Facing the Feeling of an Impostor or “Impostor Syndrome”

Exact Schedule

• Thursday, December 4, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
• Friday, December 5, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

The aim of this training is to demystify impostor syndrome, which is widespread among artists, but also affects cultural workers and even managers in the arts sector. This state can trigger performance anxiety, lead to isolation, affect behavior, and sometimes result in unnecessary career transitions.

The training will examine what impostor syndrome is made of, its manifestations, and what it can create—or destroy.

Topics addressed include doubt, internalization of others’ opinions and criticism, and the use of defense mechanisms. The workshop provides tools to recognize impostor feelings in oneself and to learn how to quiet this unspoken fear, in order to move forward in one’s career with confidence.

Objectives

• Become aware of the damage caused by impostor syndrome.
• Identify the source of impostor feelings.
• Reclaim awareness of one’s own value.
• Better cope with criticism.

Who is this training for ?

Artists, cultural workers, and managers in dance and other artistic disciplines.

Facilitator

© David Sdika Photography

Sophie Brive is a clinical psychologist. For over ten years, she has explored the complexity of the human psyche in all its richness and fragility. In 2021, as the world came to a standstill, she felt a vital need: to protect what remains alive within us. She left forensic psychiatry to dedicate herself fully to working with artists, especially in the performing and creative arts.

Convinced that the body and mind are the artist’s first instrument, she now supports professional dancers as they face the challenges of their practice: performance stress, anxiety, impostor syndrome, and career pressure. Her role is to provide a safe space, attentive listening, and concrete tools to strengthen confidence, preserve balance, and allow performers to flourish both on and off stage. Because caring for the artist also means caring for the art itself.

This training, offered by the Regroupement québécois de la danse, is made possible thanks to the financial support of the Government of Québec through the Intervention-Compétences program of Compétence Culture.