In November 2015, one of my favorite artists released a life-changing album. I'd loved Claire Boucher, "Grimes," for years for her unapologetic weirdness and style that couldn't be seen on anyone else; in short, her bravery in always being Grimes. But, with the arrival of "Art Angels" came the identity-shaking experience of seeing one of my role models playing a whole variety of roles. I realized two things.

First, I'd been fooled into thinking a celebrity--who used a public persona to cope with fame and protect her personal life and beliefs--was the same as her public persona. The second thing I realized was that this was something I unconsciously had been doing myself for years. So here, inspired by a great creative icon of my generation, are some ways having an alter ego (or three, or nine) can be helpful.

Imagining yourself as a more confident person makes you a more confident person. As they say, fake it until you make it. It does actually work. The superhero version of you exists as soon as you step into your superhero attitude and convince everyone you are capable of anything. In this interview, Grimes memorably said: "I've found that if I act like a boss, I can convince myself that I am a boss when I need to be one. I copy things that I've seen politicians and actors do; I make eye contact with people; I try to keep my shoulders back and my head high; I gesticulate wildly and sometimes take long pauses (silence can be very intimidating). I try to act like I'm powerful, onstage and off. I am often treated with disrespect, but I respond as respectfully as I can, because it makes trolls look stupid when you don't stumble."

Facing a new task is intimidating, but playing the role of someone who does it like it's second nature makes it easier. Imposter syndrome can be debilitating and cause you to waste time, feel bad and give up on doing something that you feel less adequate than someone else to do; but as Grimes herself said, "Just because someone has more qualifications than you doesn't mean they're better than you. We live in the age of technology, so you can Google anything you don't know how to do. The only thing you can't Google is how to be creative and unique."

Thinking from a new perspective can help you cope with hard times and focus on the future. You have no idea who you will be in 10 years or a month or after your next meal, so choose your own adventure. I spend a lot of time playing mental dress-up when I feel overwhelmed or depressed about where I am in life. Sometimes I even give myself ideas for real life and pursue them. I once daydreamed about climbing mountains and ended up taking lessons at a rock gym because I realized "wow, that's actually a thing people can teach me to do." Even if all you get out of it is a sweet new hobby, it still feels good.

Overcoming creative blocks is easier when you imagine yourself as someone else. Someone who thinks a different way. Someone who looks at or experiences things differently-colors, sounds, atmosphere, tone. Sometimes it helps to play the role of exactly who you're trying to be, and sometimes it helps to challenge yourself with someone completely different.

You can experiment with things you don't imagine yourself doing but maybe want to try. It might feel awkward and out of character for you, but your new persona is like a fresh canvas or a newborn baby: nothing is out of character once you create the character.

You can stop seeing yourself with limits if you can conceive limitless attitudes. Playing a new role for every challenge or new adventure you face only expands your own abilities.

Seeing who you are rearranged in different ways can be inspiring and empowering. No matter how different from your new persona may seem, you yourself are behind the wheel. Every re-imagined quality still has a piece of you behind it. Playing out your strengths can show you how powerful you are.