Shifting Gears: From Comparison to Connection in Art and Life

I’ve spent some time soul-searching, trying to pin down what exactly led me down a path of burnout and stress. Today, I’m excited to share some revelations with you about mindset shifts that have begun to transform not just my art, but my life.

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The Trap of the Comparison Game

Here’s the truth: the art career is more than a job—it’s a lifestyle. And in this lifestyle, it’s dangerously easy to fall into the comparison trap. You see someone new on the scene, exploding with success, and it’s natural to wonder, “What am I doing wrong?” I’ve been there, scrolling through social media, inadvertently playing this comparison game, measuring my worth against others’ highlights.

But here’s the thing—comparison steals your joy and your unique creative spark. It took me a while, but I realized that comparing was leading nowhere but to more self-doubt.

Turning Competition into Connection

Then came the competitive spirit, not the healthy kind, but a secretive, isolating one. It was me against them, even if ‘them’ were authors I admired or artists I aspired to connect with. But competition, in this sense, only served to separate me further from the community I cherished.

So, I asked myself, “What’s the opposite of competing?” The answer was clear: connecting. As artists, we’re in this together, crafting unique pieces that speak our truths. Realizing this, I began to shift from a mindset of isolation to one of collaboration and support.

Criticism to Commendation

Criticism followed competition. At first, it was directed at others, then at myself. This was perhaps the hardest to overcome. It’s easy to criticize when you feel threatened or insecure. Yet, I knew deep down that this wasn’t who I wanted to be.

Replacing criticism with commendation changed everything. Celebrating others’ successes, understanding the hard work they put in, and genuinely feeling happy for them helped me realize that their wins do not diminish my own. This shift not only improved my relationships but also my self-esteem.

From Complaining to Cherishing

Lastly, the complaining. Oh, the endless cycle of focusing on what’s wrong, what’s lacking, what should have been. It was exhausting. Instead, I’ve started to cherish. Cherishing the good in my life, the successes, big or small, and the simple fact that I get to create every day has brought me so much more peace and connectivity.

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Embracing a New Mindset

So here we are, shifting from comparing to comprehending, from competing to connecting, from criticizing to commending, and from complaining to cherishing. It might sound all “touchy-feely,” but ask yourself—how do you want to live your life? Entangled in jealousy and discontent, or embracing a world where you can truly appreciate and enjoy your journey as a creative human?

It’s a great question to ask yourself.

Have an amazing week, keep creating, and remember—you’re absolutely amazing just as you are.