We can weigh our beliefs against our evidence and experience. If some of our beliefs do NOT make sense, we can change our beliefs, much like we can paint over our art or write over our words.
Imposter syndrome is a psychological phenomenon where individuals doubt their accomplishments. They are afraid of being exposed as frauds, despite external evidence of their competence. According to Forbes, 70% of us have experienced imposter syndrome. Maybe we wonder whether we have fooled people, gotten in over our heads or pretended to be more capable than we are.
I started running in my 40s. When I casually mentioned running, my friends would ask, “Are you a runner?” And I would always say, “No, I only run a few times a week, and I only run a few miles. Also, I have only run one marathon. I run with a lot of friends who are runners, but not me.” And my friends would always say, “Sounds like you ARE a runner…”
Well, now that you say that, maybe I am.
I started writing in my 50s. When I casually mentioned writing, my friends would ask, “Are you a writer?” And I would always say, “No, I only wrote one book, and it only has 10,000 readers. Also, the book has only won one award. It was only published in two languages. I have a lot of friends who are writers, but not me.” And my friends would always say, “Sounds like you ARE a writer…”
Well, now that you say that, maybe I am.
Your Spiritual DNA
I wrote about the connection between creativity and spirituality here.
Last week, my wife and I attended an art retreat with CJ Miller, The Spiritual Artist. In these retreats. CJ hopes to help artists recover their “spiritual DNA,” referring to the ways that they create. During the retreat, we were encouraged to observe our artistic instincts. Did we prefer certain media or tools? Did we use certain palettes or styles? Were our pieces bold or subtle?
My wife is a painter who is very aware of her artistic instincts, her preferred media and tools, and her usual palettes and styles. Although I was in a creative business, and I have long been a writer, I have never been a visual artist. In fact, I created more art in the last four days than I created in the last forty years.
I struggled with some of the projects, and CJ and others coached me throughout the painting process. “Paint your first stroke…. Paint what comes naturally…. If you make a mistake, paint over it…. If you paint something that you like, paint more like that; if you paint something that you don’t like, paint less like that….”
Soon, I realized that their advice was similar to the advice that I received when I first began running or writing (or anything else). Think about how I learned to be a writer. “Write your first word…. Write what comes naturally…. If you make a mistake, write over it…. If you write something that you like, write more like that; if you write something that you don’t like, write less like that….”
“I Am an Artist!”
We can weigh our beliefs against our evidence and experience. If some of our beliefs do NOT make sense, we can change our beliefs, much like we can paint over our art or write over our words.
Near the end of the art retreat, CJ asked all of us to gather in a circle. Then, each of us took turns looking everyone else in the eye and saying, “I am an artist!!” to each of them. Before we started, CJ said, “Now, I don’t want Larry or anyone else to say something tentative like, ‘I’m NOT a real artist, but…'” Since I had been singled out, I volunteered to go first.
An exercise like this requires the speakers to be vulnerable and the listeners to be receptive. For me, it was NOT difficult to say, “I am an artist,” and it was NOT difficult for the listeners to hear it. For others, it was a profound experience, because they probably took their painting more seriously than I took mine. Also, they probably experienced imposter syndrome for many years.
Do you have the syndrome? If I ask if you are a mystic, and you say, “No, I feel connected to everyone and everything, but I’m not special in any way,” then you might have imposter syndrome. Also, if I ask if you are a spiritual person, and you say, “No, I have a profound realization of a Mystery bigger than myself, but I’m not sure what it is,” then you might have imposter syndrome.
We Can Change Our Beliefs
Unfortunately, Christianity is more doctrinal, exclusive, and evangelical than most religions. As a result, many Christians are NOT receptive, and they do NOT respect beliefs other than their own. When I first began examining my own beliefs, I assumed that I would confirm them. There are 2 billion believers, and there is 2,000 years of history. There is a book. What could go wrong?
It is NOT difficult to feel like an imposter when we begin to question narratives that many people embrace without question. Do they know something that we do NOT know?
Today, fewer people believe in virgin births and physical resurrections. More people realize that literal readings of ancient scriptures conflict with 2,000 years of progress in the arts and sciences. Should those who apply 2,000 years of human understanding, as well as their own evidence and experience, feel like imposters among those who rely on literal readings of ancient scriptures? No.
Also, if we remember that all religion is cultural, all theology is speculation, and no one knows anything about God or Ultimate Reality, then we can address our own spiritual imposter syndromes. We can weigh our beliefs against our evidence and experience. If some of our beliefs do NOT make sense, we can change our beliefs, much like we can paint over our art or write over our words.
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