Doubt Vs Confidence

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Some time ago, I wrote a post about Imposter Syndrome and its impact on my work. We all have that inner critic that tells us we are not good enough. As writers, this criticism can be overly loud. However, I have recently slightly altered my perspective on this painful phenomenon. Now I wonder if it is not actually a good thing. Without experiencing doubt about what we are writing, we would think that every single word we write is a masterpiece.

Recently, I listened to the Better Reading Podcast, in which Cheryl Arkle (a great interviewer, by the way; highly recommended) interviewed Craig Silvey, who discussed how doubt can be a beneficial thing.

What he said really got me thinking and feeling better about self-doubt and Imposter Syndrome. If we believe we are not good enough, we will strive to be better.

But now let’s contrast that with Confidence. Without having confidence, we would never write a single word. So in reality, it is a delicate balance between the two.

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