(upbeat music)
-: Fake it till you make it.
-: Fake it till you make it, exactly.
-: I'm working on it. (both laughing)
-: The idea of trying to overcome self-doubt is...
-: Doomed. -: That's pretty existential,
that you could get really deep in that.
-: I don't know, have some biscuits,
have a cup of tea. (laughs)
-: We as creatives, like we put so much pressure on ourself,
and trying to like, you know, make stuff perfect.
And I think it's probably like,
from what I see, it's harder for girls than for guys.
I think somehow there is, like,
a level of like bigger self-doubt in girls.
-: Self-doubt I think is something that we all experience.
We're all just human.
And I think, especially, in this industry
where it's constantly evolving,
you need to come to terms with that
you're never gonna know everything.
I hear Aporva and Simon always talk about
how they're constantly learning.
-: We all experience doubt, you know,
even decades into my career,
you kind of question yourself, you're not sure.
-: I think dedicated people are always the ones
who hold themselves more accountable
to the level that they set for themselves.
So it's in those moments that you question
whether you're actually hitting those levels.
I always feel that it's more dangerous
if you never have any self-doubt
because you're not really gonna be
holding yourself accountable.
-: You can be your biggest enemy or your biggest fan.
I try to support myself as much as I can,
whether that means telling myself,
"Mahima, you've got this, you've got this."
Like, secretly whispering to myself.
Sometimes it helps.
-: Because I know how it feels when you get self-doubt.
I think we all do.
You kind of know that people will be hearing this here,
maybe just starting out and like, you know,
you're trying to be like...
-: It's okay, you've got it. (laughs)
-: Yeah, like we all have felt that,
like, we really, really have like don't...
Yeah, don't feel like you are not good enough
just because you might not be exactly
where you wanna be right now.
-: And comparing yourself to other people as well.
-: Oh, comparison's the worst. -: No, no.
Jas: Don't compare.
-: Sometimes I think, "Oh, I'm not that talented."
When I'm comparing myself to my peers,
even though I shouldn't been comparing myself.
But at the same time, good for them that they have talent.
Well, if I don't have the talent that they have,
then I should work on some other stuff.
I don't think it's fair for me
to compare their strengths with my weakness,
and it's also not fair to compare their weakness
to my strength, so.
-: You wouldn't do it that way around,
would you? -: Yeah, exactly.
-: So if I can focus on my own route,
if I'm conquering myself every year, every day, every month,
that's good enough.
-: Self-confidence and self-doubt
can be kind of a real blocker.
Being able to remove yourself from that.
And I almost think to myself,
"There's probably a hundred people
who would love to be doing the work that you're doing,
and be where you are."
So always trying to think about it from that perspective.
Imposter syndrome is a real thing,
especially, in the creative industry.
-: Remember that you are a specialist on what you do
and run with that.
-: I think self-praise is important
to help yourself get over the doubt.
'Cause the doubt is coming from the same place,
that the praise is coming from.
So why can't you combat, you know, combat them.
Think to yourself, you know,
where is this doubt coming from?
Is it based in reality, is it based in fact?
I think it's just taking a moment and thinking, you know,
the self-praise, "Yes, you can."
Where's the evidence to support the fact
that you are a bad producer?
Is there any?
Is there more evidence to support
that you're a good producer?
Probably, you've got a job?
-: The thing that I guess grounds me,
I have to remind myself that at the end of the day,
they picked me and I'm here.
Which means I am capable
and I am worthy of the role that I'm in
and the work that I'm doing.
-: Everyone has their own skillset
and you're working on your own thing.
So having faith that you have something
to bring to the table, knowing that is,
yeah, I guess a good way of kind of battling self-doubt.
-: You definitely get a lot of like belief as well
from the rest of the team.
Like, you would never be put in the situation
if you couldn't do it.
Everyone else believes in you
because you're doing that thing.
It's just like, you know,
you just gotta believe in yourself a little bit.
-: You've been brought in to do something great
based on what you know, your skillset.
So you have the qualities just, you know,
have confidence in yourself and then if you have a doubt,
ask other people, they probably will have a doubt as well.
-: Kind of comes down to the side of collaboration.
Just talking about it with other people
and being like, is this right?
This is what I'm kind of planning on doing.
And then kind of almost, like,
pitch it in a mini pitch to them.
Staying it out loud to them will help you both
sort of understand the problem behind that.
-: Yeah, when I find myself in like these situations
and the way to make the doubts vanish
is always asking someone else,
what they think about what's happening.
And then like, if the doubts are like shared,
Okay, maybe we have a problem
and we act on it.
-: Take energy from others.
Use others positivity and really kind of,
start to be fueled by that.
You know, I'm lucky enough to have
a great creative and business partners,
so we can bounce off each other
and that erases doubt, or it confirms an idea
that is brewing but is a little bit fragile.
-: Not what any one person has all the answers.
So that's why we're a team, that's why we are a company,
and we come together to create things together.
That's how great things are made.
-: Creativity's organic, right?
It's not a linear direction.
And it's a... -: It's this.
-: Just like a studio,
it's a living, breathing thing, right.
And living, breathing things have good days
and they have bad days,
and they have times when they thrive and they flourish,
and there have times when they don't.
It's about having the confidence to know that, you know,
it has its ups and downs.
-: Yeah. -: Yeah.
-: And those times change.
-: It's not like,
this big thing you have to, like, attack.
You know, it's a valid feeling that I think
you can just accept that it's happen or your fear in it
and then, you know, move on.
Just kind of concentrate and something else.
And that's the best way you can deal with doubt,
is just by doing.
-: But I think also sometimes take a holiday.
Take a break.
Because there's more to life than just work.
-: Laugh, smile, goof around.
If you fill yourself with energy, you'll feel good.
-: Self-doubt will always be a part of the Creative Process.
A project that has its ups and downs
and you go along with that.
-: At the end of the day,
you just have to get over it.
There is a point, a tipping point where you feel,
like, you're doing a good job and as soon as you feel that,
I think then you can build on that quite quickly.
-: Let it come, let it go.
Just move on and you know,
most of the time you're gonna be okay.
(graphics chime)