Saturday Reflection: Originality Is on the Far Side of Unoriginality
A Mantra That Will Completely Shift Your Perspective
Creating something original takes considerable time, focus, and effort.
Whether you’re an entrepreneur, writer, artist, researcher, product developer, filmmaker, educator, photographer, designer, or musician, it doesn’t matter.
The early stages of starting something new or going down the creative path are often incredibly frustrating because they begin as repetitive and unoriginal.
We are wired as humans to want immediate gratification, to get the quick dopamine hit, which feels great but isn’t lasting.
It’s why many talented people give up before they even really get started; the inherent expectation and desire for immediate results sets us up for failure.
But here’s the thing to remember: it’s not the immediate pursuit of the unconventional that will produce the originality we seek.
The discipline to take the well-trodden path first, where learning takes place and skills are developed, opens the door to revealing our uniqueness.
Delayed gratification.
I recently read Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman, which included a chapter on the principles of patience.
He shares a principle and a parable that has profoundly shifted my perspective and mindset.
The specific principle that allowed me to think differently is this:
“More often than not, originality lies on the far side of unoriginality.”
-Oliver Burkeman
Read that a few times and let it absorb. Think about all of your pursuits where impatience about progress sometimes gets the best of your motivation.
When it sinks in, it hits hard.
To further illustrate the point, a brief parable reinforces the sentiment of staying on the path long enough to see our full potential:
The Helsinki Bus Station Theory
“Minkkinen was born in Helsinki, Finland. In the center of the city there was a large bus station and he began his speech by describing it to the students.
‘Some two-dozen platforms are laid out in a square at the heart of the city,’ Minkkinen said. “At the head of each platform is a sign posting the numbers of the buses that leave from that particular platform. The bus numbers might read as follows: 21, 71, 58, 33, and 19. Each bus takes the same route out of the city for at least a kilometer, stopping at bus stop intervals along the way.”
He continued, ‘Now let’s say, again metaphorically speaking, that each bus stop represents one year in the life of a photographer. Meaning the third bus stop would represent three years of photographic activity. Ok, so you have been working for three years making platinum studies of nudes. Call it bus #21.’
‘You take those three years of work to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and the curator asks if you are familiar with the nudes of Irving Penn. His bus, 71, was on the same line. Or you take them to a gallery in Paris and are reminded to check out Bill Brandt, bus 58, and so on. Shocked, you realize that what you have been doing for three years others have already done.’
‘So you hop off the bus, grab a cab—because life is short—and head straight back to the bus station looking for another platform.’
‘This time,’ he said, ‘you are going to make 8×10 view camera color snapshots of people lying on the beach from a cherry picker crane. You spend three years at it and three grand and produce a series of works that elicit the same comment. Haven’t you seen the work of Richard Misrach? Or, if they are steamy black and white 8x10s of palm trees swaying off a beachfront, haven’t you seen the work of Sally Mann?’
‘So once again, you get off the bus, grab the cab, race back and find a new platform. This goes on all your creative life, always showing new work, always being compared to others.’
Minkkinen paused. He looked out at the students and asked, ‘What to do?’‘It’s simple,’ he said. ‘Stay on the bus. Stay on the f*cking bus. Because if you do, in time, you will begin to see a difference.’”
The lesson here is about patience and persistence.
Creating something original takes time and hard work.
However, it’s not simply about doing more work consistently; it’s about doing more re-work. It is the revision that matters most.
Ten thousand random hours without intention won’t magically produce something different.
Doing the thing repeatedly to get the average out of the way such that eventually, every so often, genuinely unique work will reveal itself.
To create, release, receive feedback, learn, iterate, build, release…
It’s embracing the repetitive process to slowly hone in on the originality we can eventually find - deliberate practice.
Of course, this is hard because while on the path already taken, it feels like a complete waste of time.
We constantly question ourselves - why am I doing this? Who am I to think I can create something different than those who have already achieved greatness?
The impost syndrome becomes heavy, sometimes creating a dense fog that feels impossible to see through.
But keep going. Whatever it is you’re working toward - keep going.
That’s what I keep telling myself over and over again; it’s become a daily mantra.
Be Aware of the Dichotomies
I’ve been focused on a core theme lately: managing the fundamental dichotomies of life and leadership (more to come in Wednesday’s newsletter).
Be patient and persistent, AND know when to find another path.
Continue to improve your work, AND don’t let perfection stand in the way of shipping, getting feedback, and then shipping again.
This sort of driven patience isn’t to be conflated with complacency.
This doesn’t mean sitting and waiting on promotion when your gut tells you your manager will never advocate for you; find a better environment.
Our situations are all inherently unique and never black and white; always in the gray. Mindsets and perspectives must always be tailored to your situation.
Take the time to step back, evaluate your circumstances, and determine when “keep going” is the best course of action.
Above all, if finding joy in the process is unrealistic, unachievable, or flat-out unimaginable, it’s time to make a change.
Brilliant!