Ever had the feeling you don’t belong, you don’t know what you’re talking about, and you’re not as good as other people say you are? Sounds a bit like imposter syndrome, and something most of us have experienced! What triggers it? Is it the same thing for everyone? And is there anything we can do about it?

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My latest addition to my daily reading at breakfast: The Artists Way – Every Day

Despite noble intentions to go through the whole 12 week Artist’s Way again, and a few weeks of dutifully scribbling my “pages”, I haven’t kept up. So this little pocket-sized book of thoughts based on the original book by Julia Cameron is ideal.

I’ve chosen my thing for The 100 Day Project and because I’ve set the bar so ridiculously low for myself, I’ve been able to keep up. You can see what I’m up to here. Be warned, it’s not that inspirational (yet?) but it’s the consistency of turning up every day I’m after, not wonderful art! If you want to join in, you can choose whatever you like: it’s your own project. If you’re stuck for ideas, Gina has a download full of them here!

Gina’s feeling inspired by Portrait Artist of the Year (and have a look here to find out what she’s done!) and she’s discovered there’s an exhibition to celebrate eight years of the competition here.

A newsletter Gina and I both subscribe to comes from Helen Perry and is called The Switch. Worth subscribing if you like to keep track of what’s new in social media, plus hints and tips and training on all things Instagram and beyond.

I’ve been on my travels to visit my daughter in Provence (what’s the use of sending your one and only to the south of France if you don’t get to visit?!). While I was there I toodled up to see Paul Cézanne’s studio (there’s two separate links there).

I took a few photos, but it was a damp and drizzly day so the famous view of Mont Sainte-Victoire was nowhere to be seen from the Painter’s Field, but we were tickled to discover that this painting features the viaduct right next to our daughter’s university accommodation!

Meanwhile, Gina is still on the decluttering train, decluttering much more than just physical stuff but considering deeper questions about what’s important in life, and her art. She was particularly inspired by reading this article about how wanting less leads to satisfaction and this quote from Michaelangelo:

“I saw the angel in the marble and I carved until I set him free”

Michaelangelo

Finally, I’ve been inspired by a poetic metaphor about life, that I found by chance when looking for something else. It compares life to a train journey (apt since I took a brief but enjoyable TGV journey on my way down to Aix-en-Provence). Looking for the original author on the interwebs I’ve found various iterations of it, from this one to this one. I like it. It seems to be featured a lot on lists of suggested poems for funerals, not that there’s anything wrong with that, as my own husband is constantly asked for permission to use some of his poems about cycling for those very occasions!

The music is Dear Autumn by Ikson and you can find it at https://soundcloud.com/ikson.

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2 Thoughts to “Imposter Syndrome (33)”

  1. Joyce Perry says:

    I agree that we possibly all have it at some point, well actually I personally have never thought about anything in that term. I have a self belief problem with regard to textile art and I include all forms of embroidery within that. I almost always feel that ‘someone else’ can do what I do better. I heard a young 10 year old artist, sorry I did not hear his name, yesterday being intervieued on ‘This Morning’, and he said something like, “in art there is no right or wrong, just someone else’s perspective”, and if someone says that you have drawn it wrong then he says “no, I know that I meant to draw it that way, therefore it is correct”. Wise words from a 10 year old who now has a brilliant career as an artist. His doodle artwork is spectacular and I wish I had his name and I shall try to look him up again on the ‘This Morning’ web site. I have heard similar before and it helps me in t times of doubt. If other folks are happy to watch and learn from your art be happy to share and I think that as long as we willingly share and learn from those we share with as well all is good in the world. I once went to a particular style of stitch class, paid a lot, including transport only to discover the tutor was dictatorial and actually slapped out hands if we held needle or fabric incorrectly and she was teaching adults. Her background said it all, she was taught by a dictarorial grandmother and our tutor had not learned to become an adult finding a better way of doing things, and she was old enough to have done that had she learned from others.

    1. Isobel says:

      Wow, what a class! I think in the past I would’ve hated something like that, but now, I think I’d just start giggling! I’ll have to see if I can find that 10yo, sounds like he’s got his head screwed on right!

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