The Myth of Originality

A true "original"

I used to believe that being creative meant coming up with something the world had never seen before. A completely fresh idea. A work so original it would stand apart from everything else.

But maybe the problem wasn’t me. Maybe it was the myth of originality itself.

We’ve Been Borrowing Forever

I started looking around at the creators I admired. Writers, designers, musicians, none of them were working in a vacuum. Their “genius” often came from layering influences, reshaping old ideas, or telling a familiar story in a way that felt personal and fresh.

Think about music. Rock grew out of blues. Hip hop was built on sampling. Pop songs borrow melodies, structures, and even lyrics from decades before. And yet, when we listen, we don’t dismiss it as recycled; we call it innovation.

Originality doesn’t mean creating from nothing. It means remixing what’s already here.

What Originality Really Means

So if originality isn’t about inventing from scratch, what is it?

I think it comes down to three things:

• Perspective – Only you have lived your life. Your experiences shape how you interpret the world.

• Voice – The way you express yourself, your rhythm, tone, and quirks, is inherently unique.

• Connection – You might be telling an old story, but you’re telling it to today’s audience, in today’s context. That matters.

It’s like cooking. Millions of people make pasta, but your pasta tastes different because of your ingredients, your process, and your touch. The originality isn’t in inventing pasta, it’s in how you make it yours.

Embracing the Remix

When I let go of the pressure to be “original,” I feel free. Free to experiment. Free to learn from others. Free to create without obsessing over whether I was the first.

Here’s what helps me lean into that freedom:

• Collect influences everywhere, books, music, conversations, nature.

• Borrow boldly, but always add your twist.

• Focus less on being unprecedented and more on being authentic.

Because at the end of the day, originality isn’t about inventing something from nothing. It’s about creating something that carries your fingerprint.

You don’t need to be the first. You just need to be you. And that’s more than enough!