Envy & jealousy

how do yall deal with creative insecurity? I can't stop comparing myself to others, then feeling bad that I'm not as 'good' as them.
I'm trying hard to just let myself be doing my own thing, because even if it turns out bad it'll make next time better. but, you know, I really just want the things I make to be good. they're good in my head.

also, I want to ask how yall approach the aspect of writing that is just... actually writing. sentence structure, moving from one little action to the other, figuring out what bridges little bits in a scene. If I ever try to think about an approach to structure, I'm overwhelmed by possibilities, so I tend to approach it just kinda... backing up, letting my mind be looser, and just doing what I can. and it usually comes out kind of flat, which, of course, will just be helped by practice. but still, how do you guys do it?

when you come across art you think is good, instead of thinking that you cant compare, try turning it into a study?
really examine the piece/group of pieces and pick out aspects of it that you really enjoy. think of how it adds to the artwork/writing. would it be something youd want to see in your own work?
an extra step is trying to emulate their work. and then picking out the bits that would actually fit into your own and then experimenting with them. for example, lets say you mostly do extra thick lineart but see someone who does delicate lineart that you really admire. you try to emulate their lineart in a piece and find that while you dont like using it for the whole thing, but have some small spots of the delicate lineart mixed with the thick lineart really improves the look of your piece.
this helps turn jealousy into inspiration and also helps you hone your ability to think critically of pieces.

it can be hard sometimes. i know that i find myself wishing that my art was better when looking at others who make such good art. but its good to keep in mind that the artist who made the art would probably be sad if you wanted to just give up because of them, they would hope that you would find their work inspirational instead.


hmmmm. im honestly not sure. i feel pretty similarly to you. sometimes it feels like im just repeating the same sentence structure over and over, but my mind cant think of any other way to put it down. ive rewritten whole stories because of that, hoping that i could get it right the second time. id say the best thing to do is practice and read the authors you look up to the most to try and study their works. and maybe practice with short writing prompts? so that way you arent doing whole novels each time lol
you could also ask someone to go over your work and ask what they think?