Assume You're Not Original - David Perell
you have never had an original thought.
and you never will.
but this is not an insult. it’s a gift.
the mind is a collector, a curator, a weaver of threads that existed before you.
your originality is not in what you think, but in how you combine, twist, and breathe life into what has already been known.
you are an instrument, not a source .
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and you never will.
but this is not an insult. it’s a gift.
the mind is a collector, a curator, a weaver of threads that existed before you.
your originality is not in what you think, but in how you combine, twist, and breathe life into what has already been known.
you are an instrument, not a source .
play... See more
vy | Substack
I know a painting coach who tells her students to listen for resistance in the copying process. “Do you hear that?” she asks. “It’s the echo of your unique style.” Those moments highlight the second benefit of copying: it reveals your voice.
Ironically, the more we imitate others, the more we discover how we’re different.
David Perell • Daily Writing #27: Imitate, Then Innovate
Look at how the writers you love are doing things, and then copy them. I’m such a believer in copying. When I was teaching writing, I used to say: “Leave off this paragraph of an Elizabeth Bowen story; write the next paragraph.” And they all thought that they were copying Elizabeth Bowen. It didn’t sound like her at all. It sounded like them, but... See more