I'm at a art school, and most of my friends are at a god like level of drawing, I don't draw a lot compared to them because I don't have the motivation, and I feel bad even showing them some of my art. this video really helped me realize that I'm drawing for my friends expectations, and that I need to draw for myself and my own happiness!

It's interesting because most artists, if they really look objectively, should find themselves in the middle zone of this issue. Where they look up to other artists they find incredible and get discouraged thinking, "ill never be that good." Yet at the same time when others look at their work and think of them as incredible they don't think much of it and will say, "nah, it's nothing special" discounting their own hard work and time put into their art. I do this myself. There is a fine balance between being motivated by better artists while at the same time being fine with your current level of skill while steadily improving.

you and adam duff literally are the art dads of the art community, thank you for wonderful insight that goes beyond the technicalities of art

Jealousy has always haunted my life as a person in general. You are a life changer, Steven!

I think jealousy stems from low self-worth, and wanting the perceived higher worth of others for ourselves. It's as pointless as wishing to be old when you're young. Enjoy the youth/age of your practice. I am often jealous of people physically younger than me, but then I think I'm sure they suck in other areas, and then I feel better lol.

I love how you say "unwise" instead of "stupid", always so considerate :D super helpful stuff as always

i never been jealous, But i always see other and tell to myself that i will eventually get here :))

That sounded like it really came from the heart and with a lot of time and experience. There is a lot of advice on how to draw, but not much like this, thank you!

“Dont build the habit of being prompted to do those things (ie improve/work hard) by unwise impulses.” Wow. I didnt expect to be so seen and called out by that statement, but im so grateful for it. I always thought that whatever the motivator was, as long as i was doing the work, then i was on the right track. It didnt occur to me that staying in that self-deprecating mindset will harm me either way. Your videos always make me self- reflect on how i view my art and the process, so much so that i started keeping a journal. And every time i could feel myself wanting to criticize my work or my value as a person, id write down how i feel and why i feel that way, and try to really dissect where its coming from. It doesnt always work, as self-hatred takes years to unlearn, but im glad ive atleast acknowledged that i want to get better. So i thank you truly for every vid you post on this channel, steven. Thank you for being a calm voice that helps soothe my chaotic mess of a brain.

I am not remotely a good artist I am still learning but honestly I never experienced any feelings of envy or frustration or jealousy, I am always admiring and encouraged

I think the rise of social media and "terminally" online culture (especially because of pandemic) play a big part on making this envy a prominent thing. You can't help but to compare yourself and meaninglessly start an internal narrative where you HAVE to do something about whatever this is, when your vision is constantly swamped by others and their curated posts/arts/interaction. You know they have their own struggles but in the moment, it's like being licked by cold flames. Not to mention the following guilt of knowing how ridiculous this art envy is but unable to stop feeling it so you're plunged into this rabit hole of self hatred and unworthiness, then slowly losing joy and connection from your own art.. which is arguably the worst part of it all. This takes a long time to recover and that's where I am currently now. Crazy how our brains can be this antagonistic to ourselves 😅 anyway, this is an amazing quote: "Don't let seeds sown from the hard earth of envy." I will remember this every time that pesky jealousy threatens to swallow me. Thanks for sharing, Steven!

I really needed to hear this. I personally struggle a lot with a terrible sense of envy towards others in my life as soon as I see them achieve in something I want or whatever. I take the small happiness in knowing that I catch myself in those moments but the fact that I lose myself to those brief moments of envy rather than feel the joy and happiness in seeing my friends and others succeed saddens me. Thank you for making this video. I’m going to do my best to stop myself when I feel that feeling arise and try to remember what you say in this video. It’s odd, but I feel optimistic about things getting better and watching your videos truly give me some beautiful meditation time.

stop bullying your self. you are your own you. make your own damn art. nobody else will make it but you. stop hitting your self. stop hitting your self. stop hitting your self. but for real you do you!

You have no idea how much I needed this, I actually never started drawing or writing down my ideas becuase of a huge lack of confidence on myself and a deep feeling of not being a creative person, to the point that this last days I have been deeply jealous of a famous artist that some of their art appears in many parts of the internet I visit, even one of my friends is a fan of them. I'm not sure if I'll be as good as them or succesful, but for now, I just want to be proud of myself and that's the goal I want to reach. Next month I'll be attending a drawing school and I hope that it helps me beingproud of myself. Thank you very very much for this video

Love the way you painted the material of his skin ! & happy new year :)

One method I found useful when I felt less confident of my own talent and work is I asked myself this:”what is it I don’t like about my work?’ This is a question a very talented artist friend of mine asked me claiming that he loved my work. You know how I answered this question? Well, that’s the thing; I genuinely can’t answer that question. After all the times I looked forward of my rival I didn’t even looked at my past self achievements that after realising this the wall of doubt have come shattering down in pieces it becomes easier to appreciate what I have done and can do, regardless of what others can do. Sure I may not fully get over jealousy but I will never doubt myself as hard as I used to.

im not saying this to brag but thankfully I never had big issues with this whole envy thing. I just get excited when I see good art. I love looking at it and im always giddy when I see solutions to things I havent thought about or that really resonate with me. I think especially as a beginner its easy to get intimidated by skillful artists because it makes your "endgoal" feel insurmountable. However the longer you are on this journey the more you realise its really not about your goals at all - they are just neat signposts telling you wich direction to go but in the end creating in itself is its own goal. In short try your best, always strive for quality but dont be so jaded to think you can achieve perfection. Just have fun drawing because thats what its really about....

This is premium advice

Thank you, this video helped me personally with my growing issues as a small artist when it came to comparing myself to other, more successful artists. Thank you very much.

I need to admit that i am in fact regularly jealous of other peoples work. However this jealously mostly pushes me into drawing far More, because i want to proof to myself that I am „not that bad“.

Just got back into meditation. What you're talking about is awfully similar to what I can observe with any "unwanted" behavior; observe it in a nonjudgemental way. It'll autocorrect just by watching. I like your videos dude

this works like guided meditation for me. thanks so much for posting

I needed to hear this. Thank you for making this video.

Man I'm so glad I discovered your channel. You have a unique perspective on these topics and it's great to listen to.

I never knew I needed to find you on KZfaq just when it mattered most. 💞

The starting few minutes and my mind went : "Zapata is definately a WISE guy"

i revisited this multiple times! Steven, you are a life changer!

Love the stuff you put on here, keep it up man you're a great artist!

Thanks Steven, great video 👍

This really hit home with me. All my years i've been jealous of other artists (especially those i personally know) and used that as fuel to keep working harder. Now i see that was bad for me in the long run, i did and said some things that looking back at it now- we're hurtful and petty. Thank you for this, it was something i needed to hear. I also have some people i need to apologize to.

I m not ashamed to be jealous of people with skills =)

This is so true. I really needed this.

Like you said, we get jealous when we naively assume things, how they must be so gifted, lucky to be born in a supportive family, etc.. Those things definitely do come into play but they definitely had their struggles and throwing that assumption simply by seeing their drawing, a sliver of a moment in their life, is unfair and naive. It's also due to having misplaced values, goals. If extrinsic (money, fame, validation) your art journey will feel hopeless and a struggle while comparing to others. Do you draw for yourself, to nurture your passion, talents, to see where they will lead you creatively? Those will take you further.

Thank you for this video🖤

These are amazing... thank you for creating and sharing this!!

There is room for everyone! We live in an abundant world. And if someone is successful I can be happy for them because the make the world I live in, a beautiful place.🥳

Your videos always remind me to be more mindful

Sir, I love your videos. They help me so much. Thank you

I suffer from envy a lot. Almost constantly. But I don't make assumptions about other artists as people, because for the most part it's irrelevant. Regardless how much suffering or misery they endured, it didn't hinder them from creating the work they made, so what exactly does that prove? If anything it just shows that there are no excuses for not creating excellence when people who are going through a lot of trouble could still do it. I agree with another comment that says you calling us selfish for having self-esteem issues and assuming we want to topple other people is oversimplifying our feelings as much as making assumptions about another artist as a person. I would only compare myself to artists who happen to draw for about the same amount of time in the exact same style, same ideas, same concepts, same everything, essentially my VOICE. It's not their fault I suck, so I am not even angry at other artists, there's no reason to be. For novices who might have just a year or two of drawing, it is entirely unfair for them to try and compare themselves to artists who have a decade or more of experience over them. But what about artists who have given it the time? Those who have made art the centerpiece of their commitment, efforts and sacrifice for years and years and years? At the expense of their health, living other life experiences, sunlight, having friends or a significant other? What excuses do we have? What right do we have to the luxury of the benefit of the doubt? Being good at art DOES say something, because you can't commit so passionately to something like this for such a long time and have it not be a reflection of your competence. Envy feels more like a recognition of my failures and that I have yet to justify my place in the world. When everything about your art is done better by a multitude of other artists, and you don't have any excuses to give, how do you justify yourself? You don't have a unique style, your ideas have already been perfected, and they do so without your flaws or shortcomings. It genuinely feels like that better versions of myself already exist, and being just the cheap, discounted worse version of myself is unacceptable. Sometimes, the suffering I feel from envy and self-esteem feels deserved for trying so hard and putting my all into something just for it to still fall so short. I don't like it, I wish I could feel comfortable in my own skin, but advice like this video just feels like copium to get me to be complacent and numb to my mediocrity. There's just too much talent in the world to tolerate anything less than excellence, why should anyone have to settle for anything less when access to the best is at their fingertips, unrestricted and uncompromising?

Impressive digital painting!

Thanks a lot, this helped free my mind

amazing words Steven! And pretty cool sketch, reminds me of Soul Reaver haha

Wow, this has helped me a lot, helped me clear out my mind. But I am still fighting the feelings, I am very angry at myself because I am at a stage with my art where I feel like I can do anything I want, I am good enough to execute pretty much anything- But that made me notice how much I lack creative thinking, Its extremely hard for me to look at my work and from a technical standpoint its better than what I am comparing myself to, but from an artistic creative standpoint I am often very jealous of the character designs people come up with. It especially bothers me because I feel like its not something I can learn like the the technical side of art. I dont know if youre still reading these comments but I would appreciate some advice on this. Sometimes I am not even jealous of peoples work, I just with I could do more with mine. But I can never bring myself to think of new ideas and interesting designs, and it hurts.

I try not to feel jealous. But I can't help feeling like Gohan when he used to compare his power level to Goku. Like I see where you are and I see where I am and I can't fathom being as good as you. All while still learning from you.

I get so jealous when I see old classmates from community college in art college now in university making their stuff… I chose not to continue with art college maybe cuz I’m afraid of failure and success it has a lot complicated emotions for me. And also how much art college would cost. I’ve been trying to save while just working a job but I’m not sure what I want to do. Most times I accept the fact maybe staibilty is better now and in the future I can pursue art without it feeling like a lot of pressure but every now I then I do get so jealous other people are doing what they want :// 😮‍💨😮‍💨

Great talk and neat perspective, something I would like to place within my mindspace. Seems that self deprecation and Jealousy aren't too different afterall, one blames internally silently and the other externally in full blast, yet both stems from the same place of insecurity and a wavering ego. If this has been posted afew years back I would have been insulted by what you have said. In the belief that emotions does master over the mind and controls the individual and not believing we can just let go of an illusion that was interpreted it as absolute truth, your words would probably be like a cut to the neck. Thanks for putting your thoughts out there, it will not be favorable to some, maybe many, but any content that spreads on teaching self ownership to our thoughts and actions will always be something I hope to see more often and educated.

Amazing, thank you!!! 👊🏽🤘🏽

Woah I was a JUST thinking about this Thanku Steven☺️

This video made me jealous.

I kinda feel like a little jealousy can drive you to be better, but not jealous to the point of hate or something like that

This got me me thinking....what is success as an artist? Is it money, fame, or professionalism? To me, success=happiness: regardless of income they made...

There is a reason we do this and I don't think you can shut it off. But there's a healthy amount of it and there is.. driving yourself crazy and feeling worthless and unmotivated because of it. Nothing makes sense and why even bother.. there is someone who does it better. Sometimes you can only keep going and those days will pass, guaranteed.

Diablo 2 was only fun because I had to grind my good gears for it. But when I had all the best-in-slot items, the game got boring. I think same goes for art, so I enjoy this time grinding to become a better draftsman. If I were to have no room for improvements in my artworks, I would be bored to death. But Steven genetics is something that I cannot improve on, so I am definitely jealous of your cool looking beard!

Ability in art is one of the few things i dont understand jelousy of, because your own ability is something that is completely in your own control, if you dont like it then change it. The only thing closely related to jelousy is how i size up other peoples work and praise them for a good job and that's when looking at a piece i ask myself "Do i wish i made this?" if the answer is yes then it's worth praise but i'm never jelous of what other people are able to do because i can just learn to do the same my way.

Dude .. I want youre voice on my headspace App hahah

what is the colorful panel that's in the middle left, is it a plugin?

I remained my jealous of other artists to motivate myself becoming stronger.. from another standpoints jealousy is just another form of appreciation of other peoples work.... just my opinion :)

Really good insight on this topic!! Just some input on your videos, I think your videos would be better with some calm background music like Adam Duff's channel. You make good points and are interesting to listen too but some background music would set some mood for your videos.

Self deprecating now lookin at how good you art is and how bad I'm.

everyone has to go through this process. Unless we compare ourselves with others, we will not want to be a better artist, we will not have goals that move us further. Maybe you understand me, I like your video, but I don't think it would be so bad to compare with others. Alternatively, look at things with your own eyes. Yes, it is a way to open a lot of wounds in your soul, but everyone has to go through it -> to evolve, to grow

"Goddammit people like seeing art"

I dont like how you seem to automatically assume jealousy means trying to knock the *other person down* Oftentimes that battle is internal, and calling people selfish for having genuine self esteem issues is, well, to put it in your words: oversimplifying people as less complex than they are Also its not about putting the other artist down as a person? Lmfao wut

Stop peering inside my head.

Load of balls really

I think you are overexaggerating the situation. Comparing oneself to another artist may lead to some negative effects but in the industry your work gets compared to other's work. So, healthy dose of it might keep you in reality.

The Sam Harris of drawing

Everyone has different DNA, socioeconomic background, culture, gender, lived experience, inclinations, habits, interests, hobbies, attachment styles, amounts of privilege, health status, social circles, psychological states, life obligations and responsibilities, fears, desires, values, and belief systems. So if you think you can’t compare, then yeah. You’re probably right.

your a wize man..

Wow, that's a really unsub video... really, now artist also start to self victimize themself??, taking the place of victims so they feel they can disrespect everybody??, dude, what are you saying also apply in both directions

There is a reason we do this and I don't think you can shut it off. But there's a healthy amount of it and there is.. driving yourself crazy and feeling worthless and unmotivated because of it. Nothing makes sense and why even bother.. there is someone who does it better. Sometimes you can only keep going and those days will pass, guaranteed.