I dare to say almost every designer will face a varying level of imposter syndrome. Some might find creative ways to overcome it, but the majority of us just live through imposter syndrome like nothing happened until it strikes again.
I still remember the time when I’ve graduated from design school in late 2018 and felt completely lost about what creative discipline to pursue. Watching my peers working at Insta-famous boutique design studios while I was struggling to be employed made me felt less of a designer since then, especially before my career as a web designer.
But looking back at the things I’ve tried after graduating, I learned that nothing is gone to waste, as the young cynical me would think so.
It’s better to do something badly than to not do it at all. Jordan B. Peterson
2019 was my backpack ”gap year”. I’ve toured multiple jobs and freelance gigs to learn more about my creative flairs and affinity, which I dipped my foot into branding, editorial and videography. That process made me realise that I enjoyed creating identities beyond branding, editorial layouts beyond prints and animations that elevate user experience, all of which I’m currently doing with the Web.
This is a reminder to myself that…
💡Feeling like an imposter assumes you’re walking the same path as your peer, which is hardly the case because everyone has a different journey and starting point. Even if someone has a better version of those two, try to identify a few unfair advantages that you might have, be it your background, prior working experience, language, etc. You’ll realise that you might want to walk a different path that’s more aligned with your interest and personality, and even prefer to do so.