What Do You Do When You Feel Unworthy of Your Own Work?
Some thoughts on shame, silence, and starting anyway.
There’s a quiet kind of block I see often — in coaching, in teaching, in my own reflection.
It’s not laziness.
It’s not procrastination.
It’s not fear of failure.
It’s a deeper kind of wound: the sense that maybe you don’t deserve to make anything at all.
“Who wants to hear from me anyway?”
“Who would care if I made this?”
“What gives me the right to take up space?”
These questions don’t usually arrive in bold print. They whisper. They disguise themselves as busyness, perfectionism, or constant comparison.
But underneath, they speak to the same thing:
Unworthiness.
Feeling unworthy of your own creative life is hard to admit, especially when you’re already seen as “talented,” “productive,” or “established.” But shame is sneaky like that. It doesn’t care how many grants, gigs, or good reviews you’ve had.
Unworthiness shows up quietly, and often in people who care deeply about doing things well.
So I’ve been writing something. It’s called WORTHY.
It’s a short, grounded guide for creatives who want to move forward — not by fixing themselves, but by remembering who they were before they started doubting it all.
It’ll be available in early June as a low-cost PDF. I’ll be sharing it here first.
If you’ve ever questioned your right to call yourself a creative — or struggled to begin, even though you want to — this is for you.
And if you’re willing, I’d love to hear from you:
What does unworthiness look like for you?
What are the stories you’ve picked up that have kept you small?
Feel free to reply. You’re not alone in this. I promise.
Warmly,
Dave
Hi David, I wasn't expecting a response, I was feeling a bit maudlin after reading what you wrote. Thank you for replying.
Yeah, it's a heady mix of all that (and more) that feeds my imposter syndrome - not unusual for a middle-aged woman baptised into RC with all the indoctrination through schooling and church saturation who gave it the flick at 19 - that makes me feel like I've nothing important to contribute, or if anyone ascribes importance to anything I do it's because I'm doing it their way.
I try to write, but I'm time and imagination poor with work. I haven't produced anything of merit for some time, though there are a few pieces on my Stack that are old and maybe someone will read them. I've tried to shake the "why bother" for decades but it's rusted on, methinks. Your advice would be invaluable.
I am worthy because I am a child of God. I am a writer because I love to write. Not because I have gotten five minutes of fame, or maybe years of fame. I have a passion to write and I try not to compare myself with others. God has called me to write in my later years. He has called me since the age of twelve but I let the addictions in the world derail me. When I was washed up on the shores I found God first, and my love of writing was rekindled. I realize people have to earn a living but very very few writers make enough to live on, and their incomes are seldom salaries. Why? There's a gross lack of support for writers in this society. Hopefully we can all pull together and do something about that. In the meantime, I will always write.