It’s safe to say that all commercial artists fall into the trappings of comparing themselves to others. Does this sound familiar – the work was moving forward, imperfect but alive, until someone else’s reel, BTS pic, campaign, or career milestone. And suddenly, progress feels insufficient. Instincts get questioned and momentum stalls. What was once a focused mind becomes a swirling referendum on self-worth. The danger is that comparison convinces you to stop mid-stride, endlessly revising a vision that never had the chance to fully exist.
And it becomes a heavy weight of negative energy that suffocates empowerment into victimhood.That’s why comparison is how artists quit without quitting. They don’t announce or dramatically walk away. They just create less. They point fingers. And they’ve abandoned risks before they’re even tested. Admittedly, I was guilty of this trap and it really dragged me down mentally and creatively until I decided that I wasn’t going to do it anymore and focus on myself. For me, that meant a lot less time on social media. That was in 2017 and has had a lasting impact on me since, ultimately leading to the creation of Unrivaled.
So in 2026, what if we did the opposite?
I want this year to be the year that we all consciously choose where we put our energy. What if we focus on what we can control? Because we can’t control the industry and we can’t control what clients pay or when they reach out.
But we can control our attitude. Our approach. We can spend 2026 complaining or we can spend it building. We can post about what’s broken, or we can focus on what’s working. We can blame our circumstances, or we can take responsibility for how we react to them.
This year, we’re shifting our energy toward execution, not hesitation. That means shooting the project that feels risky. Testing the idea that doesn’t have a guaranteed outcome. Reaching out to the client or collaborator you’ve been putting off.
It means protecting your creative process from the noise. Unfollowing accounts that make you feel behind. Limiting time spent scrolling. Building routines that keep you in motion, even on the days when nothing feels certain.
And it means showing up for each other. We talk about what we learned. When someone lands something they’ve been chasing, we celebrate it without qualifying it with our own insecurities.
If you are interested in learning more about our work, get in touch with one of our producers.