Hi everyone. It’s Janine from JSK Stories and welcome to today’s creativity lesson: Don’t Compare.
The other day I was reading something and I thought, “man, I wish I could write something like that.” My enjoyment of this other writer’s work was immediately diminished as I got a little sad that I hadn’t created something like that. And, afterward, when I had some time to work on one of my own projects, I made the choice to do something else instead.
They say comparison is the thief of joy (or, at least, President Theodore Roosevelt said that). And in that moment, it was true. Not only did I lose the joy of the thing I was reading, I lost the joy I could have had working on my own project.
Interacting with the work of other people is important. There is so much to learn from each other and so much inspiration to be found. However, the moment we start comparing ourselves, our work, our ideas, our abilities, our success, our anything to that of another, it can get downright dangerous.
Whether you are lighting a scene, directing a show, or writing a song, your creativity is based on one very special thing – YOU. Your experiences, your life, your likes and dislikes. These things influence the choices you make, the projects that interest you, and the things you create. No one else can create what you can create because no one else has lived your life.
That’s a good thing.
The works of people that you admire – the great movies, the amazing lines of dialogue, the beautiful costumes – are all possible because of the lives of their creators. All of their strengths – and yes, all of their imperfections (because we all have imperfections) – created the details that make them so interesting to you. And when you start comparing yourself to them, you are devaluing your own work. Because it is precisely your own unique experiences – and yes, all of your weaknesses – which will create the work that is so interesting to others.
Creativity Challenge: Visit the work of someone you admire. That can be reading a play, watching a movie, looking at pictures of costumes or sets, listening to a song, or whatever you want. While experiencing that work, write down 3-5 things about that work that you enjoy. Don’t just acknowledge it, revel in it. Give thanks to that person for their creation.
Once you’re done, visit one of your own creations. Don’t judge it or pick it apart. Simply list 3-5 reasons why that piece gives you joy. It can be about the process, the idea, a line of dialogue that makes you smile, or a beautiful stroke of the pen. Give thanks for the experience of creating it and give thanks to yourself for being brave enough to do that work.
And then, with all that joy and gratitude in you, do the next step. Enjoy whatever is created.
Want to share one of the things you created (and why you enjoy it)? You can submit it here. Who knows, we just might share it in an upcoming article or video!