1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,960 Your journey to become interior design is going to be difficult. 2 00:00:02,960 --> 00:00:06,000 It's going to be hard. It's going to take growth with 3 00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:07,280 that. You're going to have all these 4 00:00:07,280 --> 00:00:10,760 feelings of self doubt that are allowed, but that doesn't mean 5 00:00:10,760 --> 00:00:13,680 it's true. A beginner's not an imposter. 6 00:00:13,680 --> 00:00:15,560 Beginner's someone who is in process. 7 00:00:15,760 --> 00:00:19,280 And so you're not behind. You are building that you are 8 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:22,200 becoming a better designer that you want to be. 9 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:25,960 I mean every designer. You mean 20 years in for me, I 10 00:00:25,960 --> 00:00:30,120 am endeavoring to become a better designer in my process, 11 00:00:30,120 --> 00:00:33,880 in my designs for my client. And so it should never stop 12 00:00:33,880 --> 00:00:38,840 because we as designers love vision, love to improve, love to 13 00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:44,280 see how interiors can go from looking one way and be improved 14 00:00:44,280 --> 00:00:46,840 and become better. And so we we apply that same 15 00:00:46,840 --> 00:00:49,960 thing, whether it's subconsciously or consciously to 16 00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:54,400 our own lives, to our own businesses, to our own feelings 17 00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:59,040 in the career. You're now listening to design 18 00:00:59,040 --> 00:01:03,160 curious, a place where you creative one, are here to learn 19 00:01:03,160 --> 00:01:06,200 about what it really is like to be an interior designer. 20 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:09,440 And I'm your host and mentor, Rebecca Ward. 21 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:14,160 If you're worried about how to succeed in a creative career, if 22 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:17,000 you're ready to learn your next steps to become an interior 23 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:21,400 designer, and if you want the satisfaction of doing something 24 00:01:21,400 --> 00:01:24,840 you love every day, you are in the right place. 25 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:29,240 Grab a coffee, a notebook, and let's dig into today's episode. 26 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:34,640 Hello and welcome to episode 193 of Design Curious podcast. 27 00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:39,840 Today on the podcast, we are covering once again, impostor 28 00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:42,680 syndrome. I'm especially talking to the 29 00:01:42,680 --> 00:01:46,840 new designers out there, but I know that even well seasoned 30 00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:49,120 designers experience this as well. 31 00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:53,720 And so we can get into that in the episode about what's 32 00:01:53,720 --> 00:01:57,240 happening on the inside when you're facing imposter syndrome. 33 00:01:57,280 --> 00:02:01,240 I've talked a little bit in a couple episodes past about, you 34 00:02:01,240 --> 00:02:06,000 know, your contract can help to give you confidence and that 35 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:10,840 having systems and other things like that leading the client and 36 00:02:10,840 --> 00:02:14,560 all those things. But there's kind of other parts 37 00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:17,760 that you want to pay attention to when you are experiencing 38 00:02:17,760 --> 00:02:20,240 imposter syndrome. And we're going to talk about 39 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:23,600 that in the episode. I do want to mention that if you 40 00:02:23,600 --> 00:02:27,000 are experiencing imposter syndrome and you're a new 41 00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:32,280 designer and you're not sure how to move past it even after 42 00:02:32,280 --> 00:02:35,480 listening to this episode, then why don't you join my design 43 00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:39,680 mentor? It is a great time to join right 44 00:02:39,680 --> 00:02:43,640 now because first of all, it's always a great time. 45 00:02:43,720 --> 00:02:49,800 But next we are actually going to be increasing the price of My 46 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:52,000 Design Mentor. You know, I haven't done that 47 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:55,400 for a while, but I think it's time and we're going to do that 48 00:02:55,400 --> 00:03:00,000 July 1st in coordination with Launch Your Business Boot Camp. 49 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:05,120 So if you sign up for My Design Mentor this month or Launch your 50 00:03:05,120 --> 00:03:08,280 Business Boot Camp for the summer session, then you're 51 00:03:08,280 --> 00:03:12,760 going to get the standard rates that are current right now, but 52 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:15,640 it's going to go up in July. So if you join My Design Mentor 53 00:03:15,640 --> 00:03:19,760 in July or if you do boot camp in winter, you're going to have 54 00:03:19,760 --> 00:03:21,960 the higher rate. So I recommend getting in there 55 00:03:21,960 --> 00:03:25,160 now. You can stay in as long as you 56 00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:28,640 like in mentorship as long as you need it. 57 00:03:28,640 --> 00:03:32,360 And so might be worth your while just to hop on now, even if 58 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:35,560 you're not sure you have enough time, because it's really an 59 00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:41,680 affordable rate of $47 a month to just have access to me access 60 00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:44,080 to all these learnings. So check it out. 61 00:03:44,480 --> 00:03:47,040 OK, now let's talk about imposter syndrome. 62 00:03:47,720 --> 00:03:51,320 So the first point we're going to talk about is that imposter 63 00:03:51,320 --> 00:03:55,360 syndrome is really often a sign of growth. 64 00:03:55,960 --> 00:04:00,440 And having imposter syndrome is not proof that you don't belong 65 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:04,120 to whatever you're doing. So in this case, it would be 66 00:04:04,360 --> 00:04:08,720 becoming an interior designer or starting your own business. 67 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:14,920 It's very common to feel that way. 9 out of 10 designers I 68 00:04:14,920 --> 00:04:18,839 talked to admit to feeling imposter syndromes at some point 69 00:04:18,839 --> 00:04:22,360 or another. So it's so common, and it really 70 00:04:22,360 --> 00:04:24,400 just means that you're stretching into something 71 00:04:24,400 --> 00:04:27,880 bigger. I am a huge advocate for growth, 72 00:04:28,480 --> 00:04:31,880 personal growth, change. Even though it's hard, I 73 00:04:31,960 --> 00:04:33,600 sometimes will resist change as well. 74 00:04:33,600 --> 00:04:36,960 But change is hard. But it's always good for us to 75 00:04:36,960 --> 00:04:40,040 go through change. But that resistance is kind of 76 00:04:40,040 --> 00:04:43,360 what you feel when you you're experiencing imposter syndrome. 77 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:47,760 An interior design especially feels personal because it's 78 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:52,600 reflecting some projects and some vision that you have had 79 00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:55,920 that you've created. And so you're putting your work 80 00:04:55,920 --> 00:05:00,480 out there as an artist of applied arts that you are now 81 00:05:00,480 --> 00:05:02,960 vulnerable to the person receiving it. 82 00:05:02,960 --> 00:05:06,440 So that would be your client. Or as your projects get bigger, 83 00:05:06,440 --> 00:05:09,760 you're going to be submitting them for awards and 84 00:05:09,760 --> 00:05:12,680 publications. And so that makes you vulnerable 85 00:05:12,680 --> 00:05:15,320 as well. And you might be looking around 86 00:05:15,480 --> 00:05:20,080 at other designers, what's out there on Instagram, what's in 87 00:05:20,080 --> 00:05:23,880 the magazines. And it's so easy to compare with 88 00:05:23,880 --> 00:05:28,120 someone else and say, Oh, my projects don't look as polished 89 00:05:28,120 --> 00:05:31,360 as that person's. But you can't really compare 90 00:05:31,360 --> 00:05:35,080 your beginning with someone else's middle or even the end of 91 00:05:35,080 --> 00:05:37,240 their career. You're going to be in different 92 00:05:37,240 --> 00:05:39,040 places. You're not looking at their 93 00:05:39,040 --> 00:05:41,680 beginning photos. I'm sure their photos start to 94 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:45,360 help the same way as yours. Social media makes everyone else 95 00:05:45,360 --> 00:05:49,120 look good, right? It's all polished, established. 96 00:05:49,280 --> 00:05:53,000 They're showing the highlight reels often, even though there's 97 00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:57,000 a movement to show a little more realistic side of things. 98 00:05:57,000 --> 00:06:01,640 It really is curated still, because no one wants to be that 99 00:06:01,640 --> 00:06:03,680 vulnerable and no one wants to be judged. 100 00:06:03,960 --> 00:06:07,520 There's just really very few people out there who don't care 101 00:06:07,600 --> 00:06:12,200 what other people think, right? So we are programmed as humans 102 00:06:12,200 --> 00:06:16,200 to want to be accepted by a tribe to our peers. 103 00:06:16,240 --> 00:06:19,840 And so that is what is happening when you're looking and 104 00:06:19,840 --> 00:06:23,040 comparing. But as they say, comparison is 105 00:06:23,040 --> 00:06:25,920 the thief of joy and we don't want to take the joy out of your 106 00:06:25,920 --> 00:06:27,640 career, out of something that you love. 107 00:06:27,960 --> 00:06:30,600 So we're talking about that. It's a sign of growth, but also 108 00:06:30,600 --> 00:06:33,960 don't compare. So that feeling of self doubt 109 00:06:34,240 --> 00:06:37,520 does not mean that you're in the wrong room that like, oh, I 110 00:06:37,520 --> 00:06:40,600 don't belong here with all of these great designers. 111 00:06:40,640 --> 00:06:43,440 You go to market and you see all the celebrity designers talking 112 00:06:43,440 --> 00:06:45,880 on a panel and you're like, I could never, I'll never be 113 00:06:45,880 --> 00:06:47,960 there. I'll I'll never be like that. 114 00:06:47,960 --> 00:06:51,360 But all those people were where you were when they were starting 115 00:06:51,360 --> 00:06:53,600 out. Some of them took 20 years to 116 00:06:53,600 --> 00:06:57,560 get there, some took 35. You know, so everyone has a 117 00:06:57,560 --> 00:07:00,840 different path and your growth is going to look different than 118 00:07:00,840 --> 00:07:02,600 other people's. It really depends on your 119 00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:07,040 personality, your willingness to grow, and your willingness to 120 00:07:07,040 --> 00:07:11,680 adapt and change and improve. You're not disqualified just 121 00:07:11,680 --> 00:07:15,600 because you feel nervous being around or presenting your 122 00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:18,640 project to a client or being around other designers who might 123 00:07:18,640 --> 00:07:22,400 have a huge portfolio. So you're very capable even 124 00:07:22,400 --> 00:07:26,160 though you might feel insecure. And again, feelings are just, 125 00:07:26,360 --> 00:07:29,240 we've talked about way back. If you want to look back to 126 00:07:29,240 --> 00:07:33,280 episodes where we talked about mindset and that feelings are 127 00:07:33,280 --> 00:07:37,200 really just thoughts, that you can change your feelings by 128 00:07:37,200 --> 00:07:40,920 changing your thoughts. That is why it's important to 129 00:07:40,920 --> 00:07:43,680 understand. And it made me think a book that 130 00:07:43,680 --> 00:07:47,240 I had to read in high school called The Road Less Travelled. 131 00:07:47,880 --> 00:07:51,400 And one of the lines in that book, I think it might be even 132 00:07:51,400 --> 00:07:56,640 the opening line is that life is difficult was one sentence and 133 00:07:56,640 --> 00:08:00,920 the next sentence says, and once you realize that it is no longer 134 00:08:00,920 --> 00:08:05,560 is difficult because your expectation is now that it is 135 00:08:05,560 --> 00:08:07,920 difficult. And so you're willing to accept 136 00:08:07,920 --> 00:08:10,760 that and move on. So you know that your journey to 137 00:08:10,760 --> 00:08:12,760 become interior design is going to be difficult. 138 00:08:12,760 --> 00:08:15,240 It's going to be hard. It's going to take growth. 139 00:08:15,480 --> 00:08:19,240 So with that, you're going to have all these feelings of self 140 00:08:19,240 --> 00:08:22,160 doubt that are allowed, but that doesn't mean it's true. 141 00:08:22,800 --> 00:08:26,120 A beginner's not an imposter, A beginner's someone who is in 142 00:08:26,120 --> 00:08:28,720 process. And so you're not behind, you 143 00:08:28,720 --> 00:08:31,280 are building. So that's kind of where we want 144 00:08:31,280 --> 00:08:38,039 to start with this mindset is that to reposition it from self 145 00:08:38,039 --> 00:08:44,120 doubt to a growth mindset that you are becoming a better 146 00:08:44,120 --> 00:08:47,480 designer that you want to be. I mean every, sorry, you mean 20 147 00:08:47,480 --> 00:08:50,920 years in for me, I am endeavoring to become a better 148 00:08:50,920 --> 00:08:54,840 designer in my process, in my designs for my client. 149 00:08:54,880 --> 00:08:59,960 And so it should never stop because we as designers love 150 00:08:59,960 --> 00:09:05,360 vision, love to improve, love to see how interiors can go from 151 00:09:05,360 --> 00:09:08,400 looking one way and be improved and become better. 152 00:09:08,400 --> 00:09:11,440 And so we we apply that same thing, whether it's 153 00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:14,800 subconsciously or consciously to our own lives, to our own 154 00:09:14,800 --> 00:09:18,280 businesses, to our own feelings in the career. 155 00:09:18,280 --> 00:09:20,440 So that's how we want to position it. 156 00:09:21,120 --> 00:09:24,560 So it's not solved by waiting until one magical day when you 157 00:09:24,560 --> 00:09:28,360 suddenly feel ready. That's never going to happen. 158 00:09:28,520 --> 00:09:32,120 So if that doesn't happen, then how do you actually move through 159 00:09:32,120 --> 00:09:35,680 it? So that confidence comes from 160 00:09:35,680 --> 00:09:37,920 within. You don't, even when there's no 161 00:09:37,920 --> 00:09:41,720 external proof. External validation is never 162 00:09:41,720 --> 00:09:45,640 going to be enough if your internal foundation is weak. 163 00:09:46,240 --> 00:09:52,120 So one compliment, one project, 1 happy client, or one social 164 00:09:52,120 --> 00:09:55,400 media win is not going to permanently fix any of your 165 00:09:55,800 --> 00:09:59,680 insecurities. I've even noticed that as I have 166 00:09:59,680 --> 00:10:03,920 wins along the way, I will quickly move past them. 167 00:10:04,000 --> 00:10:06,880 Like I, I had a project published in a magazine. 168 00:10:06,880 --> 00:10:10,640 Yeah, it's exciting. And then I see the magazine, I 169 00:10:10,640 --> 00:10:13,320 tell the client, post it on social media. 170 00:10:13,440 --> 00:10:17,680 And then the next month I kind of put it on the shelf and now 171 00:10:17,680 --> 00:10:19,880 I've moved past it and I kind of forget. 172 00:10:19,880 --> 00:10:24,080 And honestly, it really serves you well to create a list of 173 00:10:24,080 --> 00:10:27,720 wins that you have ongoing throughout your career that you 174 00:10:27,720 --> 00:10:31,360 can always reference when you're feeling those feelings of self 175 00:10:31,360 --> 00:10:34,200 doubt. Because it really helps to to 176 00:10:34,200 --> 00:10:38,440 hammer home that you have been doing things, you have 177 00:10:38,440 --> 00:10:41,480 accomplished a lot. You do have a lot of wins, even 178 00:10:41,480 --> 00:10:45,440 if it's one here and one there. It's going to help reinforce 179 00:10:45,440 --> 00:10:50,240 that you do things well and that you can design and have 180 00:10:50,280 --> 00:10:54,000 successful projects. Confidence is built through 181 00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:57,200 identity and self-awareness and all of this inner work. 182 00:10:57,200 --> 00:10:59,920 And so you have to pay attention to those beliefs that are 183 00:10:59,920 --> 00:11:04,800 running underneath your fear. So are those beliefs saying I'm 184 00:11:04,800 --> 00:11:07,040 not experienced enough? I mean, these are things that I 185 00:11:07,040 --> 00:11:10,400 hear all the time talking to designers who come through my 186 00:11:10,400 --> 00:11:15,040 mentorship program. Almost all of them have these 187 00:11:15,520 --> 00:11:19,480 questions to me or statements to me that I can see that their 188 00:11:19,480 --> 00:11:21,760 beliefs is that they feel like an imposter. 189 00:11:22,040 --> 00:11:24,240 So they'll say, oh, I don't have enough experience. 190 00:11:24,280 --> 00:11:26,200 I'm worried about making mistakes. 191 00:11:26,600 --> 00:11:31,080 So and so, you know, in my community is, you know, started 192 00:11:31,080 --> 00:11:33,960 last year and they already have like 10 projects and I don't 193 00:11:33,960 --> 00:11:36,880 have any. And then, like, do I need to 194 00:11:36,880 --> 00:11:41,440 take more classes, like do a lot of things in order to be a 195 00:11:41,440 --> 00:11:43,520 designer? Like, you know, and we've talked 196 00:11:43,520 --> 00:11:45,600 about this before, when can I call myself a designer? 197 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:51,080 And today you're a designer. Today you already have been a 198 00:11:51,080 --> 00:11:53,600 designer because it's innate, it's within you. 199 00:11:54,440 --> 00:11:58,560 So really paying attention to those inner voices, those inner 200 00:11:58,560 --> 00:12:02,560 beliefs and thoughts, and that will affect your feelings. 201 00:12:03,240 --> 00:12:08,120 That inner work matters because it affects how you show up, how 202 00:12:08,120 --> 00:12:12,000 you make decisions, how you lead, and how you recover from 203 00:12:12,000 --> 00:12:14,960 things that go wrong. So some things that you could do 204 00:12:14,960 --> 00:12:18,280 to help you identify these thoughts and beliefs that are 205 00:12:18,280 --> 00:12:22,720 going on inside would be to maybe journal about some 206 00:12:22,720 --> 00:12:25,320 patterns or things that you're frustrated with. 207 00:12:25,440 --> 00:12:28,880 Sometimes you can't see it until you kind of get it out, whether 208 00:12:28,880 --> 00:12:33,680 that's verbally into a voice memo or dictation, or you're 209 00:12:34,240 --> 00:12:37,320 writing it out by hand. Any way that you can process 210 00:12:37,320 --> 00:12:39,920 your thoughts? Well, I would recommend putting 211 00:12:39,920 --> 00:12:43,680 it down on paper or in the computer. 212 00:12:43,840 --> 00:12:47,160 And so you can see patterns that start to arise whenever you're 213 00:12:47,160 --> 00:12:50,680 feeling that way and notice comparison triggers. 214 00:12:50,680 --> 00:12:56,240 Like do you feel worse or you feel like you're more of an 215 00:12:56,240 --> 00:13:01,120 imposter when you've been scrolling on Instagram for an 216 00:13:01,120 --> 00:13:05,480 hour as opposed to just going on there quickly to post something, 217 00:13:05,800 --> 00:13:07,840 you know, like another thing and then hop off. 218 00:13:08,160 --> 00:13:11,120 It's like maybe it's a trigger for you to start comparing 219 00:13:11,120 --> 00:13:14,280 yourself to others. You can challenge those false 220 00:13:14,280 --> 00:13:17,240 beliefs that you have instead of just accepting them. 221 00:13:17,240 --> 00:13:21,040 So anytime something negative thought about yourself comes up 222 00:13:21,040 --> 00:13:23,640 and you just say, hey, is that really true? 223 00:13:23,640 --> 00:13:28,400 Like let's explore that. And then Createspace in your own 224 00:13:28,760 --> 00:13:34,000 home for getting grounded, having this time of reflection. 225 00:13:34,440 --> 00:13:38,040 If it's going to work for you, it will probably also be 226 00:13:38,040 --> 00:13:39,640 something that can work for your clients. 227 00:13:39,640 --> 00:13:43,000 So this is going to be like something you can put in 228 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:46,480 practice that you can actually apply to your designing for your 229 00:13:46,480 --> 00:13:50,400 clients homes because they might not be getting imposter syndrome 230 00:13:50,400 --> 00:13:53,760 about being a designer, but they might have struggles other 231 00:13:53,760 --> 00:13:57,080 things in their lives and they need a safe space to get 232 00:13:57,080 --> 00:13:59,960 grounded and reflect. And so by going through the 233 00:13:59,960 --> 00:14:04,560 process yourself of seeing what kind of environment you want for 234 00:14:04,880 --> 00:14:08,080 doing this reflection work that everybody really needs to do. 235 00:14:08,480 --> 00:14:12,680 I mean, I really try to promote healthy lifestyles for my 236 00:14:12,680 --> 00:14:16,960 clients with, you know, like all hint at not having TV's in the 237 00:14:16,960 --> 00:14:21,240 bedroom and like let's have a meditation space or like a home 238 00:14:21,400 --> 00:14:26,280 workout area and things that I can suddenly lead them into. 239 00:14:26,320 --> 00:14:29,040 Like they don't already do that. Just be like, have you thought 240 00:14:29,040 --> 00:14:31,000 about this? Like this might improve your 241 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:33,400 life, right? Like I want to touch all areas, 242 00:14:33,400 --> 00:14:36,200 not just visually of improving their life. 243 00:14:36,840 --> 00:14:39,120 And then if you're really, really struggling, then you can 244 00:14:39,120 --> 00:14:41,240 work with a mindset coach or a therapist. 245 00:14:41,240 --> 00:14:44,800 And if you have this recurring blocking, like I just can't get 246 00:14:44,800 --> 00:14:47,320 past these thoughts. I, I can't think any other way 247 00:14:47,320 --> 00:14:50,720 about myself, then it might be time to turn to a professional 248 00:14:50,800 --> 00:14:53,160 to help you. No judgement there. 249 00:14:53,560 --> 00:14:56,800 People do this all the time. And I've worked with a life 250 00:14:56,800 --> 00:15:01,720 coach in the past before and the mindset issue is just so 251 00:15:02,320 --> 00:15:05,880 revealing. It's so foundational as to like 252 00:15:06,720 --> 00:15:10,800 how you can shift your career to be more successful and more 253 00:15:10,800 --> 00:15:13,600 aligned with something that you want because you've changed the 254 00:15:13,600 --> 00:15:17,440 way you thought. So confidence is not something 255 00:15:17,440 --> 00:15:20,760 that it'll be handed to you when the industry is not. 256 00:15:20,960 --> 00:15:23,840 You don't get it when you get your first award, design award. 257 00:15:23,840 --> 00:15:26,960 It's something that you have to build within yourself. 258 00:15:27,680 --> 00:15:31,120 And so This is why I keep coming back to this topic because it 259 00:15:31,120 --> 00:15:34,880 always comes up with other people, but it's kind of the 260 00:15:34,880 --> 00:15:37,760 hard work you have to do inside. And that like not a lot of 261 00:15:37,760 --> 00:15:39,960 people can hand it to you, right? 262 00:15:39,960 --> 00:15:43,800 So it's something that you have to do within and you have to be 263 00:15:43,800 --> 00:15:47,440 disciplined enough to do it. So confidence is an inside job 264 00:15:47,880 --> 00:15:51,200 and you can't outsource yourself, trust. 265 00:15:51,600 --> 00:15:56,280 And so just think about all that and take some time for yourself, 266 00:15:56,440 --> 00:15:59,560 be kind to yourself and be like, OK, why? 267 00:15:59,560 --> 00:16:02,520 Why am I thinking these imposters thoughts? 268 00:16:02,880 --> 00:16:05,280 I know I'm a good designer. I know I have talent. 269 00:16:05,280 --> 00:16:08,280 So spend some time just noodling that. 270 00:16:08,640 --> 00:16:13,400 And if your inner work does not mean inner work, does not mean 271 00:16:13,400 --> 00:16:16,520 sitting still and just thinking better thoughts, though it's 272 00:16:16,640 --> 00:16:20,400 confident, that also grows when you take action. 273 00:16:20,400 --> 00:16:24,080 So that's kind of the next step in building your confidence is 274 00:16:24,080 --> 00:16:26,320 to take action. And that happens through 275 00:16:26,320 --> 00:16:29,000 repetition. And then the steps that you take 276 00:16:29,000 --> 00:16:32,280 for personal growth. I kind of have a couple 277 00:16:32,280 --> 00:16:36,720 different parts to this section of taking action. 278 00:16:37,000 --> 00:16:40,280 So I am always an advocate for the first part. 279 00:16:40,280 --> 00:16:44,760 I would say part A would be always learning, always be 280 00:16:44,760 --> 00:16:48,920 taking. Like I like having to have to 281 00:16:48,920 --> 00:16:52,280 take continuing education units, even though it's annoying. 282 00:16:52,280 --> 00:16:54,880 Sometimes I have to get a certain amount within a year or 283 00:16:54,880 --> 00:16:58,480 two years to maintain my certification, but really just 284 00:16:58,480 --> 00:17:02,120 forces me to be like, OK, what, what else can I learn that maybe 285 00:17:02,120 --> 00:17:04,200 I need to hone my skills in a certain way. 286 00:17:04,760 --> 00:17:07,000 It really just is going to make you a better designer, 287 00:17:07,280 --> 00:17:10,520 especially if you're new. Be learning, learning, learning, 288 00:17:10,520 --> 00:17:14,160 trying to take courses. I've mentioned before different 289 00:17:14,640 --> 00:17:17,760 courses that you can take like science and design or get your 290 00:17:18,160 --> 00:17:23,319 certified aging in place certificate, or there's a lot of 291 00:17:23,319 --> 00:17:26,760 other programs that even if people have come through the 292 00:17:26,760 --> 00:17:29,960 podcast speakers who have their own courses that you can learn 293 00:17:29,960 --> 00:17:33,000 more things. You can learn how to do AutoCAD 294 00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:36,440 better or Revit or like anything that you think, even if you 295 00:17:36,440 --> 00:17:38,640 don't think it's going to be that useful right now, it might 296 00:17:38,640 --> 00:17:41,960 come become useful later. Take a color course from Ray 297 00:17:41,960 --> 00:17:45,600 Killam. So every week, if you feel, 298 00:17:45,600 --> 00:17:47,600 especially if you're starting out and you're not that busy 299 00:17:47,600 --> 00:17:50,160 with clients yet, like carve out some time every week. 300 00:17:50,160 --> 00:17:53,440 Like one day a week, you're gonna take a class or watch a 301 00:17:53,440 --> 00:17:56,840 YouTube video on how to do something that you don't know 302 00:17:56,840 --> 00:17:59,880 how to do well yet. And it's just so you can become 303 00:17:59,880 --> 00:18:03,360 more aware and more prepared. So carve out that time for 304 00:18:03,360 --> 00:18:05,760 learning. You can learn design principles, 305 00:18:05,760 --> 00:18:08,840 learn process communication, marketing. 306 00:18:08,840 --> 00:18:11,000 I mean, there's so many things that can go into owning a 307 00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:14,280 business as well, like having your own business that you can 308 00:18:14,280 --> 00:18:17,520 learn 'cause that's all things that you know, you like. 309 00:18:17,520 --> 00:18:20,280 I, I can help people with through the mentorship and other 310 00:18:20,280 --> 00:18:22,680 coaches have programs, but you're not going to learn that 311 00:18:22,680 --> 00:18:24,880 in design school. So if you're fresh out of design 312 00:18:24,920 --> 00:18:27,960 school or even if you haven't gone to design school, you might 313 00:18:27,960 --> 00:18:29,200 not know all these business things. 314 00:18:29,200 --> 00:18:32,600 And so there's so many courses you can take to learn how to do 315 00:18:32,600 --> 00:18:36,360 that, or even just interpersonal skills like communicating with 316 00:18:36,360 --> 00:18:40,760 clients, how to read the room, how to know what to say in all 317 00:18:40,760 --> 00:18:43,320 these different difficult situations. 318 00:18:43,800 --> 00:18:45,320 There's always something you can learn. 319 00:18:45,880 --> 00:18:49,200 And so your confidence will grow the more that your knowledge 320 00:18:49,200 --> 00:18:54,080 base grows. So remember that you might be 321 00:18:54,080 --> 00:18:56,480 new, but you don't have to stay new. 322 00:18:56,480 --> 00:18:58,520 You don't have to stay inexperienced. 323 00:18:59,080 --> 00:19:02,120 So every week you can be becoming a better designer and 324 00:19:02,120 --> 00:19:04,800 then share what you've learned. It shows that you're busy, 325 00:19:04,800 --> 00:19:07,360 you're active, you're learning. People love that. 326 00:19:07,760 --> 00:19:12,880 OK, so I'd say Part B then would be practicing in your own home, 327 00:19:12,880 --> 00:19:15,240 kind of like I mentioned earlier, like you can practice 328 00:19:15,240 --> 00:19:20,200 by creating a space for all of this reflection or learning, but 329 00:19:20,200 --> 00:19:22,040 then also practicing on your home. 330 00:19:22,040 --> 00:19:25,840 Like I tell people who are just starting out that the best way 331 00:19:25,840 --> 00:19:29,840 to build your portfolio is to use your own space or maybe your 332 00:19:29,840 --> 00:19:32,840 family members space and just get some vignettes. 333 00:19:33,320 --> 00:19:36,760 Your home is like a laboratory, so it's like a great place to 334 00:19:36,760 --> 00:19:40,320 try out contractors that you might want to use with your 335 00:19:40,320 --> 00:19:43,480 clients. You can try out paint colors 336 00:19:43,760 --> 00:19:48,160 that you want to find your tried and true whites and neutrals and 337 00:19:48,160 --> 00:19:49,560 maybe try it out in your own home. 338 00:19:50,320 --> 00:19:53,160 I'm always telling my clients like, Oh yeah, I have this color 339 00:19:53,160 --> 00:19:55,520 in my house. Like I love living with it. 340 00:19:55,520 --> 00:19:59,200 Or I have this appliance, I have this rug, I have this light 341 00:19:59,200 --> 00:20:01,120 fixture. Like I have all these things and 342 00:20:01,120 --> 00:20:05,480 by me verifying that I live with it, I love it. 343 00:20:05,520 --> 00:20:08,200 You're going to love it too. That word of mouth referral. 344 00:20:08,200 --> 00:20:14,440 It goes so far with the client and practicing making choices. 345 00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:19,200 And living with them is great for getting confidence. 346 00:20:19,320 --> 00:20:24,520 And then oftentimes you just learn by doing, not by watching 347 00:20:24,520 --> 00:20:26,120 someone. Like, even if you're watching a 348 00:20:26,120 --> 00:20:29,160 lot of YouTube videos, you kind of need to put that into action. 349 00:20:29,160 --> 00:20:31,680 And for me, I know that's the case on a lot of things. 350 00:20:31,680 --> 00:20:35,320 Like I can learn, learn, learn. And then it's like, OK, it's not 351 00:20:35,320 --> 00:20:38,480 really going to sink in unless I'm practicing and trying it out 352 00:20:38,720 --> 00:20:42,880 for myself. So practice is still practice, 353 00:20:42,920 --> 00:20:45,320 even if there's no one paying you for it yet. 354 00:20:45,320 --> 00:20:47,840 So you're still designing, you're still working on a 355 00:20:47,840 --> 00:20:50,480 project, even if it's your own home, you, you know, it doesn't 356 00:20:50,480 --> 00:20:52,360 matter. You're still getting that 357 00:20:52,360 --> 00:20:57,280 experience and your talent is increasing each time that you do 358 00:20:57,280 --> 00:21:00,480 a new project. OK, then moving on Part C of 359 00:21:00,480 --> 00:21:05,800 this section on learning, growing through taking action. 360 00:21:06,280 --> 00:21:09,600 So part C is don't be afraid of mistakes. 361 00:21:10,160 --> 00:21:13,200 Mistakes happen every level of business and design, whether 362 00:21:13,200 --> 00:21:15,760 you're in your first year or your 20th year, you're still 363 00:21:15,760 --> 00:21:18,560 going to make a mistake. Sorry to say, We're not perfect, 364 00:21:18,560 --> 00:21:20,960 right? So new designers often become 365 00:21:20,960 --> 00:21:23,360 timid because they're so afraid of getting something wrong. 366 00:21:23,800 --> 00:21:26,120 You're going to get a lot wrong at the beginning. 367 00:21:26,760 --> 00:21:30,280 And of course, like working with a mentor or coach or someone 368 00:21:30,280 --> 00:21:34,160 like that, working for another designer can kind of help shield 369 00:21:34,160 --> 00:21:36,480 you from some of the repercussions of mistakes. 370 00:21:37,120 --> 00:21:40,000 So you can learn it the easy way, but sometimes you'll have 371 00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:42,560 to learn the hard way. That's just the way that it goes 372 00:21:42,560 --> 00:21:45,760 in life. But being timid because you're 373 00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:49,680 afraid to make that mistakes, it can really kill your creativity 374 00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:53,480 and your leadership in your project with your client. 375 00:21:54,120 --> 00:21:58,160 The goal is not perfection. The goal is learning how to 376 00:21:58,160 --> 00:22:01,600 respond well to each situation that happens. 377 00:22:01,600 --> 00:22:08,040 So if you do make a mistake, like for example, you selected a 378 00:22:08,040 --> 00:22:11,920 paint color, but then you wrote the number down wrong for the 379 00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:14,800 painter, and so he picks up the wrong paint, he starts painting 380 00:22:14,800 --> 00:22:16,320 the wall. It's a completely different 381 00:22:16,320 --> 00:22:19,960 color than what you put down. Well, what do you do? 382 00:22:20,040 --> 00:22:24,000 You're going to own that mistake quickly and say stop painting. 383 00:22:24,680 --> 00:22:27,960 You need to figure out what happened somehow I wrote that 384 00:22:28,280 --> 00:22:30,680 down wrong. And then you communicate with 385 00:22:30,680 --> 00:22:33,440 your client and say, this was my fault. 386 00:22:33,800 --> 00:22:37,200 I put the wrong paint color down here and he started painting and 387 00:22:37,520 --> 00:22:39,160 now he has to paint over it again. 388 00:22:39,440 --> 00:22:41,200 But don't worry, this is my fault. 389 00:22:41,200 --> 00:22:43,520 So I'm going to cover the cost of him repainting that. 390 00:22:43,960 --> 00:22:47,920 So you need to solve that problem calmly and not just have 391 00:22:47,920 --> 00:22:50,880 a a meltdown because he made a mistake. 392 00:22:51,360 --> 00:22:53,840 Clients will get it as long as you're taking care of the 393 00:22:53,840 --> 00:22:55,560 problem. You know, it might be a little 394 00:22:55,560 --> 00:22:57,520 annoying, but they're going to move past. 395 00:22:57,520 --> 00:23:02,040 Now if you if you're not paying attention to the details and 396 00:23:02,040 --> 00:23:05,000 you're making mistakes just because you're lazy about 397 00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:07,640 checking things, then that's a whole different story. 398 00:23:08,200 --> 00:23:12,200 Usually, especially new designers are so on top of 399 00:23:12,200 --> 00:23:14,880 everything, they're checking things three times. 400 00:23:14,880 --> 00:23:17,840 And then if something goes still goes wrong, that's amazing, 401 00:23:17,840 --> 00:23:19,520 right? How could it slip through the 402 00:23:19,520 --> 00:23:21,360 cracks? But it, it might. 403 00:23:21,360 --> 00:23:23,400 And then you're going to learn from this lesson. 404 00:23:23,760 --> 00:23:27,520 I keep a running list. I've said before about lessons 405 00:23:27,520 --> 00:23:30,720 learned from each project. It's great to go back and be 406 00:23:30,720 --> 00:23:32,840 like, oh, yeah, I forgot that that happened. 407 00:23:32,840 --> 00:23:36,320 Like, that was a really, you know, pivotal point in like how 408 00:23:36,320 --> 00:23:38,560 we changed our process here because I learned from that 409 00:23:38,560 --> 00:23:40,480 mistake. And then we keep moving on. 410 00:23:41,000 --> 00:23:45,320 So yeah, you're going to make those mistakes, react calmly, 411 00:23:45,560 --> 00:23:48,040 own up to it, communicate clearly. 412 00:23:48,560 --> 00:23:51,600 Mistakes happen. I've had some situations where 413 00:23:51,600 --> 00:23:55,480 the client was not very understanding about a small 414 00:23:55,520 --> 00:23:59,080 little detail mistake that happened, even though I did 415 00:23:59,560 --> 00:24:02,840 communicate clearly and solve the problem calmly. 416 00:24:02,840 --> 00:24:06,320 She, I had other things going on in her life and so she did not 417 00:24:06,320 --> 00:24:09,840 react very well. I can't control how she reacted, 418 00:24:10,160 --> 00:24:14,640 but I still learned from that. Sometimes people are just not 419 00:24:14,640 --> 00:24:17,080 going to be understanding. And then that probably means 420 00:24:17,080 --> 00:24:19,160 that they weren't the ideal client to start with. 421 00:24:19,160 --> 00:24:22,040 Because you really just want to be working with people who are 422 00:24:22,040 --> 00:24:24,960 kind to you. And I'm not going to cheer your 423 00:24:24,960 --> 00:24:27,200 head off just because you made one little mistake. 424 00:24:27,560 --> 00:24:29,760 Have they been perfect their whole lives? 425 00:24:29,880 --> 00:24:32,080 I doubt it. So let's have a little 426 00:24:32,080 --> 00:24:35,800 compassion for each other that we will make a mistake, OK? 427 00:24:35,800 --> 00:24:38,520 So don't aim to be a designer who never makes mistakes. 428 00:24:39,120 --> 00:24:42,040 Aim to be one who knows how to handle them. 429 00:24:42,600 --> 00:24:45,560 That would be a great reputation to know how to handle sticks or 430 00:24:45,560 --> 00:24:48,320 how to handle surprises that come up on the job site. 431 00:24:48,880 --> 00:24:50,920 To have that reputation, I think would be amazing. 432 00:24:50,920 --> 00:24:54,480 And so mistakes don't mean that you are not cut out to be a 433 00:24:54,480 --> 00:24:56,000 designer. Just because make one mistake 434 00:24:56,000 --> 00:24:57,720 doesn't mean you have to throw in the towel. 435 00:24:57,920 --> 00:25:01,000 They're part of how you become an excellent designer. 436 00:25:01,400 --> 00:25:04,760 So just remember that. I know it's hard when you're in 437 00:25:04,760 --> 00:25:08,960 the moment and you're feeling a little emotional and vulnerable 438 00:25:08,960 --> 00:25:12,360 about the mistake that you made, but come back to this episode 439 00:25:12,360 --> 00:25:14,560 and remember that everyone makes mistakes. 440 00:25:14,800 --> 00:25:17,680 You're going to move past this. This too shall pass, right? 441 00:25:18,040 --> 00:25:21,280 And then learning from it and making it right. 442 00:25:21,360 --> 00:25:23,080 It's really just the best response. 443 00:25:23,680 --> 00:25:29,080 And then the last part of this taking action is to adjust your 444 00:25:29,600 --> 00:25:33,920 mentality to adopt kind of more adventurous or a pioneer 445 00:25:34,480 --> 00:25:38,400 mentality to be a leader. New designers need a little 446 00:25:38,400 --> 00:25:41,560 courage as much as they need talent 'cause they're starting 447 00:25:41,560 --> 00:25:45,160 out like you're taking risks. Other people are taking risks on 448 00:25:45,160 --> 00:25:47,160 you 'cause you aren't as experienced. 449 00:25:47,640 --> 00:25:51,720 You need to kind of bolster yourself back up and get that 450 00:25:51,720 --> 00:25:55,360 courage to get out there, right. And so you have to be willing to 451 00:25:55,360 --> 00:25:59,760 go first to try things, trust your perspective and keep 452 00:25:59,760 --> 00:26:04,880 growing even though it you might be wrong and leadership's not 453 00:26:04,880 --> 00:26:07,560 reserved for the most experienced person in the room. 454 00:26:07,560 --> 00:26:10,160 You can still lead your client even if you're a new designer 455 00:26:10,160 --> 00:26:12,800 because you have talent, you have vision. 456 00:26:13,480 --> 00:26:16,160 And if you've been working with me or another coach, you'll have 457 00:26:16,160 --> 00:26:21,040 process that the client will trust you and that you can 458 00:26:21,040 --> 00:26:23,760 always go back and lean on, especially if you have it in 459 00:26:23,760 --> 00:26:27,560 your contract, right. Go listen back to episodes about 460 00:26:27,560 --> 00:26:29,760 how your contracts, your besties, that will give you 461 00:26:29,760 --> 00:26:33,160 confidence as well. Sometimes leadership looks like 462 00:26:33,160 --> 00:26:37,720 taking one brave step before you're really fully proven. 463 00:26:38,080 --> 00:26:42,080 So it's like opening your business, telling people you're 464 00:26:42,080 --> 00:26:46,160 taking on projects even though you haven't really been fully 465 00:26:46,160 --> 00:26:49,480 proven as a designer yet, someone will take a chance on 466 00:26:49,480 --> 00:26:52,840 you. So an interior design kind of 467 00:26:52,840 --> 00:26:56,120 requires a pioneer spirit. Sometimes you're going to be 468 00:26:56,160 --> 00:27:01,560 designing things that are really out-of-the-box and you kind of 469 00:27:01,560 --> 00:27:03,920 have to be willing to try it out. 470 00:27:04,400 --> 00:27:06,640 Sometimes I'll design something, I'll take it to my contractor 471 00:27:06,640 --> 00:27:09,160 and be like, can we build this? Like, is this possible? 472 00:27:09,160 --> 00:27:11,120 Can we make it work? Can you figure this out? 473 00:27:12,200 --> 00:27:15,080 I would like to do see something that looks like this, but I have 474 00:27:15,080 --> 00:27:17,320 no idea how to do that because I've never done it before. 475 00:27:17,760 --> 00:27:21,080 So you kind of need to pioneer like to be the first one there 476 00:27:21,080 --> 00:27:23,880 to figure that out. And those are usually the things 477 00:27:23,880 --> 00:27:28,120 that really make the project or really help a designer to stand 478 00:27:28,120 --> 00:27:31,440 out in their community is because they kind of went out on 479 00:27:31,440 --> 00:27:34,600 a limb and did something that nobody else has done before. 480 00:27:35,040 --> 00:27:38,320 Not saying that every project has to be like that, but you do 481 00:27:38,320 --> 00:27:41,160 need that kind of a spirit, especially when you're starting 482 00:27:41,160 --> 00:27:43,000 out and you haven't done anything before. 483 00:27:43,600 --> 00:27:47,800 So don't build a body of work by waiting until you feel certain 484 00:27:48,200 --> 00:27:52,880 you start to build it by growing, moving, doing, taking 485 00:27:52,880 --> 00:27:56,760 action. Designers who keep going and 486 00:27:56,760 --> 00:28:00,000 have that growth mindset and mentality and pioneer spirit 487 00:28:00,000 --> 00:28:04,480 will kind of surpass others who are just hesitating or standing 488 00:28:04,480 --> 00:28:08,160 still in their career or just like not pursuing that. 489 00:28:08,160 --> 00:28:11,720 So you can get ahead of other designers around you if they 490 00:28:11,720 --> 00:28:13,240 don't have that kind of mentality. 491 00:28:13,640 --> 00:28:17,120 So I hope that speaks to you a little bit and keep bringing up 492 00:28:17,120 --> 00:28:20,280 this topic because it does keep coming up. 493 00:28:20,280 --> 00:28:23,920 Whenever I'm entering someone, talking with even other 494 00:28:23,920 --> 00:28:27,360 designers in my local community, we all struggle with imposter 495 00:28:27,360 --> 00:28:29,160 syndrome. So I kind of wanted to talk more 496 00:28:29,160 --> 00:28:34,440 about the inner workings of that and how to adjust it and kind of 497 00:28:34,440 --> 00:28:38,280 squash it down so that we're taking action, that we're just 498 00:28:38,680 --> 00:28:42,200 going out there taking some risk, being designers that 499 00:28:42,920 --> 00:28:48,120 embrace the future and really build something that we love to 500 00:28:48,120 --> 00:28:56,520 do. So I hope you're feeling 501 00:28:56,520 --> 00:29:02,520 encouraged to do some reflection to stop comparing yourself with 502 00:29:02,560 --> 00:29:05,560 other designers, even though it's super easy to do that. 503 00:29:06,440 --> 00:29:10,080 You are a fabulous designer and I want you to feel that way 504 00:29:10,120 --> 00:29:13,960 about yourself too. So looking forward and I like I 505 00:29:13,960 --> 00:29:20,200 mentioned in the intro that we've got boot camp coming up as 506 00:29:20,200 --> 00:29:25,440 of today, the doors are open to sign up for launch your business 507 00:29:25,440 --> 00:29:27,280 boot Camp. So if you are new designer and 508 00:29:27,280 --> 00:29:29,600 you haven't started your business yet, but you're 509 00:29:29,600 --> 00:29:33,480 thinking about it, Boot Camp is going to be where you want to be 510 00:29:33,480 --> 00:29:36,200 because first of all, you're going to get the great rate that 511 00:29:36,200 --> 00:29:39,560 it's at right now before increases for the winter. 512 00:29:39,560 --> 00:29:43,400 But then also after 8 weeks, you are pretty much launched and 513 00:29:43,400 --> 00:29:45,640 ready to go, taking on your first client. 514 00:29:45,800 --> 00:29:48,800 I'm there holding your hand through the whole process. 515 00:29:48,800 --> 00:29:52,760 You've got other boot camp designers in there with you 516 00:29:53,080 --> 00:29:56,440 going through the whole process. You're all on the same page, 517 00:29:56,440 --> 00:29:57,960 you're all experiencing it together. 518 00:29:57,960 --> 00:29:59,880 You can compare notes. It's really fun. 519 00:30:00,320 --> 00:30:02,000 So I suggest you get in there now. 520 00:30:02,560 --> 00:30:05,160 And then also I have some webinar. 521 00:30:05,160 --> 00:30:06,960 I have a webinar coming up this month. 522 00:30:06,960 --> 00:30:10,720 You can get the link to join the webinar on June 10th. 523 00:30:10,920 --> 00:30:14,640 And then I will do it again live June 24th. 524 00:30:14,640 --> 00:30:17,600 So it'll be the same webinar, but you had the option to attend 525 00:30:17,800 --> 00:30:20,880 June 10th or 24th or if you liked it on the 10th, you want 526 00:30:20,880 --> 00:30:23,440 to revisit, hear it again. You can come on the 24th. 527 00:30:23,440 --> 00:30:28,000 That's fine. That webinar is called Are you 528 00:30:28,080 --> 00:30:30,840 ready to Start Your Interior Design Business? 529 00:30:31,400 --> 00:30:34,760 How to know for sure and what it really costs. 530 00:30:35,200 --> 00:30:39,520 So if that interests you, I encourage you sign up for the 531 00:30:39,520 --> 00:30:44,320 webinar and attend this month, June 10th, June 24th. 532 00:30:44,320 --> 00:30:46,840 I'd love to have you there. All right, that's it for this 533 00:30:46,840 --> 00:30:48,560 week. Next week we'll have another 534 00:30:48,560 --> 00:30:51,360 great episode. And until then, stay creative. 535 00:30:52,880 --> 00:30:55,920 Thanks for listening. If you love this episode, please 536 00:30:55,920 --> 00:30:58,640 leave a rating and a review. This helps me reach other 537 00:30:58,640 --> 00:31:02,400 curious creatives like you. If you have a topic request or 538 00:31:02,400 --> 00:31:05,680 would like to contact me, simply head over to my website 539 00:31:05,880 --> 00:31:12,040 awardesigncom or e-mail me at podcast at awardesign com.