#personal answer

personally, my sense of imposter syndrome was tied up with a deep-seated need to always have an answer, to look like I always knew what I was doing and that I was naturally good at everything. I was always embarrassed if I wasn't as good as everyone else at something.

when I started on a prestigious creative writing degree at a top rate art school, I expected that I had got in because my portfolio was excellent and I was naturally "gifted". the truth hit hard in the first weeks: lots of people there were fully-formed, extremely gifted writers, and I was not one of them! I absolutely sucked, and although I was able to tell good writing when I saw it, I couldn't make my own be anything like.

after a year of sucking at writing, I was quite depressed and I had a huge case of imposter syndrome. why had I even got onto this selective arts programme in the first place if I couldn't even produce anything worthwhile? I felt completely embarrassed as again and again I put my work in front of my peers and they critiqued it. I felt like I didn't belong and never would. but then I met a group of poets and flash writers who encouraged me to try ditching long-form fiction and take up poetry.

putting my hands up and admitting I was an absolute beginner half way through my degree was very weird and difficult, but it was the most liberating thing I've ever done for my writing. it opened me up to being shown what to do instead of more lists of things I was getting wrong. by doing it I allowed myself to re-learn my practice from scratch. I felt guided by my peers instead of criticised. but the degree hadn't changed, only my approach to it. and my writing improved and I finally felt at home in my work.

I try to approach everything I do with that same sense of openness to being guided and given advice now, no matter how much of an expert I may think I am. coming from this perspective helps me acknowledge that I'm not an imposter if I don't know something or can't do something first time, I'm just always learning and growing in my field. not everything will be perfect, not every goal will be met instantly, and that is ok.

it's hard to be vulnerable in any setting but I find that if you can take the risk it will pay off and reward you in security and reassurance. because imposter syndrome comes from feeling like you might be found out as some kind of fraud, if you're totally honest and open about those feelings it does tend to work against that sneaking feeling of doubt. that's not to say we don't all still get that sometimes – I still get these feelings around my identity and sense of place in social situations and I'm still working through it! nobody is totally free of those feelings, but letting yourself be bad at things (and letting it be a good thing) is quite helpful.

hope this helps you beat your inner imposter feelings x

additions: