Paralysis In Creating Something Original

“The only art I’ll ever study is stuff that I can steal from.” —David Bowie

One thing I always look forward to at the end of the year is the year in review mashups. A common criticism of people who dismiss mashups in general is that they aren’t original. That the artist isn’t playing an instrument, they’re just pressing buttons on a computer. And anyone could do that…

The problem with this belief is that everyone steals ideas. Whether you realize it or not, your “original” ideas are likely just...