One of my good friends asked me how I deal with self-doubt the other day. I've been a professional photographer for as long as I can remember, and I have always had to keep a lid on how I deal with self-doubt, primarily when I was asked to photograph very famous individuals on a one-to-one basis. I know many of you have also had, from time to time, to deal with your own bouts of self-doubt and insecurities, having to overcome that sometimes persistent imposter syndrome anxiety complex so widely talked about. So this made me think, how do I manage my nagging feelings of anxiousness? Well, for me, most of the time, I have that 'I don't give a xuck' attitude to whether I mess up on a big job anymore, but this statement comes from a position of experience, knowledge and skill; for me, it's about getting the aesthetic right, not about messing up. Like most people, I've learnt to keep a lid on my anxiety, and it's all by embracing self-doubt; I use this as a challenge, something to spur me on. I have a large portrait series commission for this summer, and I've been wondering how to interpret it; and what aesthetic I should adopt. I still can't figure out how best to do this. What will my commissioners think when I present the work to them? What if I get it wrong? What will the audience think? It's causing me anxiety. How do you cope with nagging self-doubt and apprehensions in your creative or business practice? I'd be interested to know. #Creative #Photographer #Anxiety