Have you ever been to a wine & paint party?
In 2015, I went to one for a friends birthday. There were about 10 of us and it was a good time.
We shared several bottles of wine & finger foods while following the step-by-step instructions to create a keepsake to hang on the wall.
But I noticed something interesting.
Nearly everyone in the group would “peek” at other paintings throughout the process, and they would ALWAYS find even the slightest difference as cause for criticizing their own painting as flawed.
Maybe they used more yellow in the sky than the person to the left, or they liked the clouds better in the painting to the right… every difference equaled “something wrong” with theirs.
Except, it doesn’t!!!
I see this happen all the time, in all the artist groups I’m in. Please do not confuse admiration of one person’s unique approach or artistic abilities for ENVY — let alone a sign that you aren’t “as creative” as this person.
The key word in that last sentence is “as”, and it’s a symptom of comparing what YOU create with what someone ELSE creates. That is not creative… that is copying.
Instead, admire what others create but always embrace your own unique approach. You might make mistakes, but you can learn from those “happy accidents” and improve those skills that matter most to you.
For what was supposed to be a sunny beach scene, as you can see, I may have accidentally gone a little heavy on the clouds…
But in a group of people going for an identical sunny day at the beach, I don’t mind being the only one who goes for a storm brewing over the water.
Creativity, in my opinion, is about embracing ORIGINALITY.
THIS is why every time I share the monthly challenge I say that I love seeing how differently everyone responds to the same set of prompts.
So if you’re looking at what others are doing to see if you’re “doing it right”… STOP THAT!!! Focus instead on being your own kind of creative, and embrace the journey.