Imitation Inspiration

Originality is overrated.

As a social media marketer and digital artist, I've often been instructed to "be creative," "think outside the box" and "try something new." In a world where everything seems to have already been said and done, originality is the elusive Road Runner that we strive so hard to catch.

Helmut Krone, an art director considered to be the pioneer of modern advertising, once said:

I asked one of our young writers recently, which was more important: doing your own thing or making the ad as good as it can be? The answer was "Doing my own thing." I disagree violently with that. I'd like to pose a new idea for our age: "Until you've got a better answer, you copy." (Passage taken from "Hey Whipple, Squeeze This. A Guide to Create Advertising" by Luke Sullivan)

Oftentimes, people are so consumed with discovering the next big thing that they forget about the tons of great resources already available at their fingertips. Turn on the TV. Browse the net. Pick up a magazine.

I used to think I was a terrible artist because my works consist mainly of fan art, but even the most "original" art is inspired by something somehow; an event, a person, an object. There are several degrees to inspiration (some more direct than others), but as long as you put your own twist to it, there is nothing to be ashamed of. I believe the same principle applies to good advertising and social media.

I do, however, want to draw the distinction between copying outright and getting inspiration. Think of it this way:

COPYING OUTRIGHT = REPOST
GETTING INSPIRATION = MEME

Memes, to me, are the perfect example of "copying someone" the right (and legal) way. After all, a meme is essentially taking an idea and customizing it to make it your own. And guess what? People love them!

In a nutshell:
- Originality is overrated
- Copying is okay, but don't be a repost. Be a meme.

Til then,
Mae