Imposter Syndrome, with Ryan The Minimalist

Ryan Nicodemus from The Minimalists stops by to talk about embracing imposter syndrome and failure as you put your work out into the world. When Ryan was starting out as part of THE Minimalists, a lot of pressure came with that name. There is comfort in knowing that everyone, no matter how successful, has likely dealt with imposter syndrome. Learning to accept that one never truly “arrives” has allowed Ryan to keep growing and learning.  “There is a piece of me that hopes I never actually get there…I don’t think about being a master at something anymore. I think about being genuine.” When it comes to the critical voices in your life, the ones that feed that imposter syndrome, none is more painful than those from friends and family.  Ryan points out that criticism projected at you and your work is usually not about you. It’s about the critic. There is a difference between criticism and feedback.  The voices in your life that can present a problem with kindness and even help you move towards a solution are valuable, but the critic merely wants to destroy or discredit your work.  We will all fail. We will have our work criticized. Unfortunately, it’s the rule rather than the exception.  “If you put work out there and it is not getting criticized, then your work is probably not that impactful.”  We want to make people feel something. So, embrace the journey.  “The longer you put off embracing failure, the longer you are going to put off being successful.”  Check out Jillian’s book Fire the Haters for more information on creating in a critical world.