Have you ever achieved something and felt like it was just sheer luck? Or received a compliment and felt the urge to correct the person giving it? Maybe you’ve been recognized for your work and thought, “Is this some sort of mistake?” If so, you’re not alone. This feeling is known as Impostor Syndrome, a common psychological experience where people doubt their accomplishments and fear being exposed as frauds.
Understanding Impostor Syndrome
- Negative Self-Talk: This is when you talk yourself down, preventing you from taking risks or trying something you deserve.
- Distorted Perceptions: This involves ignoring your hard work and attributing success to external factors, like luck or someone else’s absence.
These feelings can lead to more serious issues like anxiety, depression, and even career burnout. You might feel like you’re at a dead end, questioning if you’ll ever regain your passion.
Impostor Syndrome is a common experience, even among highly successful people. Albert Einstein once referred to himself as an “involuntary swindler” after winning the Nobel Prize. Other notable figures like Tom Hanks, Natalie Portman, and Serena Williams have also expressed similar feelings. The key takeaway? You’re not alone in feeling this way.
The Cure Is Easy, and Then It’s Not
While there isn’t a magical pill that makes Impostor Syndrome go away, the way you deal with it is recognizing it’s there, understanding what it’s doing, and proceeding anyway. This isn’t about taking crazy risks, but more so following your passion and taking the next step when you’re telling yourself that you don’t deserve to.
Recognizing that everyone experiences Impostor Syndrome can be empowering. It’s like the moment you realize the biggest difference between a kid and an adult is simply that adults can buy the toys they were told they couldn’t have when they were kids. Those that look like they have it all figured out are either flying by the seat of their pants, or were once in a spot where they had to make it up to proceed and now have the experience necessary to handle it with more grace.
The trick is to acknowledge Impostor Syndrome and keep moving forward. If you’re a voice actor and doubt your success, remember that if a client chose you, that’s all the evidence you need to silence those doubts.
Bonus Topic: Loving Your Own Voice
Let’s quickly touch on an idea that goes hand-in-hand with Impostor Syndrome: What if you don’t love your voice? Let’s start with a quote from a studio owner in LA.
“Voice Acting is not about rejection. It’s about selection.”
Here’s the proof: listen to all the voices you hear in a day in media. The announcements at your local grocery store, the radio commercial on your drive to work, that new MacBook commercial, the eLearning you’re required to take, that person you’re stuck listening to when you’re on hold with customer support. Would you say they are objectively a “Good Voice”?
The idea here is that the golden radio sound of yesteryear isn’t booking every job out there. More and more, it’s about the right voice for the project, not the best voice ever known. Typically, the right voice for a project is a real voice. A genuine voice. Your voice is real, yes? Then guess what! You have a voice for voice acting.
Overcoming Self-Doubt
Both Impostor Syndrome and the fear of not having a “good voice” highlight a crucial point: sometimes, the biggest obstacle in your path is you. Next time you doubt yourself, pause and ask, “Why not?” What harm could come from trying? You might find that once you stop telling yourself you can’t, no one else is stopping you either.
If voice acting is part of the story you want to tell, you’re in the right place. Check out my free eBook to help you get started. Believe in yourself, and tell Impostor Syndrome to take a hike. It’s time to get behind the mic and let your authentic self shine.
