Inside Colin's Head

It's easy to feel overwhelmed. It's easy to imagine a thousand people in the world that possess our exact, unique skills, and are better at all of them than us. It's easy to go to YouTube and assume that every possible kitten video has been filmed and uploaded.

So how do we deal with the threat of feeling so insignificant and out-done?

I think if you do what you do with passion and intensity then no one can ever be exactly like you. As long as you are always seeking improvement, making such meaningless comparisons only serves to pull you away from your vision; the major player in what makes your art unique.

It seems foolish not to critically evaluate yourself through the inspiration of others, but I don't think you need to be anything like those people. And if your deeds happen to resemble theirs, as long as you came about them in your own independent way, who cares!? They'll always be room for similar products, song riffs, poems, and the like.

When I was just trying to create a foothold for myself in the world of software, I didn't want to share my insights with others for fear that we would emerge identically skilled. Eventually I realized that at a certain point in your craft, it becomes impossible to evaluate people objectively. At a particular level of expertise, you become a unique flavor that will be loved by some and loathed by others.

With a lot of people we interact with, it's sometimes hard to live this way, and I find myself occasionally overwhelmed and in need of a reminder. For me personally, I need to be alone for a time and critically think out my vision or philosophy in my head. After I've made a decision about how I feel or how I plan on approaching a problem, I just stick to my instincts, ignoring the noise and distractions that make me second guess myself. It's my art after all, and they'll love me or hate me for it either way.