While working on the Grapes of Wrath John Steinbeck wrote in his journal, “I’m not a writer. I’ve been fooling myself and other people.”
Steinbeck’s crisis of confidence shows us that imposter syndrome isn’t reserved just for inexperienced creatives. Even Pulitzer Prize winning authors struggle with feeling inadequate.
What stands out about Steinbeck and other successful artists is their ability to combat self-doubt and remain dedicated to their work. We can too.
We can use these feelings of self-doubt as motivation instead of paralysis. Doubt can become a pathway that allows us to clearly see what’s most important.
Maria Popova writes that Steinbeck “feels his feelings of doubt fully...and yet maintains a higher awareness that they are just that: feelings, not Truth.”
Self-doubt can’t stop us from arriving, because we never arrive. There’s always something else to create, or write, or paint, or achieve.
But they can keep us from what’s next. Don’t let that happen. We should all look to artists like Steinbeck and keep moving forward.
In this episode, we sit down with Nick De Partee to discuss overcoming self-doubt, dealing with criticism, and how to adjust when you’re pushing your boundaries.
Nick has been involved in the creative industry for the last 15 years as a designer, touring guitarist for the band Kutless, a songwriter, and an entrepreneur.
He’s the founder of the design company Equal Seven Creative, which specializes in identity, branding, visual, apparel and packaging design. He’s also a co-founder of the creative company, AVVAY, which is a marketplace for interesting locations and destinations.
You can stream this episode of the Keep Creating Podcast on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Like the music we used on the show? You can license and download it here.
