How Creative Jealousy Is Crippling You (Even If You Don’t Think You Have Any)

Ever feel a twinge of jealousy? Ever compare yourself to others who seem to be a thousand times more creative, inspired, and fruitful in their songwriting, ministry, or career?

Yeah, me, too.

Ever stand out in the congregation wishing you were on stage leading, or wish they were singing one of your songs instead of the latest hit from the bigger names?

Yeah, me, too.

Ever struggle with insecurities about your songs, or feel the fear of being rejected if you showed them to anyone (especially professionals)? Do you feel the dream of being a successful songwriter slipping away simply because you are overwhelmed with this fear?

Again, me, too.

Here’s the deal. Behind jealousy is comparison. Behind comparison is the fear of not being good enough. To not be good enough equals failure and failure means rejection. Rejection is “losing face,” a sense of worthiness, and the loss of our ego. Most of us just aren’t equipped to handle the death of our egos or the admission that we’ve failed at anything. Success becomes an idolatrous notion that drives us like a bad Pharaoh. We find ourselves desperately trying to make bricks with no straw, or, to be blunt, trying to be creative out of imitation instead of from the authentic self.

The artists, poets, scientists, and world leaders who stand out and who’ve even caused cultural shifts in the world are the ones who’ve put jealousy in its place to create from their authentic selves.

I know the sting of comparison much more intimately than I care to admit. I always come up short on talent, style, money, success, and a thousand other things. Makes me feel bad every time I indulge in it, so I keep repenting and looking for the inner peace that only comes from staying in my lane. Full disclosure – – I’ve even accused God a time or two of not giving me “enough talent,” whatever that could mean. He just smiles and forgives me because He knows I’m not using the ones I already have to their fullest potential.

If we believe what Jesus taught in Matthew 25 in the Parable of the Talents and embrace what the Apostle Paul reiterated in his writings, the more biblical stance is that God has given us the gifts He thought were the right ones and in just the right increments, or, dividing talents among us “severally as He wills” (1 Cor. 12:11). It doesn’t help to argue with Him, of course, so I’ve been learning to go deeper into the gifts He’s given me and stop wishing I could have someone else’s.

Jealousy and comparison are huge time sucks.

What’s worse, entertaining that kind of an attitude easily becomes a habit. A habit becomes a mindset, a mindset becomes a lifestyle, and our lifestyle determines our destiny. Do we really want to cut short the vibrant destiny we could have by allowing jealousy and comparison to overtake us? I mean, shades of Salieri, right?

Time and energy spent in creative jealousy is wasted time and energy. If you feel caught up in it, it’s a warning sign that your mental habits are slipping in the wrong direction. The results are obvious: lack of output, irritability, even depression. Oddly, I find that many aspiring Christian songwriters are more in love with the idea of being a successful songwriter than they are committed to becoming one through the hard work others have put into it.

Three Ways to Overcome Creative Jealousy

Once we’ve repented of jealousy and comparison, the way is opened for a deeper work of the Spirit, our spiritual ears can be opened to greater levels, and we can get on with the creative work He’s called us to do.

Here are three things that help me to re-engage with my authentically creative self.

Maybe they’ll help you.

One… remember who I am. Shouldn’t this be “Remember who HE is?” Well, sort of, but it’s more about who He’s created me and you to be with our specific leanings, proclivities, passions, and dreams. He didn’t give me a love for medicine. I’m a sympathy puker, so working around sick people just doesn’t work out well for me. I love to drive cars, but I don’t love working on them. I love my dog but I don’t want to be a breeder or a vet.

God made me to love music and songs.

Songs feed me and excite me and draw me into a higher place of creativity every time I take a minute to listen and engage authentically. That’s a huge clue as to what He wants me to do, no matter what hurdles I face or what level I climb to. True story… I received a rejection letter the first time I submitted a song to a Nashville publisher and swore I would never do that again. Years later I became a professional songwriter and publisher and have had hundreds of songs recorded. Weird, but it proves something.

He created me for this and it brings me and Him pleasure to do it well. When I get all messed up in my head about other songwriters, artists, or worship leaders who are younger, hipper, cooler, on a label, or who are getting attention right now instead of me, I have a clear choice: Will I remember who God made to be or judge myself as lacking by the sin of comparison?

Owning my style and digging deeper into how I can improve today are tremendous keys for going deeper into the calling on my life. I can’t change when I was born, the color of my skin, or much else, for that matter. But I can change my mindset and dig deeper into becoming a better songwriter as me, myself, and I (in Christ, of course).

Two… practice. Getting my fingers back on the keys or getting my callouses back on the guitar always makes me feel great. When I’m out of voice you know I’m in a bad mood. I heard myself on a recording last year and nearly wept. Flat. Pitchy. Out of breath. Time to exercise the voice again if I really want to excel at it.

Frustration is the only logical result of not practicing your song skills.

Confidence in songwriting only comes through knowledge, practice, and positive results. If you’re not meeting with the success you want, ask yourself, “How many hours a week do I actually put into studying the craft and practicing what I learn?” The sheer lack of time spent writing (with actual skill) may be the single greatest hindrance to your success.

I often hear people say that all you need to do to write great songs is to write a lot of songs and eventually you’ll hit one out of the park. This is only partially correct, imho. If you lack the skills to use the English language well and to craft above average melodies, the results will never change even if you write a million songs. The professional songwriters I know and work with write hundreds of songs each year with tremendous skill and still only get a small percentage of those recorded. Are you ready to compete with them without greater skill in your life?

In 2nd Chronicles, Solomon called for “skilled craftsman” to build the temple.

The more skill we have, the more effective our songs will be. Our listeners will begin to notice and comment. One of our NCS Boot Camp songwriters, Shalom Mukamuri, started using one of his songs in worship without revealing he had written it. Not long after, he began receiving emails asking which artist had released that particular song. They were amazed that he had written it and now it’s a favorite for them. In fact, Shalom has excelled to the point of signing an Artist Development deal in Nashville and is teaching songwriting around his city to various churches. He grew his skill set and is living out of his authentic creativity. Listen to his recent Song Revolution Podcast episode here.

Practice more to tap into greater skills and create from your authentic self.

Three… surrender the results. John Mays, Founder/A&R Director for Centricity Music, once said on our podcast that, “Our job is preparation. God’s job is opportunity.” True dat. Just like that talent thing, we don’t get to tell God what we want to have happen in the future. I guess we can pray, believe, and hope that our work will meet with success, but we certainly don’t get to control it all.

The way I think about it, our job is to respond to the call to write the best songs we can, then trust God for the next right steps in promoting them and reaping the rewards both for the Kingdom and for ourselves. To put it into Paul’s words again, we’re a part of a living, breathing organism called “the Body of Christ” and we have a part to play, a creative role in which we function to provide all kinds of music and songs to bless It.

The first consideration is always obedience.

Is what I’m doing with my talents an act of obedient worship? Is fretting over what anyone else thinks about me or my level of gifting helpful? Am I doing what the LORD told me to with my talents today? What is the next right step to develop them and bless Him and His people?

Our job is preparation. God’s job is opportunity.

When we work at developing our skills, we’re being faithful stewards, i.e. Matthew 25. Jealousy of other’s gifts is the same as burying ours. Comparison is the grave we dig for ourselves that’s tough to get out of, but not impossible as we become mindful of our authentically creative selves, that capacity to create in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1 – 3). After all, we’re only responsible for what God’s given us. He only requires faithfulness on our part and never compares us to anyone else.

One final note… stewardship is more than “doing your best.” Real stewardship is a solid effort to grow your skills. It’s not a passive acknowledgement of having a gift from God and doing nothing with it. The guys in Matthew 25 worked with their talents (an actual measure of money) to multiply them to please the Master. Are you multiplying your talents or settling for something average or mediocre? What kind of results do you really want?

God honors the desire to grow. He provides all you need in training, inspiration, and the ability to multiply your songwriting gifts and talents. Commit to becoming a better steward of all He’s given you, work your craft, and trust the results to Him. Do your part and let Him do His.

Conclusion

It’s a lot easier to harbor creative jealousy than you may think. It’s subtle, sneaky, and insidious. Opening the door to it in even the slightest way can trigger a downward spiral that cripples your own creative output and shuts down your authentically creative self.

God doesn’t need another Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, Shirley Caesar, or Natalie Grant. He already has them and they do a fine job of ministering to the world. Now it’s time for you to be you. Authentically you. Originally you. Sure, it’s all about Him in the core of it, but the more authentically you you become, the greater is His glory.

This Post Has One Comment

  1. Bob Horton

    Thanks for this. What a timely reminder of our need to live in His love and stay tuned into His purposes for us. I needed to see this tonight..

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