The myth of originality

It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation they say.

You were born original, don't die a copy.

How original can original be?

Originality is often misunderstood, I was struck by this epiphany a few days back.

When a child is creatively sprouting we inhibit his growth. To colour outside the lines is forbidden. I actually think the child is capable of creating masterpieces if he is just left by himself. Of course I do not think all his pages should have crayons scribbled over them and you should pretentiously call all of them work of art. But maybe once in a while the rules should be laid down. This brings the child’s original perspectives into view.

My ‘liberal’ family has asked our children to be original in their career choices. So when my cousin took the liberty of saying he wanted to become a graphic designer, he was told he misunderstood what originality meant. His choice of taking up an original Or maybe they had very different stance on the concept of originality itself. So who is to decide what is original for it appears the world is taken over not by the love of originality but by the love of preferential selection.

An original gay activists voicing original sentiments is considered an abomination in certain religions but the very same person is the beacon of hope to the millions of homosexuals who only demand a life of acceptance. So who here is original? The man who says his sexuality is one of his defining and very natural quality of his being. Or the many priests who merely wants to save the world from sins as that remains his duty for the love of his own being.

I agree that all of us are made up of the most exquisite elements. Each mind with its own plethora of emotions and wisdom. To raise our uniqueness and portray the differences is what makes us ‘original’. 

So the next time you hear someone say quotes on originality, do a quick check on the perspectives and extensions of his view. Most of the times it’s merely a myth.