What No One Tells You About Creative Comparison (And How to Stop the Spiral)
“Comparison is hardwired into human psychology..”
You're scrolling through social media, feeling pretty good about your creative progress, when you see it: someone else's stunning project. Suddenly, your own work feels amateurish. Your excitement deflates. That voice in your head starts up: "You'll never be that good. Why are you even trying?"
If this scenario feels familiar, you're not alone. Creative comparison is one of the most universal—and destructive—experiences in the creative life. But what if the problem isn't that you're comparing yourself to others? What if the problem is how you're doing it?
The Comparison Trap
Here's what usually happens: You see someone else's finished work without any context about their journey, their failures, their years of practice, or the specific circumstances that led to that particular piece. Your brain helpfully compares their highlight reel to your behind-the-scenes struggle.
It's like comparing your rough draft to someone else's published novel, or your practice sketches to someone else's gallery-worthy painting. The comparison isn't just unfair—it's meaningless.
But knowing this intellectually doesn't stop the emotional spiral, does it?
Why We Compare (And Why It Hurts So Much)
Comparison is hardwired into human psychology. Our brains are constantly scanning for information about where we stand in relation to others—it's a survival mechanism that helped our ancestors navigate social groups and assess threats.
In creative work, this mechanism goes haywire. Creativity is intensely personal, vulnerable, and often solitary. When we share our work, we're not just sharing a product—we're sharing a piece of ourselves. So when someone else's work seems "better," it can feel like a judgment on our worth as people.
Add social media's carefully curated highlight reels, and you have a perfect storm for creative devastation.
The Seasonal Perspective on Comparison
Here's something that changes everything: you and that other creator might be in completely different creative seasons.
Maybe you're in creative spring—experimenting, playing, just beginning to explore new territory. Meanwhile, you're comparing yourself to someone in creative summer—confidently sharing polished work that represents years of development.
Or perhaps you're in creative autumn—reflecting, editing, preparing for rest—while envying someone in spring's fresh enthusiasm for new projects.
When you understand creative seasons, comparison becomes less about "better" or "worse" and more about "different timing." You wouldn't compare a seedling to a fruit tree and declare the seedling deficient. They're simply in different stages of growth.
What the Comparison Is Really Telling You
Instead of using comparison as evidence that you're not good enough, try getting curious about what it's actually revealing:
If you're drawn to someone's technique: Maybe you're ready to learn new skills. What specific aspect interests you? How could you explore that in your own work?
If you're envious of their confidence: You might be ready to share your work more boldly. What would it take to feel more confident in your creative voice?
If you're attracted to their subject matter: Perhaps your creative interests are evolving. What themes or topics are calling to your heart?
If you admire their productivity: You might be ready for a more active creative season. What would support you in creating more consistently?
The Antidote to Toxic Comparison
The goal isn't to stop noticing other people's work—inspiration and influence are essential parts of creative development. The goal is to shift from harmful comparison to generous curiosity.
Harmful comparison asks: "Why can't I do that?" "What's wrong with me?" "I'll never be that good."
Generous curiosity asks: "What can I learn from this?" "How does this inspire my own direction?" "What possibilities does this open up?"
This shift transforms other creators from threats into teachers, and their success from evidence of your inadequacy into proof of what's possible.
Building Your Comparison Immunity
1. Remember the iceberg principle: You're seeing the 10% above water (their finished work) and comparing it to your 90% below water (your process, struggles, and learning journey).
2. Celebrate your own season: If you're in winter, don't expect summer fruits. If you're in spring, don't judge your tender shoots against autumn's harvest.
3. Zoom out on your journey: That piece you're criticizing today might look completely different to you in six months. Creative growth is rarely linear.
4. Practice gratitude for inspiration: Instead of resentment, try appreciation. Other creators are showing you what's possible and expanding your vision of creative potential.
5. Return to your own work: The best antidote to comparison is engagement with your own creative process. The more absorbed you are in your own work, the less mental space you have for destructive comparison.
Your Creative Journey Is Yours Alone
Your creative path doesn't need to look like anyone else's. Your timeline doesn't need to match anyone else's. Your definition of success doesn't need to mirror anyone else's.
What you need is trust in your own process, patience with your own timing, and the willingness to keep showing up for your own creative heart, season after season.
The creative world needs what you have to offer—not a copy of what someone else is doing, but your unique perspective, your particular way of seeing, your distinctive creative voice that no one else can offer.
"The Seasonal Journal for Creative Hearts" includes prompts specifically designed to help you recognise your unique creative journey and find appreciation for whatever season you're experiencing. Learn to honour your own timing and trust your creative process, comparison-free.
Be kind to yourself and nurture your creativity.
With my warmest wishes,
~ Nicola
P.S. If you'd love to explore working with your natural cycles instead of against them, our Creative Hearts Community welcomes you. Join us to discover how much easier the creative journey feels when it is shared with people who understand and cheer you on along the way.
About Nicola Newman
I'm a Creative Business Coach, Award-Winning Artist & Mentor for Creative Hearts who want to flourish, flow & prosper.
My passion is inspiring and supporting Creative Hearts to trust their inner wisdom and carve out a life that’s personally meaningful and fulfilling to them.
I share practical, evidence-based tools for Creative Hearts seeking to improve their lives or businesses. My work draws from acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), mindfulness-based techniques, body-based practices, and neuroscience -- and my own creative living adventures -- among other approaches.
My mission is to support Creative Hearts to:
Dissolve creative blocks, develop a loving relationship with themselves, nurture their creativity and reframe the beliefs and patterns that keep them from following their heart and making the creative contribution they would love to make in the world.
My approach is to embrace gentleness, playfulness and self-care to navigate self-doubt and instead cultivate deep self-trust so you can truly enjoy the creative process, bring together your body of work, make money doing what you love and leave a creative legacy you’re proud of.
Let’s pour a cuppa and get to know one another, shall we? :) Read more about my story here.
