Imposter Syndrome
Elise Moss
For my creative piece, I chose to focus on wellbeing in doctors and medical students across the pandemic. From my own personal experience and those of my friends studying medicine, quite a difficult challenge to deal with this year was a version of ‘imposter syndrome’- the overwhelming belief that you are almost undeserving of your place at university. So, I chose to base my creative piece on this challenge, as it is something that has been at the forefront of my first-year experience and I am trying my best to overcome it.
For my creative medium, I chose both graphite and coloured pencils to create a sketch. I picked this particular medium as I feel it gave me the chance to accurately convey the emotions that come with ‘imposter syndrome’. For example, I used the coloured pencils to create the idea of a mask, highlighting the outward portrayal of the subject to the public. Whereas the tonal qualities of the graphite pencils allowed me to create/ portray the depth of their emotions and the struggles they feel.
Effective Consulting, Year One, 2021
This is a really powerful piece of art work. Underneath the mask the girl is in black and white, which could represent the loneliness of not feeling like you belong and not feeling like you deserve to be at medical school. The mask is colourful, which could symbolise the facade of having everything under control – the world is more forgiving when you are thriving and you have to be colourful like the world to fit in. The neutral expression of the mask could represent not being allowed to express your true feelings to the outside world and the blank facial expression underneath shows that even when the mask is briefly removed – the person underneath has become like their mask – detached from feeling anything. She feels that her reality is sad, grey and emotionless.
I personally resonate with this piece a lot. There’s a lot of pressure to put on a facade of sorts when in an unfamiliar environment and surrounded by new people. The contrast between the grey of the girl’s face and the colourful mask is stark, and I think the artist does a good job of portraying how the “perfect” mask that we feel obligated to put on can affect us personally. When we attempt to paint ourselves to be better and brighter and more outgoing than we are in front of others, we tend to feel drained in the process, or that we’ve lost a bit of ourselves. This makes you feel like the “real you” doesn’t actually belong there, and exacerbates the imposter syndrome that we may already be struggling with.
* I love how relatable this piece of art is and how it speaks to many, especially those in more competitive/high-level settings. I also love the idea of a fraudulent mask and feeling like one’s self simply isn’t enough for society shown by the contrast between the coloured pencils used to create a ‘fair, dainty’ mask hiding a ‘dull, pale’ face underneath it.
I thought this piece was so minimal, yet meaningful. I felt like it was very relatable in showing how medical students can feel like they don’t fit in with the stereotypical image they should portray of an intelligent, confident aspiring doctor, hence having to put on the mask to ‘match’ it. Witnessing the role and responsibility of medical professionals as the knowledgable care providers of society and knowing that we have to live up to that can be quite overwhelming and damaging to an individuals’ self-confidence. An alternative view I had was that maybe the fact that the mask is able to be removed can mean that there are some moments at which they are at peace with who they are and can take off the mask when they feel comfortable to.
I found this piece of artwork captivating because of the contrast in the colours and the expression behind the work that captivates so perfectly ‘imposter syndrome’. The artist considers themselves in graphite-grey but their person-mask is in colour. The mask signifies the outward persona of the person, but behind the mask is a stone-grey and colourless expression of emotion and feelings. I feel this is a feeling which could resonate strongly with almost any medical student for there are invariably times when all of us will feel we are acting as an imposter.
This piece really resonated with me because imposter syndrome is something that I have noticed I struggle with and a lot of other medical students seem to have similar struggles. This art piece is really effective in portraying this feeling, as the colourful depiction of the mask shows that often a lot of medical students struggle with imposter syndrome but they do not show it, and put up this colourful “mask” – but really, underneath there is this feeling of not belonging that is less colourful and quite isolating, which is effectively portrayed here by the black and white drawing of the individual under the mask. In addition, I think that this drawing starts to show how to help overcome imposter syndrome. The individual is starting to take off the mask to reveal her true self, which echos how talking openly and revealing one’s imposter syndrome to others in similar situations can help combat it and help break the pattern of feeling so undeserving and isolated.
– Sticks out to me as coming from a different background I often feel this and feel as though I’m blagging my way through this journey
– The idea of putting on a face I think is common amongst students as they often try to hide how they’re actually feeling regarding work and want to constantly seem as though they’re on top of things which stops people being able to openly discuss struggles.
– If we’re not open to people how can we expect them to be open back but in the context of doctor patient relationship I think it also sometimes necessary to put on a face and present a certain way because they can’t see how you’re feeling and how you’ve been effected by other things in your day.
What I like most about this piece is that it mirrors the feelings and struggles that many medical students and doctors go through at some point in their careers. Through the use of the mask, the piece displays how many present a different version of themselves to the world, although the reality is very much different on the inside. This principle is further reinforced through the use of colours in the piece, with the colourful nature of the mask insinuating that the person presents themselves to the world with energy and outwardness, which completely contradicts the monotone colours of the face the mask is covering. The lack of colour in the face to me means two things, firstly the person behind the mask is not as expressive as the one given off by the mask and can be a completely different person, with the mask only acting as a façade. Secondly, to me it could be interpreted that the effort of presenting oneself as someone different is draining the real person behind the mask, and may even be causing them to suffer because of this.
I think that the differences is colour are stark and reflect the nature of imposter syndrome and stigma, as the mask is in bright colour and the face is monotone, it shows how one may put on a front to the people around them and not show their true colours in order to avoid being ousted as a fraud. It also shows how the mask sees the light of day whereas the true feelings of the person are hidden away from their peers.
I found this piece interesting as it shows the complexities of imposter syndrome in medical students. The artist skilfully portrays a woman’s face in black and white, capturing the raw vulnerability and authenticity of the individual. Yet, it is the carefully designed coloured mask delicately unravelling from her face that is the highlight. The coloured hues represent the facade that aspiring medical professionals wear, concealing the insecurities and doubts instead showing a colourful and vibrant personality which is all an act. As the mask begins to peel away, the façade unravels and the viewer is invited into the profound exploration of imposter syndrome, a struggle that resonates universally but is prevalently felt within medics. The piece not only sparks a visual dialogue but also serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of acknowledging and addressing the internal battles faced by those who strive to heal.
The part of this artwork that I find most interesting is the way that imposter syndrome is depicted with a mask, as if one is covering how they are feeling. The way that the face is in black and white in comparison to the coloured mask depicts how one can be feeling raw emotions that can be darker than they convey, for example loneliness and a feeling that they don’t belong in comparison to happier, colourful emotions that you would want others to see. I chose to look at this piece because I think it is relatable for first year medical students being in a new environment which can be very overwhelming, especially when surrounded by new people.
I like how relatable this piece is to many of us. I feel that it really resonates with me, being new to university and trying to find my feet in a new place whilst completing work at a higher workload than previously used to. It is easy to compare to others, but many may be wearing a mask, not wanting to show their struggles to others.
I found this piece of artwork particularly resonated with me. Navigating medical school in the first semester has been an exciting challenge, but also at times it is easy to feel a sense of not belonging due to the competitive atmosphere and constant need to excel. I feel these emotions are depicted in this artwork. The mask being in colour shows the front that medical students feel they are required to put on – a constant joy and happiness, however the mask revealing the face in black and white conveys that every medical student experiences their struggles, whether that be keeping up with the heavy workload or adjusting to university life. In the actual face, I can also see a slight sadness in her eyes, once again depicting the imposter syndrome and the feeling of doubt about ones abilities and accomplishments.