Imitation vs. Originality

How proficient are you at copying something that has already been created? How well are you able to study what you are looking at; focus on the details; internalize the nuance; memorize colors and space? How much do you value being able to do this? Is this merely cheap hackery and a way to fast-track oneself to producing a (hollow) body of work, or is this a critical skill in the journey of learning how to produce a higher level of more original work?

How does one even produce original work in this day and age? We are bombarded, over-stimulated and over-saturated with everyone and their mother producing content, creating art, designing, developing, writing…is anything worthy of being considered original?

Musicians are not coming up with new chords or discovering hidden never-before-seen notes…and yet, they are still capable of producing new music that feels fresh, distinct and original. Designers are not discovering new colors (unless we are maybe ingesting psychedelics) and we are not inventing new graphic styles or treatments, per se….yet we are still capable of creating and combining fresh, distinct and original ideas.

In order to create something as truly original, one might argue that we must be cognizant of, and proficient in, imitation. We must understand our history and, thus, know — and even be honest with ourselves — when we are simply regurgitating something we have seen before so that we may move beyond the base instincts of subconscious mimicry. Only then can we move consciously into a space of new definition, unique construction and original thought.

Unless, of course, we happen to get lucky.