Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable; originality is nonexistent. And don’t bother concealing your thievery – celebrate it if you feel like it. In any case, always remember what Jean-Luc Godard said: “It’s not where you take things from – it’s where you take them to.”
—Jim Jarmusch, The Golden Rules of Filming
~ * ~
“All work is influenced by other work. All people are influenced by other people. No man is an island and no piece of art is a continent unto itself. When we respond to art we are responding to its resonance in terms of our own experience. We seldom see anew in the sense of finding something utterly unfamiliar. Instead, we see an old in a new light.
If the demand to be original still troubles you, remember this: each of us is our own country, an interesting place to visit. It is the accurate mapping out of our own creative interests that invites the term original. We are the origin of our art, its homeland. Viewed this way, originality is the process of remaining true to ourselves.”
– Julia Cameron, The Artist’s Way.
+ + +
It is a most needed reminder sometimes, that one doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel or try to come up with something that absolutely no one else has thought about before in order to produce original work. All it takes is finding that specific, unique combination of particular tastes and aesthetic combinations that shape our own personal style, be it in our art, work or our own person.
So, take some time to discover your own individuality and don’t be afraid of expressing it with confidence and infusing your life with it. The most interesting people always do.
Follow Jim Jarmusch’s advice and own your influences, for there’s no need to hide them. On the contrary, the fun part is adding your own personal twist to the things you select and embrace, customizing them to your particular taste. However, make sure that your quest is always motivated by finding meaning, inspiration, and personal fulfillment, as opposed to a desire to impress others. That’s what authenticity is all about.
Thanks for reading,
