OOOOOH my gosh. We have heard it so many times. No one is original anymore. This and that is just a rip off so and so. As artists, creators, producers, inventors, and thinkers, we strive to create this sense of originality as a way to contribute a difference into this world. Yeah, I know we are all unique little snowflakes on a mountain of conventionality and redundancy. But can the modern human being create something today that can truly be considered original? What does it mean to be original? Is it possible to be original anymore? And why is it ok not to be?
"An original idea. That can't be too hard. The library must be full of them." - Stephen Fry
We are all schooled by society and elders to think, act, behave, speak, and even create a certain way. It keeps society balanced and in control, which is not a bad thing. But some critics believe that education, while making us smarter and more adaptable into society, can hinder our creative and spontaneous potential. This can cause internal conflict in some artists and block out their creative subconscious. I heard a quote once before that said that there are only 2 more true original ideas left in the world. Everything else has already been thought of. Can formal education be hindering those artists out there that have the last few original ideas left?
"Invention, it must be humbly admitted, does not consist in creating out of void but out of chaos." - Mary Shelley
Well, in my opinion, originality does still exist in these modern times. Originality nowadays can only be achieved through hybridity, meaning a combination of one or more "original" ideas to create something that is different. This creates the illusion of originality for the newer generations. Education creates a way for artists and upcoming artists to be educated on previous artforms and styles, with the hope of creating unique ideas and experiences. Truth of the matter is, all artistic and creative development is some form of legal plagiarism. As artists, copyrights are a very sensitive thing so we must be cautious about creating our works.
"About the most originality that any writer can hope to achieve honestly is to steal with good judgment." - Josh Billings
Continuing from an artistic standpoint, your favorite artist has favorite artists. Your influences have influences, who had influences and so on. Art is a continuous form of warping and evolving original ideas. The ones who are fortunate enough to achieve fame are often the ones credited with the idea or concept. So we must ask ourselves which is more important, the audience or the art? There's so much at stake in the world of arts and crafts. But its the risk factor that provides the adrenaline to keep the hearts of artists pumping wildly; for the hope of creating something that the world will want to see, hear, and experience.
"Originality is simply a pair of fresh eyes." - Thomas W. Higginson
I hoped that I have created a different or renewed sense of what originality is in you. We must not be obsessed with invention but inspired to create what emerges from us naturally. Challenging pre-existing ideas and combining different concepts is possibly the only way to achieve originality nowadays. That should not discourage us but encourage us to keep creating ,which can inspire others after us to create something else. Down the line, one of those 1-2 true original ideas can be invented, and they could not be achieved without your work. Originality is not synonymous with success and self-fulfillment. So for the creators and artists out there who struggle with originality and finding their unique voice in this world, I have some advice in the form of quotations from intellectuals that are just like you and me:
"Originality is merely an illusion." M.C. Escher
"The merit of originality is not novelty; it is sincerity." - Thomas Carlyle
"Mistakes are the only universal form of originality." - Mason Cooley
"Nearly all our originality comes from the stamp that time impresses upon our sensibility." - Charles Baudelaire
"An original writer is not one who imitates nobody, but one whom nobody can imitate." - Dan Vyleta
"Originality is the art of concealing your source." - Franklin P. Jones
"What moves those of genius, what inspires their work is not new ideas, but their obsession with the idea that what has already been said is still not enough." - Eugene Delacroix
~L~
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