We all love being “that person” — the person who came up with the idea, invented the machine, or solved the problem. But why?
The simple answer is that whoever does something first gets the credit (unless they’re a person of color, or a woman, but that’s another discussion for another day). And oh, how we love to get credit, in all of its forms! Credit validates us. Credit often secures us fame and fortune. It tells us and everyone around us, “This person is worth something! This person has contributed to society. This person matters.”
And I think that there is nothing wrong with wanting to matter.
However, having an original idea is not the only way to matter. It’s not the only way to live a life full of purpose and meaning as a creator.
Plus — did you know? You already matter. You are already important, and your life is already priceless. Even if you never have an original idea, even if you never write your book or launch your podcast (and I still hope that you do), I want you to know that you are an amazing person regardless.
And yet… I think a lot of us feel the pressure not only to be CREATIVE, but to be COMPLETELY ORIGINAL with our ideas.
There are folks who would argue that “there are no new ideas”, “it’s all been done before”, or “there’s nothing new under the sun” (which you may recall from Shakespeare and/or the Bible). People may tell you that only three stories have ever existed (tragedy, comedy, and history), or they may point to Hollywood’s recent slew of remakes to prove their point.
And to a point, we’re all relying on what we’ve seen and learned throughout our lives — our brains begin curating information from the very day we’re born, and we might not understand where our ideas come from for years, if ever. (For example, I only realized after I’d finished creating Season 1 of Girl In Space that it had been heavily influenced by The Secret Garden.)
However, I think there can be new ideas — or at least unique takes on old ideas, or new combinations of existing ideas. The human brain is amazing and its potential is limitless. I say dream big.
A novel (or any creative project) is more than an idea. It’s storytelling, plot, character, art, execution, skill, and talent all rolled into one. So even if there is someone else out there with the same idea as you… that idea is just one small piece of the whole puzzle. Don’t get too hung up on the significance or role of the idea.
And remember: while other folks may have the same idea as you, no one else is you. No one else is going to execute that idea in exactly the same way you will, with the same voice, characters, plot twists, etc.
No one can write your novel, launch your podcast, or finish your collection of poetry — except you.
Words & warmth,