August 20, 2019

How to be original

I’ll have the mushrooms sautéed in mashed banana, topped with salmon eggs. No, wait, I’ll try the chocolate-covered rare lamb fillet with vanilla ice-cream and seaweed butter, instead.

People don’t want original, even if they say they do. What people want is something that’s familiar, but just a little bit different to before. Evolution, not revolution.

Original is hard. It’s hard to stomach. Hard to make. Hard to sell. That’s why genres exist. Every genre – whether it’s food, books, or music – has a formula. Being ‘original’ really means taking that formula and tweaking just one element, or two, to make something that feels decidedly new.

Other observations
November 5, 2024

Consistent or resistant

Is my aversion to change about my wanting to be consistent? Or, am I actually being resistant and am I losing something because of that?

October 22, 2024

Critically unacclaimed

What do reviews really tell us about the work? Does it matter who’s reviewing?

October 15, 2024

Proper technique

If I’m learning a new art form, do I focus on technical correctness first or building an emotional connection with the medium?

October 8, 2024

The importance of mess

Physical art materials are messy and inconvenient. But isn’t that the point?

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