We’ve been working with a branding and PR expert, James Burgie, (pictured above), recently and he led us through a number of questions to hone in on our company persona. It has been a fascinating process! But one discussion in particular has stood out. We were listing our strengths and weaknesses and things about our work that we want to keep or change in the future. I talked about how I tend to be embarrassed by the low film production values because, as indie filmmakers, we are shooting with a low-to-no budget. Sadly, this embarrassment can colour my entire perception of our film work. (Throwing out the baby with the bathwater.)

How We Overcame Filmmaker Impostor Syndrome

But then we discussed what we enjoyed about our projects and we agreed that it is gratifying to win awards because it is a form of validation. So he asked what we had been nominated for and won and we told him it was for things like best comedy series, writing, directing and acting…so he matter-of-factly tells us that we’ve been succeeding in the areas that we do have control over; where money isn’t necessarily a major factor. We’re just not winning in the categories where you are more likely to “see” the money  like design/cinematography, etc. I realized I’d never looked at it that way. I just assumed that when we didn’t get a nomination or a win it was because the whole series or episode was weak. But now I see that we do have strengths we can be proud of and we can now focus more of our energy on goals like elevating specific qualities in our work, not necessarily ALL qualities. (Although I do believe in being a life long student of one’s craft.)

This small shift in perception gave me a much needed boost in self-esteem and confidence!

Acknowledging and allowing myself to experience the pride of winning an award – instead of only allowing myself to experience the negative feedback. If I’m willing to experience the negative – then why not the positive too? And for more advice on overcoming impostor syndrome check out this blog post.