Louis Michael: Tentacles of a green eyed monster

As an artist and a creator it’s especially important to learn how to take joy in the accomplishments of others, otherwise the triumphs of your peers will become a crushing suffocation. But this lesson more than applies to wider life in general.

I know it’s especially hard when the tentacles of that green eyed monster wrap themselves around you, but all those tentacles are really doing is massaging your ego. They slip in when you’re not looking and tie you in knots until you cant tell sincerity from spite. And that’s what being envious does. It turns your focus inwards to yourself and your emotions and how someone else’s success makes you feel. Being envious makes it about you. But it’s not about you, it’s about the other person. It’s about their success, their joy, their dreams coming true. Why are they any less entitled to happiness than you?

Envy usually comes when you feel cheated, when you’ve worked hard for something, when you’ve been visualising yourself pushing past that finish line in a blaze of glory and then you see someone else snatch the trophy instead. When that happens you are inundated with feelings of failure and self-loathing, but as a way of shielding yourself your emotions quickly bubble up and boil into bitterness and anger. By transforming themselves into aggression you hide your weakness from yourself and the world, and distract yourself by projecting your anger onto someone else.

Being envious makes it about you

But you can sidestep all this messiness. All you have to do is be kind to yourself. Treat yourself like you would treat your friend in that situation. Tell yourself that it’s ok not to succeed every time, remind yourself that you can always try again, comfort yourself with love and support and reassurance. Don’t fall prey to the mindlessness of angry resentment, lift yourself above it all. You’re better than that.

Being jealous only hinders yourself. It clogs your creative juices with anxiety. Jealousy is only a symptom of comparing yourself to others. Stop comparing, and you’ll be able to start celebrating.

If you’re a creative type be happy for all the new art being brought into the world. Rejoice at the limitless creativity of humanity! Look at all the beautiful things we create and be grateful that you are a part of that legacy, simply by being born human. And don’t worry about other people doing what you were planning on doing because no one can do what you can do, because no one can tell your specific stories or paint pictures from your unique angle! Only you are you, and only you can create your art, and that’s both terrifying and reassuring.

If in doubt, remember this: don’t be envious, be enthusiastic.