Being a creative freelancer means that you often say “yes” to things that you’re not 100% sure we can do (yet).

In a world of authentic marketing, “faking it” can feel disingenuous. But here’s the distinction that will ease those feelings. Faking it is not about tricking others into believing you can do something. It’s about tricking yourself into believing you can do something, so that you can push through the fear.

Humans are hard-wired to avoid risk and faking it allows us to push the fear aside and seize opportunities that come our way. The good news is, the more we push through that fear by faking it and take on new challenges, the better we become at our job and the more valuable our services become to others.

Not sure how to “fake it til you make it”? Here are 5 strategies.