Original Creativity: Does It Exist?

For quite some time, I've been fascinated by the concept of original creativity. Do we create ideas or do we merely borrow ideas as a foundation for inspiration? What is truly original? (Or, of course, in the worst scenario, a person chooses to blatantly plagiarize.)

To provide an example, in my undergraduate capstone project, I considered original creativity within the transformations and reincarnations of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. Of the most mainstream transformations/adaptations, there are: The Wizard of Oz film from 1939, The Wiz, Wicked the novel by Gregory Maguire, and Wicked: The Musical. There are numerous sequels, spin-offs, and other modifications, too, but for the sake of a short argument, these are the only ones I choose to list. Within these similar stories, characters generally remain the same but the stories all go in slightly variant directions. Each version has found success because it found inspiration in one source and created ways to originate new concepts, plot arcs, target audiences, etc. Basically, it re-invented something old by layering it with a new, original premise and found its success in the re-invention. Within this example, you see the realities and possibilities of borrowed inspiration.

In a century, the Wizard of Oz found new, relevant content throughout its transformations without blatantly stealing the originality. Throughout my education, there were students that plagiarized, copied, and didn't work as hard as a lot of other students, and they were still rewarded with diplomas and degrees. Then, I entered the working world and realized that it doesn't change there, either. I see plagiarism through copied dance routines on the competition circuit, and I see it in places as ridiculous as on facebook. But, what I have learned, is that there is a HUGE difference between a person that originates/re-invents ideas and a person that merely copies them.

In whatever you do, be the person that originates/re-invents. You will be held in much higher regard in your school, your career, and your network. Does it take more effort? Absolutely. As Booker T. Washington said, "Nothing ever comes to one, that is worth having, except as a result of hard work."

My challenge for you today is this: tap into your creativity, see what you can find. Always be thinking of what you can do to set yourself apart. If you're looking for ways to be creative, check out the suggestions in this article.

And, as a final thought:
"Be yourself. The world worships an original."--Ingrid Bergman

Happy Creating!
Chasta