Imposter Syndrome

An AI-generated image of a writer with Imposter Syndrome.

College campuses serve many students who might not actually believe they belong on campus. They might be the first in their family to go to college or lack role models with whom they share an identity or just feel like they are different than the other students around them. This is known as Imposter Syndrome.

It doesn't stop with college and can follow professionals into their careers. I see it frequently among strivers whose hard work and success gets them promoted into new roles earlier than others. It can be daunting to be in a room of professionals knowing you don't share their level of work experience, or the same degrees. What's funny is that when someone opens up to me about experiencing imposter syndrome, I am always shocked. I look at the quality, ease and apparent effortlessness of their work and their leadership abilities and I think how could you believe for a second that you do not belong here? Frequently, I struggle to imagine anyone else in that role because they are so perfectly suited for it, and so good at it.

I worry about how often those people hold themselves back because of the hidden, sinking doubt that they do not belong where they are.

This week, while at the post office mailing Easter packages to the grandkids, I had the opportunity to observe a conversation between two other people waiting in line with me. One was an older man, early to late seventies, who began querying the woman in front of him about why she was here and what she was mailing. Totally intrusive and inappropriate questions, but she answered. She was in her mid-forties and unlike my twenty pounds of boxes only had an oversized, padded, pink envelope to mail.

"It's a book," she said. He immediately began to quiz her on what she liked to read and why was she mailing that book to someone (Is it your favorite?") to which she replied, "I am an author." He asked about what she wrote (Young adult fiction), was it autobiographical (Not really) and on and on. At one point she mentioned she had "a day job," and then it was her turn at the counter.

I watched the whole exchange in silence, wrestling with one fact: I have never introduced myself to anyone by describing myself as an author. Despite the fact that I've published four novels and numerous magazine articles and a weekly blog. Talk about a case of Imposter Syndrome. I've spent the week trying to figure out why that is. I do have a day job; my resume chronicles more than 40 years of work before it mentions any of my writing. I prefer to think of myself as a storyteller over an author. (In college, I wanted to write like William Faulkner. He's an author. I've never written a sentence that went on for more than two pages. Not an author.) Is it because I don't make any real money from writing? Some would say I didn't make any real money when I was working in sales, but I referred to myself as a salesman at the time

At least on LinkedIn I describe myself as an "Author, Educator, Believer in the Power of Narrative to Change the World." Hopefully, if we ever meet I'll be able to say "I'm Jefferson. I'm an author."

We cannot abide cruelty. Support others who need your help. Start in your own community and let your example lead the way.

Learn more about my novels at The Art of Storytelling, Jefferson Blackburn-Smith | novelist