[Photo credit: Jonene Taddei Photography for ORGNLTV.]
“True originality consists not in a new manner but in a new vision.” -Edith Wharton
Every so often I have well-meaning friends, followers or readers point out when another Las Vegas blogger or fashionista imitates me. Whether it’s calling their personal style posts “Outfit of the Week” or using my logo style, there are going to be times when it seems like someone is copying me. But, isn’t imitation the sincerest form of flattery? And if I lead the way, then doesn’t that establish me as the original?
The truth is, I find my own inspiration in magazines, films, art, music and random people walking along the Las Vegas Strip. So how original am I really?
There’s a difference between knocking someone off (I hate replica fashion, by the way) and taking what inspires you and adding your own spin to it. The latter is what makes one original. The former… well, not so much.
One of Vincent’s van Gogh’s most famous artwork is “Starry Night.” Musician Don McLean was so inspired by the artwork and the artist that he wrote and released a song called “Vincent” in 1971, in which the chorus contains the words, “Starry, starry night.” So was Don McLean ripping van Gogh off? I don’t think so. Not if you look at originality the way author Edith Wharton does. McLean doesn’t sing about a starry night in the way that Van Gogh painted one. In fact, McLean uses music to tell the story of van Gogh, like a musical bio.
Do you question whether your own personal style or creative endeavors are original enough? If you’re adding your own take to it, I say yes, they are. You may go out and buy and wear the exact pair of shoes I tweeted, but your vision of wearing them is different than mine is. That means you’re doing it right. So go ahead and bite my style, and that of anyone else. Just remember to add your personality and taste level to it and make it your own.
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