Most of us have been taught that we shouldn’t compare ourselves to others. And indeed, it can be harmful and toxic, making us feel all kinds of negative emotions. However, does comparison always have to be a bad thing? Can you make it work for you and help you grow? Chelsea Nicole believes you can, but you have to change your approach. In this video, she’ll teach you how you can compare yourself to others in a helpful rather than harmful way.
When you browse through other photographers’ splendid, you may feel like an imposter. I think it’s happened to all of us at some point, and that’s why we’re so often advised to never compare ourselves to others. But Chelsea believes there are two problems with that piece of advice. First, comparison is hard-wired. We’ll never be free from it, and we’ll always find a way to compare ourselves to others. After all, we most often do it unconsciously. And second, comparison is our power tool. If we somehow completely removed it, we would get rid of a mechanism that could be used to our advantage. So, how can we rely on that deeply rooted need for comparison and turn it into something useful? First, let’s distinguish between active and passive comparison. Passive comparison happens naturally, without any thought. That’s the unconscious act I mentioned above, and that’s what we often do when we scroll through our Instagram feeds. You can probably guess – this isn’t the kind of comparison we can benefit from. Instead, we should start actively comparing to others: find photographers we admire and look up to them. When you take control over your active comparison, you’ll get three things in return. Of course, all this is a little tricky (but that’s what makes it interesting). Remember that comparison is a double-edged sword: you can use it as a weapon, but you can cut yourself too. This is why Chelsea proposes four techniques that will free you from that negative side and take only the best from comparison: I quite like Chelsea’s video and this topic. I think there’s a fine line between productive and toxic comparison, and it’s easy to slip from the first into the second one. That’s why we have to be aware of our thoughts and train ourselves to look on a brighter, more positive, and more creative side of it. What do you think, is it good or bad to compare yourself to other photographers? I’m curious to hear your thoughts. [Is Comparison a GOOD thing or BAD thing as a Photographer? | Chelsea Nicole]
