Stop comparing yourself to other people.
They're at a different stage of their art than you.
Don't worry - you'll get there eventually.
I hear this all the time from bloggers, YouTubers - you name it. It's posted all around the Internet and mentioned frequently in pep talks of all kinds.
It's so easy to hear and think, "Yeah, of course I won't do that. It's stupid."
But then you sit down at your desk and pull up your preferred word processor, and that blinking cursor stares you straight in the face.
And suddenly you begin thinking of all your favorite authors, and their lyrical prose, and their heartbreaking characters, and their intricate plots . . . the list goes on and on.
And your thoughts turn to your own story, and all the glaring typos and plot holes and characters with unclear motivations, and a sinking hole appears in your gut, the type that swallows every good thought you've ever had about your craft.
Replacing the good thoughts are thoughts like these:
I'll never be good enough.
So what if I'm "not at their level of craft yet"? I never will be anyways.
What's the point? My writing will never be as good as hers is.
I'm just not good enough.
And you know what?
You're absolutely right. You're not them. God didn't create you to be them. He created you to be you. And trust me, you are good enough for Him. If you weren't good enough, if you weren't worth something to Him, He never would have created you.
He gave you your talent. And if writing (or whatever your passion is) is something that sets your heart on fire and makes you smile and feel closer to Him, then He will give you the means to do it well.
But there's also the saying of "The Lord helps those who help themselves."
If you want God to work with and through your writing to make it great and powerful, then you have to put in the work.
And no, this isn't always easy. This is a constant struggle for me. Work is work, no matter if it's your passion or not. And work means bending over a desk for hours at a time, pondering word choice. Work means giving 110% of yourself for as long as you can.
Work isn't supposed to be easy. That's why it's called work.
You know what is easy?
Procrastination. Comparison. The thought of "I'll never be as good as any other successful writer, so I might as well watch YouTube for three hours."
This thinking is so dangerous. Not only is it impressing upon you that your skills are worthless, but it's also giving you permission to waste your time.
*slams hand on table* STOP THIS RIGHT NOW. Trust me. You don't want this to become your permanent thought process.
You're thinking this because you're comparing yourself to others and finding yourself and your craft inferior. And because of this, you're too scared to work on your craft because you fear it will never measure up. But in not working hard on your passion, you're also not improving at it. And that's worse than working hard on a project and thinking that it's a failure.
Because failed projects will eventually turn into projects done right. But a project never completed can't ever improve.
Stop comparing yourself to other people.
You're just as good as they are - don't put yourself down.
I see these messages all the time. And they're right, but only on one count.
You can't compare yourself to other people. God didn't create you to be them. God created you to do things only you can do.
But the only way to discover these things is if you put in the work.
So stop reading this post. Go pull up that word processor and stare that blinking cursor down.
And write.
-Nicole <3
What did you guys think? I'm trying my hand at a different type of post - one that's more motivational. Heaven knows I need it. XD If you like it, I might do a similar one in February or March. :D
