I surf the web quite often looking and admiring other peoples' work. I have two art groups in Facebook and a member of another large art group where many of my friends (local and online) share their work. If I'm in one of my iffy (vulnerable) moods, I can find myself comparing my work to others I admire and start feeling self doubt. It can awaken that negative inner critic I try to keep at bay. I've caught myself feeling "why do I bother," or wishing I could sketch or paint like so and so, and I'm sure you can think of other thoughts that might enter one's head when caught in the trap of comparison.
Yesterday, I thought I would add this to my journal to refer back on as a reminder. To help get me back on track, when necessary, keeping in mind why I keep art journals to begin with. Although I share hoping to inspire other people, I do this for myself. I don't work on commission or sell for that matter....nor do I compete in shows. My journals are an outlet where I can escape to. They are a source of activity I can still do after having to give up so many other things I used to love, like gardening, hiking, bowling, etc. They are my visual diary keepsakes for family. My journals help with boredom and therapeutic in nature to focus on something positive........a safe place I can go. If I HAVE to compare with anyone, it should be only with myself :-)
1 comment:
Yes, I agree—we should only compare ourselves to ourselves. Since we are so familiar with our own work, we often don’t notice improvement along the way. However, recently I was going through old paintings that were boxed up in the attic. Boy was I surprised when I opened them up. The paintings I once thought were fairly good, I now perceived to be awful and can’t believe I thought they were decent. So that actually made me feel good about my art—I can actually see how far I have progressed through the years.
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