All art is imitation to some extent. We are inspired by the works of others, by nature itself, or by countless other things that may draw our attention and enamor us with their example. There is no such thing as complete originality, for no matter what we do we draw upon that which has shaped us–a painter drawing upon the artists he studied, a writer upon the books she read and loved the most, a musician upon the styles that inspired him to create music himself, and so on. It is an unconscious process. We do not go about creating by saying “I will copy this today” or whatnot. We create from the flowing sea of our imagination, a sea whose currents were shaped in part by the works we cherished the most. But it is not a bad thing to draw upon them. Rather, it is a homage to the things that inspired us, and ultimately, although some aspects are borrowed, we will nonetheless create something that has a fresh perspective of an idea, something that is still uniquely our own.

But at the same time, many of us go about a creative venture with the idea of being “like” this person or that person. We see an example, say a famous writer, and either consciously or unconsciously resolve to be like them, to create stories like theirs, to be “The Next Shakespeare” or whatever other name you would put there. It is here, I think, that the danger of copying is revealed, for as long as he try to be like someone else, as long as we create things in an attempt to be like this person, we do a disservice to our own creative potential. I once read in Dale Carnegie’s book “How to Stop Worrying and Start Living,” some very simple and effective words on this topic. They are surmised as follows:

“Do not copy others. You’ve got to be yourself, with all your faults and limitations. You cannot possibly be anyone else!”

One ought to learn from others, especially from the best, but ultimately they must be themselves in order to reach the zenith of their potential. Anything else, any attempts to mimic another’s successful work, although not bad, will still fall short . . .

“I cannot write a book commensurate with Shakespeare, but I can write a book by me.”

We cannot write a book commensurate of Tolkien, paint a painting commensurate of Da Vinci, craft a sculpture commensurate of Michelangelo, or contrive a musical score commensurate of Bach. But what we can do is create something by ourselves, that is our own, that no one else could create! Draw inspiration from others, yes, but strive to be your own creator!

“The best you can be by imitation is second rate. Instead, be a first rate you. You are something new to this world. Be glad of it. Make the most of what nature gave you. Be what you are. For better or for worse you must cultivate your own little garden. Find yourself.”

Creation is a journey of self-discovery, but it need not be so daunting. Create without worrying about being original, create without the fear of borrowing ideas from here or there. But also create something by YOU, not someone else. Create! Let your spirit sing. The best voice is the one unfettered.