Creation vs collage

We live in a world of assembly. Following the motto of 'Don't reinvent the wheel', we've taken the thought to new extremes. Why create from scratch when you can plug together bits and pieces that other people have made? It puts a new spin on plagiarism - where does it begin or end in a world of cut-and-paste? It even repositions copyright as a means to an end.

Physically, we're seeing car manufacturers pool factory resources to build different branded cars using the same basic parts. It's LEGO gone wild. Prefab houses are spreading rapidly as an affordable way to build new homes. Ikea's colour palette is designed so that any piece of furniture you buy can match any other set you already have. No need to think, just plug and play. Innovation is no longer within the elements, it's within the process. It's now about how well we can build, not what.

Digitally, we're seeing a proliferation of templates for every application under the sun. Need a little motion graphics for your title sequence?  Template, cut in with some existing stock footage and you're home. Need some code for your new software package? Template, fill in the blanks and it's on. Recipes, posters, music scores, videogames, it's all canned and repurposed to suit your needs. And perhaps that's the point?

This approach changes everything, it forces us to first seek out what exists, to then figure out how to use it in combination with other things. It slows down the evolution process by breaking down the steps within innovation itself. Creation always begins by connecting thoughts that already exist in the creator's head. The key is that these thoughts were conceived by the creator in the first place, so it all remains part of the creative process. Now, however, we're just stitching together thoughts that others have had and we call the result our own.

Social media introduced the concept of 'sharing'. We now believe that 'sharing' content is equivalent to creating. We somehow feel that by spreading a piece of content around, we come to own part of it. 'Sharing', though intended as an outward gesture, has become egocentric. We share to own. And again, we take something that already exists, and we add a thin layer of personal veneer to then call it ours.

This creates a huge market for the few talented creators who can build from scratch, because everyone else wants and needs their work to make their own, like bricks in a wall. This explains the recent uproar of the last few years about the length and extent of copyright. A strong reason why people are asking for an end to copyright is because, in order to make their own ideas, they want more access to ideas others have had before. But who owns the copyright to the new ideas these people now spread out into the world?

Let's be clear, there are wonderful things that have emerged from these assemblies of ideas to derive new ones. After all, there are only 26 letters in our alphabet and yet we repackage them endlessly to produce new written work. There are only 10 digits, yet mathematics continues to surprise us. There are only seven basic music notes, yet symphonies continue to emerge. We can create this way, but it changes how we think. It would be wise to remember how to create from the ground up, lest we forget how to create in the first place.

We need to remember that the truly groundbreaking ideas, the ones that pull people through leaps of creative strides, are the ones that we build from scratch. Those ideas are the ones we come up with using intellect, intuition, trial-and-error, mistakes, ridicule, gut instinct, arrogance, daring and originality. Those ideas are the ones that make a difference.

So the next time you set out to create something, take a look at the building blocks you have, sure, but then take a step back. Look at the bigger picture, and see what's missing. Read between the lines, find the trees within the forest.

Then plant your own.

Nurture it, grow it and take pride in what it becomes. Because that tree is yours. It is unique and original. It is there for others to scale, to cling to and to embrace.

Original thought is the way to go.

Numbers and letters

It was very clear to me that numbers and letters could have thoughts of their own.

I first put myself in the mind of a number. A sense of logic came over me, I started looking at everything in stark contrast, paying attention to straight lines, pure curves and orderly structures around me. A number would be precise, focused on details, meticulous and wary of anything that intruded on this carefully crafted existence. It craved silence, or at least rhythm. It preferred stillness.

I then switched over and placed myself in the composure of a letter. Strangely enough, I focused on sounds a lot more, taking comfort in the melodious surroundings I found myself in. Colours immediately sprung forward, and movement  became attractive, a symbol of change and therefore of life. I let my imagination drift, looking for ideas to stitch freely together. A letter would prefer that, I felt. Order was not a priority. A letter yearned to move and keep moving.

It was immediately clear to me that numbers and letters would naturally hate each other, out of mere suspicion at something so completely different from themselves. The parallel with bigotry and xenophobia was evident. This prompted in me the question: what would a war between numbers and letters look like? What kind of armies would each side deploy? What tactics would they use? How would they move? And most importantly, what would they each be defending?

This led me to the notion of worlds, separate worlds divided by a clear and prohibited frontier. The numerical world would be the System of Numbers, black and white, rigid and solid. The alphabetical world would be the Land of Letters, colourful and textured, soft and natural. These worlds would be unique, populated by living numbers and letters, with social classes, rules and etiquette, fears, doubts and desires.

I had found my story. I had found ALPHANUMERIC.

I’m convinced we all have moments like I had, where our minds open up to something new and exciting. It’s then up to us to seize the moment and turn it into something more.

I would love to hear about your own stories, moments and ideas. Feel free to share, comment or email me about it.