I Made This Post Up Myself
» S.D. Smith
“Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it.”
-C. S. Lewis
Do you worry about being original just like everyone else? I do –probably to a fault. But I’m trying to just let it go man. I once wrote something touching this in a post at the Rabbit Room about Tolkien’s Place in my own life. It was a really original piece. Ha. Ha.
Also, let’s remember. Anything we do is sub-creation. We don’t do original.
My current theory: Acknowledge, when remembered, the sources which have inspired and informed your art. Do what you love. Don’t plagiarize. Have a go. Smile.
photograph by Petr Kratochville
July 21st, 2009 at 10:11 am
In the words of Dr. J. Vernon McGee, “Graze on every man’s pasture, but give your own milk.”
July 21st, 2009 at 5:21 pm
Ooh, I think mKhulu just called you a cow. You’re not gonna take that, are you?
I was tempted to point out the split infinitive in your title, but in the end I decided not to. But then I felt I had to brag about my self control. In order to make it up to you, I have included a blatant grammatical mistake in this paragraph that you should feel free to mock me for. Oops, two. Three now.
(Did I mention I enjoyed the *content* of this post, too? ’cause I do).
July 21st, 2009 at 9:34 pm
I am comfortable with being like everyone else. Actually, freedom to create was born in me when I realized how average I am. Maybe all the Gen X laziness is born out of the belief that we are so inherently special that we fear creating anything that will prove otherwise.
Thanks for the post.
July 21st, 2009 at 10:00 pm
I think that when we try to be original, we are not being original, we are just trying not to be lke anybody else…how now brown cow
July 21st, 2009 at 10:11 pm
The most original thing you can do is to be yourself.
July 21st, 2009 at 10:13 pm
I could have said all those things you guys said. I had already thought them. I’m that original.
Not really. Thanks for being unique, yous guys.
Peace upon your heads and their special number.
Note: JFK, if you start adding up grammatical miscues from me, you are going to need a large abacus. Also, you is very funny.
July 21st, 2009 at 10:14 pm
Should read: “special number of hairs.”
I’m in treatment.
July 21st, 2009 at 10:25 pm
OMG you guys are definately my tribe(VERY BIG SMILEY ICON)
July 22nd, 2009 at 6:48 am
Let’s not try to be original because everyone is trying to be original, so that would make us original, how original…
Maybe the goofiness is somewhere in the motive, not the result?