I was with the young people last night. Imposter-ing with the best of them. Mesmerised like everyone else by Montaigne at the Corner Hotel.
My heart sang (not my actual voice because tone deaf man!), I shuffled around a little and then she practically made us all cry, with the honest and raw inspiration of her newest song.
I do not want to tell her story, or stuff it up by paraphrasing it… but the upshot was that she’d never be Nick Cave.
And it was bloody heart wrenching listening to her story. I know, it sounds trivial right? But if you’ve ever felt like an imposter, you know it’s so far from trivial.
But, I stood there thinking…
The brave, unique, spectacularly talented, performer who has won awards, who continually puts herself out there for different causes, who has the world at her feet, had a rather big moment of imposter syndrome, of wanting to be the same as Nick Cave.
Much as I love Nick Cave, thank god she isn’t, because we already have Nick Cave. The world needs Montaigne.
Anyway, story told, she sang the song. It was beautiful. And then she sang a few more. Good night.
And timely reminder that I will never be Mem Fox, Jackie French or even one of my “friends what writes good”.
I’ll always be me. And maybe that’s a good thing.
