Overcoming Imposter Syndrome: A Conversation with Jennifer Givhan and ire’ne lara silva

One of the hardest parts of being a poet can be the critical, self-doubting messages we tell ourselves: that our poems aren’t good enough, that nobody cares about our writing, or that there is no place for our voices in the poetry community. This questioning of whether or not we even deserve to call ourselves poets and this questioning of whether we deserve a seat at the table in the larger poetry community is often called imposter syndrome. For poets whose path to writing may have been different than the traditional course laid out by academia, imposter syndrome might be particularly tenacious and devastating.

But poets can learn to change the dialogue in their minds, and the “not-good-enoughness” of imposter syndrome can be replaced with confidence and self-appreciation. In this interview, poets Jennifer Givhan and ire’ne lara silva discuss how they have chosen to stay rooted in the joy of their own work and their own creative lives, and why challenging the inner monologues of imposter syndrome is so important for marginalized writers, especially BIPOC writers. Jennifer Givhan is a poet and novelist, and her most recent books include the novel Jubilee and the poetry collection Rosa’s Einstein. Givhan is a lecturer and public speaker, and she works as a writing coach and writing consultant grounded in a philosophy of encouragement, mentorship, and transformation. ire’ne lara silva is a poet, ficiton writer, and essayist, and her most recent books include Hibiscus Tacos, a short story collection, and the poetry collection Cuicacalli/House of Song. silva leads a variety of writing workshops, including workshops on Dismantling Doubt and Sitting in Your Power.

Jennifer Givhan and ire’ne lara silva offer their perspectives

ire’ne lara silva says, “I’ve trained myself to stay positive and motivated, and to push that doubt away. Did I turn in the best work I could? Yes, yes I did. Did I feel like it represented what I was working on and what I want to do? Yes, yes I did. Do I feel proud of it? Yes, yes I do. The external judgment of my work is not as important as the internal judgment of my work. So if I feel that I did good and if I feel that I did all I could, then that’s what satisfies me. That’s what motivates me.” silva explores how she cultivates this confidence, motivation, satisfaction, and joy in her own writing life, and she also leads workshops to help other writers develop the skills necessary to disengage from internalized gatekeeping and self-criticism. She says, “It’s more than just an attitude, it’s more than just a list of affirmations.” Staying rooted in positivity and joy is hard work, but crucial work.

“I’ve been a poet all my life, I was born a poet,” says Jennifer Givhan. That identity and that purpose as a writer is intrinsic to who she is, and is not determined by anyone else’s judgments or opinions. “I’ve grown up always calling myself a poet, I’m a poet. And,” she says, speaking of her clients, “I hear so many people say ‘I’m trying to be a poet, I’m working toward becoming a poet’—they think they can’t call themselves a poet or a writer until they’ve published something, as though they’re not worthy yet.” In this interview, Givhan explains why poets need to claim their own sense of worthiness, instead of waiting for someone else’s permission.

Read the poems from the interview

If you loved the poems Givhan and silva read, scroll on to read them again. You can get your own copy of Jennifer Givhan’s poem in her book Rosa’s Einstein, and you can learn more about her books and her consultations at her website.  And ire’ne lara silva’s poem, from her book Cuicacalli/House of Song can be ordered here, where you can also find information about her workshops and lectures.

The full interview

You can listen to the full conversation between silva and Givhan here:

Read the poems from the interview

If you loved the poems Givhan and silva read, scroll on to read them again. You can get your own copy of Jennifer Givhan’s poem in her book Rosa’s Einstein, and you can learn more about her books and her consultations at her website.  And ire’ne lara silva’s poem, from her book Cuicacalli/House of Song can be ordered here, where you can also find information about her workshops and lectures.

Want to hear more from other poets who have found ways to stay rooted in confidence and joy? Check out this interview with Nico Amador and this interview with Peter LaBerge.