An update on continuing to feel like an imposter, but an imposter that’s trying

A year ago I wrote a post about feeling like an imposter because I no longer work in academia, but that the blog posts wouldn’t stop… That was the last blog post I wrote…

It’s been so long that the interface on the website for writing these posts has changed (please don’t kick me out of the company, Matthew!). Clearly I felt enough of an imposter that I couldn’t think of anything to write about, and instead of reading my worthless drivel I thought you’d be better off without it.

Sorry audience – I’m back now. Been a hell of a year, huh. How are you all doing?

Here at ErrantScience we’ve been busy – Matthew has been a champ at holding the fort while homeschooling his children, and I’ve tried to get his ace cartoons on social media regularly (but often forgot because, well, life, and the fact that 2020 has been about 1 week and 14 years long simultaneously).

It has been fantastic to see lots of people sharing our cartoons on social media and our follower numbers growing – this coronavirus lockdown malarkey seemed to result in EVERYONE coming online. For businesses like us with excellent (ahem) things to share with you, it’s been exciting. But speaking as an individual, it has been very overwhelming.

Coming back to imposter syndrome, every time I contemplated tweeting about something, it just seemed pointless – not only do I have no idea what I’m talking about (yes, yes that’s the imposter monster talking), it would be immediately shoved down the bottom of the timeline because approximately 15 billion other people were tweeting at exactly the same time. Nobody will see it, so what’s the point?

‘What’s the point’ of using social media is a question I think for another blog post or three, but it has definitely been hard to summon enthusiasm to share on my own social media. However I realise as I write this that I have still very much enjoyed seeing and reading other people’s stuff, when I’ve been in the mood.

I have also really enjoyed spontaneously writing this blog post, so perhaps that’s the lesson here – creating content, in whatever form that means for you, isn’t *just* about the reactions of your intended audience – if you get enjoyment out of doing it, then go for it. I certainly intend to write more posts now.

…see you in another 12 months.