Quotation:
“Creation requires influence, everything we make is a remix of existing creations, our lives, and the lives of others.”
Comment:
This comment and a lot of this article made me look at things in life differently. It made me realize everything in life is based on something else in a way: our thoughts, our opinions, music, TV shows, posts on social media, etc. We, as a society, depend on others’ creations to create ourselves. Even if the influence is so minimal that the work is seen as brand new, creation does require influence from others. This does not mean we are all just copying each other though. We must read and study other people’s creations, form opinions on the creations, and remake that influence in our own style with new ideas. From the moment we are born, we all are instantly exposed to the influence of others. So, even when we go to create something brand new, we still look into the back of our mind that compiles past experiences without even realizing. I believe that sometimes, the things that seem brand new and creative are no different than what has already been created. For example, there are so many songs with music that is no different than songs that have already been made, but it does not seem that way for a number of reasons like the singer’s voice is different, the way the song has been sung, the time period in which the song came out. If we really look deeply into it, everything so-called “new” is always based on others’ creations, whether there was minimal or maximal change. It is very important for creators to realize this. It might hurt them to realize their work isn’t completely unique and original. It doesn’t mean they’re copying others in an illegal way; it just means that they should be aware of the influence others have on themselves and their work. Realizing this, creators should always give credit where it’s due, try to be cautious when creating new things, keep in the back of their mind the influence of others, and to address influences when it’s needed.
There is no such thing as being entirely creative and only using your ideas with no input from anyone and/or anything else. Everything we do in life is based on what we have previously learned. Nothing new can be introduced until we are completely fluent in the topic. There needs to be a starting base in order to create something new, and that starting base involves copying. Copying can sound bad, since our whole lives, teachers, professors, and peers have told us “no copying!” But, what they fail to say is “no copying off of your peers”, because essentially, we are all copiers, including the teacher. Copying is how we learn; in classes, we copy notes made from years ago and learn the concept by memorizing it in order to answer a question in a unique way different from our peers. After copying is when the creativity and originality begins; this is when your brain can take what you have learned and understood and be able to interpret in a different way from everyone else, and even build off new ideas from that original concept. It’s the same with music, tv shows, and other entertainment sources. No idea from entertainment is completely original. A television writer can get inspiration from a tv show and use it to create a whole new show that is completely different from the one they watched. But, it all starts with something else; nothing is entirely original.
Question:
Do you think it is possible for someone’s work to be completely original, with no influence from others, under certain circumstances (like drugs or disabilities)?
