Let's talk about the real imposter in the room

My inner critic is not only a pain in the backside, they're also the biggest imposter of them all. And chances are yours is too.

I'm talking about the sneaky little voice whispering doubts and criticisms in your ear. You know, the one that makes you feel like a complete fraud, even when you're smashing it? Yeah, that b*gger! Mine loves to show up when I'm trying to be creative, like, "Oh, you think you can write? You're kidding yourself, you hack!" Classic Imposter Syndrome, am I right? (I call this particular critic 'Alan').

Case in point, last week I was supposed to be writing this blog post. "Due tomorrow," my to-do list screamed at me. But instead of facing the blank page, I binged the entire new season of Squid Games (don't judge). Anyway, while I was watching, "The Imposter" (or should we say, Alan) was having a field day. "You're so lazy," Alan sneered. "You're a waste of space. You'll never amount to anything." Sound familiar? This voice, this constant barrage of negativity, it's exhausting.

Now, you might think I should just ignore it. "Easy for you to say," I hear you. But it's not that simple. This isn't just some random voice in my head; it's deeply rooted in my past. Years of societal conditioning, parental expectations, and the constant pressure to be perfect have created this inner critic, this relentless judge and jury. 

And do you know what, it's f**king exhausting! Alan may present himself as an innocuous Chappy but, believe me, he can be a right sneaky so and so. 

So, how do you shut it up? How do you tell your Alan to go do one?

Well, you can't exactly reason with it. It's like arguing with a drunk uncle at a wedding – pointless, potentially explosive and likely memorable for the wrong reasons.

So instead, I've started to treat it like a wounded child. See, this inner critic, at its core, is just scared. Scared of failure, of judgment, of not being good enough. And like any scared child, it lashes out. So, instead of fighting back, I try to offer it some compassion. I remind myself that everyone struggles, that self-doubt is normal, and that it's okay to not be perfect. Sometimes, I even imagine giving that inner child a virtual cuppa tea and a sympathetic ear. Weird? Maybe. Effective? Surprisingly so.

Of course, finding humour in the whole thing helps too. That's why I created "The Imposter" – my collection of art, doodles, and creative ramblings. It's a way for me to process these negative thoughts, to find the absurdity in them, and to turn them into something positive. It's a form of therapy, a cathartic release, and a reminder that I'm not alone in this battle with the inner critic.

So join me as I shout it from the rooftops.... "Do one Alan!"