Who’s the imposter?

Just so we’re all on the same page, this is what imposter syndrome is.

It’s that voice in your head that says you don’t belong doing the thing you’re already doing. That someone else out there is more qualified, more experienced, more “real.” It’s the feeling that you somehow fooled everyone into thinking you know what you’re doing, and any minute now someone’s going to find out you actually don’t.

Almost everyone feels that way. Especially the ones who are actually good at what they do. Imposter syndrome isn’t proof you’re an imposter, it’s proof you care. It shows up when you’re doing something that matters to you, when you’re pushing into a place that’s just a little bigger than your comfort zone.

And most of the time, imposter syndrome doesn’t sound like fear. It sounds like excuses. Really smart, logical-sounding excuses that feel true in the moment.

All the excuses of imposter syndrome and crushing them!

Let’s look at all excuses of imposter syndrome. There can be all kinds but I want to touch on the ones I told myself over the years and also the ones I’ve heard from people during my coaching calls with them.

I don’t have a room to write in, edit in, create in.

When I lived in New York with my wife, son, and big dog in a 30 square meter apartment a little over 300 sq ft, there was no special room. Sometimes I would have meetings sitting on the floor in the bathroom. Sure I would go to coffee shops sometimes, but I wanted to also save money, so I worked with what I had.

Any room and space can be a space you create in.

What if what I make isn’t good enough.

Most of what we first make isn’t good enough, first short film, first draft, we only get good by doing. Look at some of your favorite directors or writers, is every movie they’ve done a huge success by both audiences and critics? Is every book considered to be a masterpiece. Things may turn out worse than you had imagined, but that is just part of getting better and learning.

I’m not a real director, writer, producer…

Oh I hate this one. There is literally zero qualification or certificate you can get that proves you are real in this industry. Shit, people even hound on film school and getting a degree as not real…there is no such thing as real, there is only doing. That’s what makes it real, the action of making it happen, not the outcome.

Anytime I see someone on social media say “you’re not a real filmmaker or director or producer until you…X” sometimes I want to ask them, “okay, so when I become real, will you hire me” and of course the answer would be no, because that’s not how it works. No one but you gets to decide.

I’m too busy.

We’re all busy, I have three kids and multiple things juggling. I want to write novels, I want to be a novelist. Right now, at this moment, I have about an hour or two a WEEKEND to write, so thats the time I use. You will always be busy, you just find the time, and don’t worry about if you think its enough time or not..becuase its never enough time. Just do what you can.

I don’t have the right gear, tools, or whatever.

Nobody ever does. I’ve seen people make feature films on iPhones that ended up in big festivals, and I’ve seen filmmakers with $80,000 cameras who has a film sitting in a hard drive no one but them has seen. Gear is just a distraction dressed up as progress. It’s the easiest thing to blame because it looks like you’re doing something about it when you’re just delaying the real thing… starting.

I don’t have connections.

Neither did anyone else at the start. People act like networking is this secret club, but most of the time you meet the right people because you were already making something. You meet producers when you’re producing. You meet editors when you’re cutting something. You build your network through the work, not before it.

I’m waiting for the right idea.

You’re not waiting for the right idea, you’re waiting for certainty. You want to know it will work before you risk the time and energy. But that certainty never shows up first. It only comes after you begin. it’s like fog, you can only see twenty feet ahead until you start walking, and then you see twenty more.

I don’t know enough yet.

Good. No one ever does. The people who seem like they know everything only look that way because they already failed a bunch of times. The only way to know more is to go through the thing you’re scared to try. If you wait to feel ready, you’ll stay right where you are.

“Nobody knows anything” as the saying goes, which means even studio execs, big producers, big directors, don’t really know if they’re film will be a success or a flop and these are people with far more knowledge than you.

I’m scared of failing.

Yeah, same. Everyone is. But here’s what I’ve learned, failing isn’t what happens when something doesn’t work, failing is what happens when you stop. I’ve seen filmmakers call it quits after a short film didn’t get into a festival, and I’ve seen others who kept going until their fifth or sixth finally hit. The ones who make it are just the ones who keep showing up.

And that’s what all of this really comes down to. Every excuse is a version of not starting. A way to feel safe from being seen. From being judged. From making something that might not match what you see in your head.

But “real” doesn’t happen later. It happens when you begin.

If all you have is a bathroom floor, use the bathroom floor.
If all you have is one hour on a weekend, use the hour.
If all you have is an idea you’re not sure about, chase it anyway.

Because that’s what makes it real, the action of making it happen, not the outcome.

PS: If you want to go deeper, the Filmmaker Lab is the easiest way to learn how to fund your film and avoid the traps that stall most indie projects. Details here

PPS: I also keep a few spots open each month for 30-minute Clarity Sessions. They’re focused on helping you get unstuck, make sharper decisions, and leave with a tailored blueprint. If you’re interested, reply to this email.

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