The Originality Paradox
Nothing is Original, Yet Everything Is
Austin Kleon (@austinkleon) is a self-proclaimed thief. His book “Steal Like an Artist” explains his theory of artistry, inspired by the discovery that his poems “Newspaper Blackout” were not an original idea. Not only was he creating poems by using already written words in newspapers, but he found out that there were several artists before him who created poems using the same technique. This led him to his final insight:
“Nothing is original, all creative work builds on what came before. Every new idea is just a remix of two previous ideas.”
Everything that ever has or will be created is unoriginal. Just look at Hollywood to see this trend in the extreme. It is a slightly disturbing concept to imagine, to think that anything you will ever do or create is unoriginal. But alas, this is not the complete story…the inherent paradox of originality must be revealed.
Jason Silva (@JasonSilva) is a brilliant thinker and futurist. In his “Philosophical shots of espresso,” he brings you on two minute adventures exploring some of the most profound concepts our brains are capable of exploring. Artificial Intelligence. Immortality. Love.
Silva is one of the great artists because he knows how to steal. He read voraciously on the subjects that interested him. Deep down he felt the overpowering urge to share the ideas he has gathered with a wider audience. As a result, he created his series of videos called “Shots of Awe,” giving his viewers a brief introduction to a concept, with the goal of bringing wonder and awe into their lives. Silva is not the first man to think about the potential of Artificial Intelligence for example, but through his unique life history he has revitalized the discussion of many topics such as A.I. into something new. With his intoxicating use of language and video, he has created a new form of art, and he couldn’t have done it without those who came before.
Kleon and Silva are both similar in the way that they have taken what they have experienced and read and turned their discoveries into new exciting art. A big reason for this is the age we currently live in. Technology has offered both these individuals a unique way to craft and share their art with the masses. You can bet that their predecessors didn’t have access to social media and the information abundance of the internet.
“Ideas have Sex.” ~ Jason Silva
We are all unique individuals made up of our own distinctive genetics and life experiences. Every idea or experience we encounter is assimilated into our brains and systemized in a way only we can experience. All these ideas combine and result in whatever you make of them. And here lies the paradox. Although all ideas are stolen, they are being taken by a thief who has never come before. Each person’s subjective intake of the world around them is synthesized in an entirely original way.
“The Artists job is to collect ideas, and the best way to collect ideas is to read” ~ Austin Kleon
I am an obsessive reader, with the goal of obtaining all the knowledge I can on the subjects that interest me. I use what I learn to inspire my own writing, and I hope that my stealing has resulted in original idea intercourse. As Kleon says, imitation is NOT the sincerest form of flattery. Transformation is flattery, using your stolen ideas and making something completely new from it. Find your inspirations and steal from them with abandon. With each piece of art created, the more beautiful the museum of human culture becomes. And the best thing is, this museum has no security.
I hope you enjoyed this post. If you did I would greatly appreciate you sharing or recommending it. For more of my writing, sign up for my mailing list, visit my Medium collection, or website (jordanscott.co).
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