Hey Reader,
A legend called Javier replied to my last email newsletter and asked if I'd share my story of how I deal with imposter syndrome.
So for this week, I wanted to share this with you.
The first time I felt imposter syndrome was in early 2022 when I started my journey of shooting photos in public, filming content, and posting online.
It felt a bit silly at the time.
Back then my identity was a 29-year-old corporate worker. Project manager. Lecturer.
Not a photographer or creator.
So stepping into that world felt like I didn’t belong.
Then there were all the people already doing it. Bigger, better, more established.
North Borders. 7thEra. Optical Wander. Peter McKinnon. And lot's more.
I kept thinking… why would anyone listen to me?
One shift helped me break through that.
I went back and looked at the people I looked up to. Scrolled all the way down their profiles.
And realised they were bad when they started too. Same as me.
That’s when the question changed from “why me?” to “why not me?”
But here’s the part no one really talks about.
Imposter syndrome didn’t go away.
It showed up again when I started getting paid for photoshoots. I felt like I wasn’t good enough. Like I was wasting people’s money. So I undercharged and overdelivered.
Then it hit again when my content started growing. And even harder when it blew up.
I went from 3,000 to 100,000 followers in 4 days in January 2023.
And I remember thinking… I don’t deserve this.
And honestly, even now, that thought still shows up.
But here’s what I’ve realised.
Imposter syndrome doesn’t mean you’re not good enough.
It means you’re stepping into something new. Something bigger. Something you haven’t fully grown into yet.
So instead of trying to get rid of it, I’ve learned to use it as a signal.
If you feel uncomfortable, like you don’t belong, like you’re not ready…
That’s usually a sign you’re exactly where you need to be.
And if you don’t feel that at all, you might be playing it too safe.
You don’t grow by feeling comfortable. You grow by getting used to being uncomfortable.
So if you’re feeling it right now, don’t run from it.
Lean into it.
If this was useful, just reply with “yes” so I know.
And if there’s anything you want me to cover in future newsletters, let me know.
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Thanks so much for spending some of your time with me & reading Filling The Gaps.
Talk soon,
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P.S. If part of that imposter syndrome feeling comes from not being confident in your photos or editing yet, that’s something you can actually improve.
My all-new LTO Signature Preset Collection: Volume 1 is designed to help you build that confidence faster by giving you both the tools and the practice to improve properly.
Check it out here.
