Imposter syndrome is a well-worn topic in the world of creatives, for good reason, most of us have felt it. That lingering voice that says you’re not original enough, not talented enough, or not worthy of being in the room. But for advertising creatives, there’s a specific flavor of impostor syndrome that’s tied not just to self-worth, but to the very nature of how we make things.
The truth is the best and most experienced creatives I have worked with are masters of reference. Scroll through their mood boards, and you’ll find legendary campaigns, niche art books, underground films, memes, fashion editorials, and vintage oil cans from the 1970s. Their brains are libraries of culture and commerce.
And that’s the job.
Being creative isn’t about coming up with something from thin air. It’s about being a curator of taste. A translator of culture. We build by referencing. We remix, reshape, and reframe. We make things feel new by knowing what came before.
And yet—that’s exactly where impostor syndrome sneaks in.
Because when your job is to know what’s been done, everything you do can feel like it’s been done before. It’s easy to look at your work and think, Is this even mine? Did I just Frankenstein together a bunch of other people’s ideas? Even when a campaign is smart, effective, and beautiful, it can still feel like a cover song.
But here’s the paradox: original ideas are built from borrowed parts. That doesn’t make them less creative. It makes them contextually creative. And that’s what advertising demands. You're not inventing art for art’s sake—you're creating stories that sell, visuals that persuade, ideas that connect. You’re hacking attention in a crowded marketplace. That takes skill, not just inspiration.
Imposter syndrome thrives in silence. But when we start talking about how the creative process actually works, how reference is part of the craft, not a cheat code, we take its power away.
So if you’re feeling like a fraud, it probably means you’re paying attention. You’re aware of the work that shaped you. You’re tuned in. That’s not a weakness. That’s your edge, lean in and be proud of it.
