Being Original

Being original is easy - you just have to be yourself. Don’t judge yourself or your work by comparing with others, because we are wholly different people and produce different works of art. Be inspired, don’t compare.

By nature, many of us are competitive, but where there is competition in art, there is a loss of artistic ingenuity. Instead of putting all our effort and energy into producing what we love, a product of comparison and competition is created, many times a glaring imitation - that’s not what anyone wants. It’s easy to admire other works of art and ask yourself ‘why can’t I produce something as beautiful, or perfect, or amazing?.’ But you can - you just have to put in the work. There are a few naturally talented artists, people who seem to just create startling works of art without much effort, but for the rest of us it’s something learned through extensive effort, trial and error, and sometimes a lifetime of failures. The important thing is to keep on producing with passion. Pouring your heart and soul into something can result in the best you have to offer as a human being, and most importantly, produce something you would enjoy, something you can appreciate, something you can be fulfilled by. Be your harshest critic and greatest supporter, be the one who decides whether you’ve worked hard enough, or your work is good enough; be the one who says you can do better, be the one who decides what’s enough.

It’s your choice. Be yourself, be better.