there's no competition when you're focused on yourself
how to create without comparing
For the past couple of years, I’ve been on an intentional journey of being a lot more consciously aware of how I really feel as I go about my life doing different things; how I feel when I scroll on social media, when I talk to a certain person, after I work out, when resting. It’s part of my ongoing journey to be more connected to myself because I realize that so often, we just go about our lives not consciously aware at all of how we’re actually feeling. And having this awareness is helpful because it gives you a lot of wisdom that can translate into the decisions you make, leading to a life that feels more fulfilling.
One of the things I’ve become acutely aware of recently, is how I feel when I go on social media. Since I started writing more on Substack and also creating video content on my social media, these platforms are now places where I am not only a consumer, but also an active creator. I use social media to express myself creatively and as authentically as possible, with the belief (and the proof!) that the more I do that, the more good things happen.
But now I notice that every time I go on TikTok, it takes no more than a couple of minutes for me to start feeling anxious. I see a lot of writers talking about experiencing the same thing on Substack. The algorithm is delivering me way too much information that I don’t really want to see: One person talking about the same things as you, but getting more reach. Another person who started posting later than you but is going viral faster. Another person covering the same topic but in a different editing style, maybe you should try that. And so on, and so on. Everything turns into a voice in your head comparing what you see to what you do.
When you’re any type of creator and you receive so much of this type of information in so little time, it results in nothing but anxiety about whether you’re doing enough, or doing the right things. And it isn’t actually constructive. I find that my creativity has never been sparked positively or driven by the stress of competition. It’s only ever been at its best when I haven’t been thinking about the outside world at all – I’ve only been creating for the sake of creating, writing for the sake of saying what I wanted to say. It never happens when you’re trying to win a race that doesn’t exist.
Time and time again I see proof that the more you remain intentionally focused on your genuinely authentic expression, the better the outside world will respond too, even if it takes a while. My essay with almost 700,000 reads here on Substack was written after a call with a friend that inspired me, on a quick whim. I could have never written it if I was trying to “write a viral post”. My most viral content across platforms was always created with no expectations – it was never what I created when I was trying to compete with the strengths of others, with what was working well for someone else. Every time I allow myself to think about this information for long enough, I realize the only thing it achieves is to pull me away from my creativity and from the things that make my own expression unique, and into a state of mind where I am comparing myself with others and questioning everything I do. That’s not a creative state of mind to be in… It’s a stress-inducing one. And you can’t create from that place, or feel good doing it. It leads to creative burnout, and to wondering why it’s starting to feel more like something you have to do than something you love to do.
