The Flip Side of The Comparison Trap

I almost titled this one "Trigger Warning"

On the process of writing, this one took some time to flesh out. Partly I got tripped up in the feeling of needing to write in the order that the final version of the book will be, and to refine the entry as if it was the final draft - which is a type of trap that the Art Critic will lay to keep us safe by needing to know the outcome of something before we can begin. And then partly because I thought I was going to use a story of how the Comparison Trap and the Judgement Trap showed up for me this week as I worked on the fabric collage above.

Letting go of that need to know everything about this book before I can begin, to perfect my grammar and scour the content of my words before I allow them to be seen, and even the need to force the content to include an anecdote that revealed this message to me, is very much a part of the process of listening to the Intuitive Voice and letting it take the lead. It will be a theme woven throughout the pages of this book, as being able to let go of control is one of the biggest obstacles we face as artists and as humans.

Read on, dear friends. I hope you enjoy today’s entry. Please feel free to share your own experiences with the traps of comparison and judgement in the comments below. You are not alone.

---

Now that we’ve got that pesky elephant out of the room, or at least offered it a comfortable seat, let’s get back to the thing we’re all here to do—learn about the Intuitive Voice. What’s the big deal about the Intuitive Voice anyway? Isn’t intuition kind of an elusive myth, some sort of artistic muse? The thing solely responsible for bringing us inspiration, showing up on a whim, and disappearing at a moment’s notice?