Here’s why you shouldn’t aim to be original
Nothing in this world is completely original because nothing comes from nowhere. All ideas and creative work builds on what came before. It’s all been said before, yet too often we let the pressure of creating something original cripple us from actually processing these thoughts or inspirational ideas into actual work. “Oh, I could create the next UBER, but wait, that already exists.” “This would look nice but I shouldn’t do that, it’s too similar to *name of inspirational artist*’s work, I need something more original.”
Why do we do that to ourselves? All great ideas were once inspired by good ideas. That’s how ideas get better. If it weren’t the case, the world would be dominated by monopolies in every industry or stuck in a rut. Furthermore, having competitors challenge the “original ideas” keeps them on their toes and prevents them from getting lazy. In essence, anyone who wants to create something great should understand that it’s all been said before, but it might not have all been done before.
It’s possible to create something greater if you stop focusing on producing something that sprung from an idea that is not anybody else’s idea. This takes the pressure off. Then you can create something that’s truly your own if you pay attention to wherein lies the difference, the opportunity gap, what you can do to improve it or make it unique to…
