Jason Nicholas walks through how comparison on social media can either paralyze you or fuel your work. He argues the same impulse that breeds self-doubt can become inspiration if you redirect it, and that sharing your real story matters more than chasing likes.
Hey, Jason Nicholas here. Hope you're having a great day today. I'm just out taking a walk. I love to take walks at night. Well, it's almost night. It's not quite sunset, getting close to sunset. I just— being out here is just great in this fresh air. It's actually cloudy and breezy. It's gonna start raining. And I kind of like that. Um, you know, if I ask you, what is your perfect day? What would your answer be? For some people, it's seeing a rabbit run across a trail like the one that just hopped in front of me. For some people, it's some luxurious getaway paradise. And for some people, it's just getting up out of bed, getting through the day. Yeah, it's true. And that's okay. There's no wrong or right answer. And that's kind of why I'm on here right now. Um, I'm human just like you. I'm not perfect just like you. I have good days, bad days, sunny days, cloudy days, and that's okay because all those different days are what makes me I'm not here to impress. I'm just here to be. I'm just trying to be the best me that I can be. What else can you ask for, right? Sometimes we just get caught comparing ourselves to others. We go down these rabbit holes. Of, uh, just endless tunnels of comparison and sometimes feeling bad that we are not like that person we see next to us, or that person we see on Instagram or TikTok, or insert your favorite social media thing here. Comparison, it's tricky. You know, I run into it a lot as a creative, as an artist, an urban sketcher. You know, I'll go down that comparison rabbit hole and I'll see TikTok videos or Instagram photos of people sketching, and I'm like, man, why can't I draw like that? And that's okay, as long as you don't let it shut you down. Use that inspiration, that comparison as inspiration, to propel you, to launch you, to give you a new energy, new creativity, new inspiration, new sparks to take what you do up to a new level, you know, be fired by someone else's— I don't know, we'll call it success, but that's a whole nother conversation— be fired and inspired by it. Not afraid, not shut down, because the comparison trap, it's real, it happens, it can make you feel bad about yourself. It can make me not want to post sketches I'm doing, feeling inferior. But think about that. Why let what someone else is doing make you feel less than who you are? Right? It's kind of crazy, but it's common, and it's not easy to avoid or escape. And there's a deer down there. I don't know if you can see it. Hold on, let's turn around. Can you see that deer? Maybe. Nassour. So yeah, just out here walking and talking and thinking and sharing. I believe sharing is another, just another amazing gift we have as human beings. Sharing stories, sharing motivations, sharing a shoulder to lean on, sharing our ears to listen, um, stepping outside of ourselves. Comparison can form a box that keeps you focused within, and that's not good. Awesome, right? It's just kind of fun to think about this stuff. I am walking backwards. Hopefully I won't trip. I don't know if the deer are still there. I think I scared them. No, I scared them away. It's all good. But I guess what I'm saying is don't let comparison scare you away from yourself. Let comparison be a form of creative energy that launches you into new and different directions. It's a spark lighting the fire within your soul. All right guys, thanks for taking this walk with me. Sorry I didn't get to see the deer. I'm not sorry I didn't fall walking backwards. Um, probably would have made for a better video, at least more likes. But I'm not doing this for likes. I'm just putting it out there hoping it reaches the right person. Spreading positivity, motivation, and all that good stuff. Have an awesome day.
