricing create stronger pricing strategies that aligns with the value they provide to their clients.

But when it comes to defining our worth to ourselves? Well, that’s a whole other piece of pie.

We’ve all had those days when you spend hours scrolling Instagram, amazed and inspired by the incredible work of your peers.

They’re doing all these admirable and awesome things, and of course you’re so proud of them, but this voice starts creeping into the back of your head.

You start to doubt yourself and feel like a total fraud.

How could you ever measure up to these amazing people you’re seeing live their wildest dreams through your phone screen?

You start making comparisons between their work and yours, and inevitably questions like this pop into your head:

Am I creating good enough work?

Do I measure up to the talent of those around me?

Is everyone just laughing at me behind my back?

When will the day come that they realise I’m a fraud?

…and just like that, imposter syndrome sits down next to you, ready to feast…

So why do we need to stop feeding our imposter syndrome…

Creativity isn’t quantifiable.

The creative world isn’t a perfectly baked pie (as much as I wish it was), where each creator is cut a slice that directly correlates to their talents or skills.

Your value as a creative is not added to, nor subtracted from, or based on the existence of other creatives work.

Someone else’s success is not your failure.

Comparing creators is like comparing recipes for the perfect chocolate cake – no two are the same.

Another creator’s success isn’t a yard stick to measure yours up against.

It’s killing your creativity.

Comparison when it comes to creativity, much like a meat pie, is fruitless.

When you compare your work or skills to others and start to second guess yourself, your creative juices run dry.

It doesn’t serve you.

Letting your imposter syndrome take over saps your focus and energy.

Creativity happens best when you’re excited, energetic, feeling good about yourself and your work and can really sink your teeth into it.

Does that all hit a little close to home? I know it does for me… I’ve been there SO. MANY. TIMES. But what to do about it?

How to stop binge-feeding your creative imposter syndrome

Watch for the signs that you’re headed into a self-doubt spiral.

Learn, recognise, and avoid triggers and patterns that invite your imposter syndrome out to play.

If your Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest feeds are causing you more heartache than inspiration – take a break from socials for a little while and go back when you’re ready.

Sometimes near enough is good enough.

If you’re a self-confessed perfectionist like me, it’s easy to fall into a pattern of doubt when finishing up a project.

Imposter syndrome has a friend – ‘just a little bit more’.

Save your sanity and self-esteem when you’re ‘just a little bit more’-ing yourself into oblivion and remember, nothing will ever be perfect. Have faith in your skills and ability to provide awesome work to your clients.

Nurture your creativity.

Buy it some flowers. Bring it breakfast in bed. Take it out for dinner and a movie. Sounds silly but your creativity deserved to be pampered and treated like the god/goddess it is.

But really, celebrate your creativity!

Remind yourself why you’re great at what you do and renew your spark regularly by doing things that get your creative juices flowing.

This isn’t a cure-all, but hopefully it will help you start to recognise what causes the imposter monster to come creeping out of the dark, and in time it will become easier and easier for you to roundhouse kick it in the face and send it straight back where it came from so you can sit back at your computer and focus on what’s important; your work, your clients, and your creative goals.

You are the master of your mind, your creativity, your imposter monster can only creep in so far as you let it.

Go and get a snack and feel good about the incredibly talented human you truly are. Unleash your creative magic without inhibition.