Mental Health Check Part 1: The Industry Secret About Who Can Be a Content Creator
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Here at the Noname Nerd Communities, we’ve talked to countless nerds wanting to get into various content creation categories. We often ask them why they haven’t started, and the response is always some variant of the same answer. “I don’t know how.” “I’m not good enough yet.” We could keep going, but you get the idea. So, let’s take a deep dive into a concept known as “impostor syndrome.” We’ll define it, let you in on the industry secret on who qualifies as a content creator, and we’ll teach you how to beat it by using a student mentality!
What is “impostor syndrome?” Simply put, it’s the belief that you don’t belong at the table. That, for whatever reason, you are not valid at whatever task you are trying to do. Maybe you don’t feel like you are well-versed in the subject matter, or that you don’t have enough experience. Maybe you don’t have top-shelf equipment. Whatever the reason is, you feel like you don’t deserve to be in the conversation. This problem runs rampant throughout nearly all walks of life, from creatives like artists and writers, to academics, to businesspeople. And it is absolutely pervasive within the online content creator population.
What if I told you there is an industry secret to who actually qualifies as a content creator? Are you ready for it?
[Pause for dramatic effect]
Do you create content? CONGRATULATIONS! You are a content creator!
Could it be that simple? Of course! If you stream content, by definition, you are a streamer! It’s that easy. Now, does that mean you are automatically a god amongst streamers? Of course not. But by taking down that barrier, removing that gate-keep, you now have the potential to gain experience and improve.
So, that’s all well and good, but how can we combat this in our minds? The biggest impacts come down to shifting our view from the past towards the future. We have to focus on our growth, rather than our deficits. We have to separate our lack of qualifications or experience from those that we will earn in the process. In life, successful people are always learning and always growing. Ultimately, this kind of student mentality will build you into the content creator that you want to be, rather than preventing you from starting.
There is one huge caveat here: just because you are a valid voice in the room, it doesn’t mean you are the greatest expert on the topic. Even the greatest experts in any field still learn new things from time to time. It’s important to recognize when you don’t know the answer. It’s perhaps even more important in these instances to find and learn the correct answer, rather than pretending you know and being wrong. Again, this doubles back to the student mentality aspect. As you learn and grow in your field--in our example, content creation--if you don’t know the answer, the only way to grow and improve is to find out the right answer. You’ll know it the next time!
Listen. Impostor syndrome is real. If left unchecked, it can stall our creativity and belay our goals. Today, we’ve learned what it is, discovered the secret to being a creator, and learned how to beat imposter syndrome by using a student mentality. The next entry in our Mental Health Check series will take a look at dealing with “the grind” of streaming, so keep your eyes peeled for that one! Have you conquered impostor syndrome? Are you still struggling with it? Tell us all about it in the #nerd-health channel on our discord! Not already a member? Grab the links to our communities at NerdsBelongHere.com! And as always, stay tuned to this blog for more great tips and tricks!
What is “impostor syndrome?” Simply put, it’s the belief that you don’t belong at the table. That, for whatever reason, you are not valid at whatever task you are trying to do. Maybe you don’t feel like you are well-versed in the subject matter, or that you don’t have enough experience. Maybe you don’t have top-shelf equipment. Whatever the reason is, you feel like you don’t deserve to be in the conversation. This problem runs rampant throughout nearly all walks of life, from creatives like artists and writers, to academics, to businesspeople. And it is absolutely pervasive within the online content creator population.
What if I told you there is an industry secret to who actually qualifies as a content creator? Are you ready for it?
[Pause for dramatic effect]
Do you create content? CONGRATULATIONS! You are a content creator!
Could it be that simple? Of course! If you stream content, by definition, you are a streamer! It’s that easy. Now, does that mean you are automatically a god amongst streamers? Of course not. But by taking down that barrier, removing that gate-keep, you now have the potential to gain experience and improve.
So, that’s all well and good, but how can we combat this in our minds? The biggest impacts come down to shifting our view from the past towards the future. We have to focus on our growth, rather than our deficits. We have to separate our lack of qualifications or experience from those that we will earn in the process. In life, successful people are always learning and always growing. Ultimately, this kind of student mentality will build you into the content creator that you want to be, rather than preventing you from starting.
There is one huge caveat here: just because you are a valid voice in the room, it doesn’t mean you are the greatest expert on the topic. Even the greatest experts in any field still learn new things from time to time. It’s important to recognize when you don’t know the answer. It’s perhaps even more important in these instances to find and learn the correct answer, rather than pretending you know and being wrong. Again, this doubles back to the student mentality aspect. As you learn and grow in your field--in our example, content creation--if you don’t know the answer, the only way to grow and improve is to find out the right answer. You’ll know it the next time!
Listen. Impostor syndrome is real. If left unchecked, it can stall our creativity and belay our goals. Today, we’ve learned what it is, discovered the secret to being a creator, and learned how to beat imposter syndrome by using a student mentality. The next entry in our Mental Health Check series will take a look at dealing with “the grind” of streaming, so keep your eyes peeled for that one! Have you conquered impostor syndrome? Are you still struggling with it? Tell us all about it in the #nerd-health channel on our discord! Not already a member? Grab the links to our communities at NerdsBelongHere.com! And as always, stay tuned to this blog for more great tips and tricks!