Does Imposter Syndrome Actually Help Creatives?

Imposter syndrome is often framed as a weakness. A quiet voice telling you that you are not good enough, not experienced enough, or not deserving of the position you are in. But for creatives, it can have an unexpected side effect. It can act as a slingshot.

That feeling of not being enough creates momentum. It pushes people to work harder, to refine their craft, and to go further than they otherwise might have. Not necessarily out of confidence, but out of the need to prove something. Sometimes to peers, sometimes to clients, and often to themselves. In a strange way, it becomes a form of self propulsion. You gaslight yourself into growth.

This does not come purely from insecurity. Sometimes it comes from realism. Creative industries are competitive, subjective, and constantly shifting. There is rarely a clear moment when you feel you have arrived. The absence of certainty creates friction. And friction creates movement.

There is also the long standing idea that creatives produce their best work when they are unhappy. There is some truth in that, but it is incomplete. Powerful work can come from frustration, from dissatisfaction, and from the desire to change something. But it can just as easily come from clarity, confidence, and stability. It is not suffering that creates good work. It is intensity. And intensity can exist in both positive and negative emotional states.

What matters more than the emotion itself is continuity. The act of continuing to create, even when you doubt yourself. And equally important is continuing to meet people. Imposter syndrome thrives in isolation. It weakens when you realise that almost everyone around you feels the same thing. Even the people you assume are completely secure.

The takeaway is simple. Imposter syndrome does not need to be eliminated. It needs to be understood. Left unchecked, it can be destructive. But when recognised, it can be redirected into momentum.

The important thing is to keep creating. And to keep showing up anyway.