Originally posted by derelictp
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Don't compare yourself and your performances to others.
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Peter, I think I see what you're saying, but I have to disagree a bit. The performances of others, in any situation, can and are a great motivator to improve for many.
Consider this: if every writer that ever wrote a book had never seen a book written by someone else, for the last thousand years, what would the quality of their written work be? I know it's a strange analogy, but I believe that most writers are inspired and driven to create at a higher level from reading the works of others.
Here's a personal example. When I was a young rock drummer, I never compared myself to the guy that was playing at or below the same level as me. I always aspired to be as good as or better than my favourite drummers that were the best around; John Bonham, Terry Bozzio, Billy Cobham, Tommy Aldridge, Cozy Powell, Buddy Rich, etc. I was generally never quite satisfied with my performances (but still enjoyed them), and usually judged them by the abilities of my mentors, and of course, very importantly, my own abilities.
The trick is, as you say, to not let there be a negative psychological effect. One must remember that s/he is mortal, and accept the errors as part of life and the process of improving.
What do you think?
Cheers,
Erik Y.
