Stop Trying To Be So Original

It seems that at some point in life, everyone wants to be an artist. We all want to do something that will ensure that we’ll be cherished and remembered far beyond our days on this planet. We may seek to achieve this any number of ways: by being a rock star or an author. Or a painter or an entrepreneur. Or a big-hearted philanthropist. Whatever our method, we all seek to stand out from the pack, at some point in our existence.

Some of us reach those heights. However, the rest of us aren’t so lucky. The rest of us slip into the abyss of mediocrity with everyone else. Why? Perhaps we’re not good enough, we’re not talented enough (which is highly doubtful). Maybe Destiny or Lady Luck didn’t give us their blessing. Was it written in the stars? Were we not dealt a fair hand?

I can’t speak for everyone else. But I can speak for myself. And the one thing that constantly holds me back is a fear of not being original enough.

For some reason, there’s this pressure to always be original. 100% totally new! Something no one else has ever heard of before…

Yet many of the artists we idolize aren’t all that original. And the truth is that no one’s as original as we’d like to believe, even the most original people.

We’re all influenced by others, to some degree.

Despite my feelings about the band, The Beatles are often credited as the most influential and most original band of all-time. But let’s face it — they had influences. They didn’t come up with this whole music thing on their own. Someone blazed paths before them. Like all of us, they took what was already there and built on it.

Every artist — every actor, painter, musician, author, etc. — borrows from others.

I cannot claim to be the most original person, nor can I claim to be an artist. But if I were to say that the things I share on my blog and social networks were completely original, I’d be kidding myself. But I can’t let that stop me. Like everyone else, I take my influences and tweak their offerings a bit to my liking.

Even Seth Godin, the golden marketer, is not 100% original. He gives credit to Malcolm Gladwell, Tom Peters, Zig Ziglar, and many others. Surely, we’ve all heard the accusations of Shakespeare’s lack of originality. But does that make him any less immortal in literature?

Do us all a favor: quit pressuring yourself to be so original. Just because you’re not all that original doesn’t mean that you have to sentence yourself to a lifetime of complacency. If you have an idea, run with it. See what happens. If it catches on, why should you worry about how original you are? And for those of you who think you’re uniquely original, drop the act and stop flattering yourself. And give credit where it’s due.

Tagged as: creativity, mediocrity, original