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Original ideas
As a designer, I work every day to develop new and creative ideas. But I always ask myself whether it is still possible to create completely original ideas. Aren’t we all just copyists these days, copying existing ideas and simply reinterpreting them?
The myth of originality
In our society, originality is often viewed as the highest form of creativity. But what does originality actually mean? Is an idea only original if it is completely new and unique? Or can ideas that arise from existing ideas but are presented in a new form also be considered original?
The reality of idea generation
As a designer, I know that coming up with ideas is often a long and arduous process. Ideas rarely arise from nothing, but are often the result of experiences, inspiration and exchanges with other people. It is therefore not surprising that we often have ideas that have similarities to ideas that already exist.
The meaning of inspiration
Inspiration plays an important role in generating ideas. But where does inspiration come from? It’s often the little things in everyday life that can inspire us. A walk in nature, a conversation with a friend or a visit to a museum can give us new perspectives and ideas. But often we find new perspectives precisely when we leave our familiar comfort zone and try completely new things. At least, that’s how I often feel.
The art of reinterpretation
Nevertheless, as a designer, I also see the reinterpretation of existing ideas as an art form. An idea can be presented in many different forms, and it is the designer’s job to find a unique and creative interpretation. The point is not to completely reinvent the idea, but to present it in a new and unexpected way.
The dangers of unintentional copying
With the abundance of already existing works of all kinds, it is certainly not uncommon that one creates something, what so similar already someone else had created before.
It has happened to me more often that I have worked on designs, projects or ideas that I thought were totally original and individual, only to see some time later by chance pictures of a collection by designer XY, from the year XY and realize that my design basically just looked like a reprint of it.
Or suddenly discovering a company that is very similar to mine, even though I had researched it in advance for months. A mistake, as it usually turns out in retrospect. Because others are often faster than you.
What is the best way to deal with something like that? Should one rather concentrate only on the supposedly own ideas and ignore possibly arising criticism to alleged copies to it? Or should one nowadays always check every work a hundred times first, so that it doesn’t look like a copy of something already existing?
I think you should be true to yourself first and foremost. Not doing or publishing something because someone else came before you with a similar or who knows, maybe even almost identical idea, is in my opinion just as wrong as the other way around, to copy things deliberately from others because you already know through their success that they work.
The true original
Basically, you won’t actually be able to prove either one or the other to anyone, and actually it doesn’t matter. Because one thing will always be completely different. You yourself. The creator, so to speak, the creative person behind the work. This person will always be an original and thus the absolute originality of the creating work is actually secondary. Because most people support other people rather than material objects.
So if designer A and designer B have created two similar things, some people will prefer designer A and others designer B and this will probably have nothing at all to do with the works of the respective designer, but with their personality, their style, their character, etc. The same principle applies to companies. Or even politicians. So it is not only important what you create, but also who and how you are. And you yourself are always unique.
Conclusion
In a world where it seems impossible to create completely original ideas, reimagining pre-existing ideas is an important skill for any designer or entrepreneur. We often find ideas through inspiration and experience, and it is our job to bring these ideas into a new and creative form. But above all, it is important not to constantly compare your ideas with those of others. Everyone should feel free to consider their own works as originals for themselves. With the 8 billion people living in our world today, there will always be or have been someone who has created something similar.
I believe that there is still room for originality as long as we focus on ourselves and present our own ideas in a unique and unexpected way. By the way, the Colombian philosopher whose quote I have chosen today unfortunately does not agree with me, which is why I have chosen his words anyway. What are your thoughts on the subject? Are you creative minds yourself and sometimes ask yourself similar questions? Feel free to let me know in the comments.
Have a great weekend!
All the love
Christina
“Modernism’s thirst for originality leads the mediocre artist to believe that the secret of originality is simply to be different.”
Nicolás Gómez Dávila
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About the author
Christina Ernst is founder and CEO of Linen & Quince. She is also a designer, author and real estate expert. She shares her experiences and knowledge not only on our Linen & Quince blog, but also on her personal blog, christinaernst.net , where she writes about financial knowledge, starting a business, real estate knowledge and personal development. She loves interior design, art, antiques, as well as elegant, sustainable and high-quality fashion.
