That's wonderful, bruce!

My sentiments, exactly. Funny thing is, there's something very releasing about accepting that creativity is a gift. It releases you from all the comparing that artists are prone to do. That's something I talk about often with my quartet. A couple of the less secure members of the group can get very tense when we sing at a program or festival where several other groups are singing? What if we screw up a song? Are we as good as the other groups? What will people think of us. Like all the other guys, I don't want to blow a song (although EVERYONE does from time to time.) But, if you accept that creativity is a gift, and that each of us is gifted in their own unique way, then it's foolish to compare your gift to someone else's. We used to do that when we were kids, at Christmas, but we should long ago have outgrown that.

When my group is learning a new song, the person who is singing lead always seems to end up comparing themselves to the lead singer on the recording (when we're learning it from a recording.) Invariably, they
measure themselves against the original recording, and feel insecure because they aren't doing it "as good as" the recording. My attitude is that we can't do it the same way as the recording, or anyone else, because we have different gifts. But, it works both ways. Right now, I'm learning a lead on a song for the Men's Chorus I sing in. The woman who sings the lead on the recording I have is a real powerhouse... like Etta James, for those who like blues/jazz/soul. I could never sing it like Etta, but then Etta could never sing like I do.

Gifts is gifts. Best not to compare yours with anyone else's. As Sly said,

Different Strokes For Different Folks.

Jerry