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Why Do Creatives Undervalue Themselves?
Posted by on June 4, 2024 at 2:53 pm
Hence Journal contributor Gordy Megroz asked that question in a feature story recently.
Some of the answers he got were “imposter syndrome,” fear of being labeled a self promotor, and a general hesitancy by creatives to own all the skills they’ve acquired.
Here’s the filmmaker, photographer, director, producer, and dangerous places fixer (and more) Dirk Collins on that topic:
“On a lot of projects, you have to wear many different hats and so, instead of saying you’re a director on a project, you might simply call yourself a ‘filmmaker.’ Well, no, you’re a director, a producer, a talent and location scout, and more. It’s OK to own it.”
To me (this is HJ Editor-in-Chief Marc Peruzzi), underselling yourself is more generational than anything. Younger creatives and athletes started building their personal brands as teenagers on social media. Everyone else has been happy to let their work speak for itself.
Maybe that’s not the best way to promote yourself anymore? Discuss.
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2 Replies
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There is a built in fear as a freelancer, especially in the beginning of a career, to never say no to work. It gives the client all the power to dictate the budget (or so it seems). Pushing back is scary, and a lot of times you can end up losing out on a job to someone “hungrier” and willing to take unreasonable rates.
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