Creativity Without Competition
By Matthew Wilson It can feel as though creativity comes with an invisible scoreboard. Streams. Followers. Albums. Recognition. Technique. Productivity. Even within supportive communities, comparison quietly finds its way into our thinking. I spent years wondering where I measured up. The musician I thought I needed to be was a technically proficient one, remembering everything, collaborating easily, producing more, and keeping pace. And I wasn’t necessarily competing with others. I was the only one competing. I compared my music to professionals, to my memory, to my productivity, and to my technical ability. No one asked me to. I simply assumed that was how creativity worked. Living with schizoaffective disorder meant learning to accept limitations in my memory, processing, and energy. I knew I wasn't starting from the same place as many others. Eventually I realized the competition itself wasn't helping. I started asking, "Is this honest?" and "Did I communicat...