Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and your theft) will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable: originality is non-existent. And don't bother concealing your thievery - celebrate it if you feel like it. In any case, always remember what Jean-Luc Godard said: “It's not where you take things from - it's where you take them to.”
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Stainless steal
Still not really sure whether I’m meant to be here or not. So I’ll just test the waters with an appropriately stolen (from Everett, via others) quotation by Jim Jarmusch:
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4 comments:
I like that. 'Talent borrows, genius steals' is a common enough sentiment, but usually it is pitched in opposition to authenticity.
How are the waters?
The "nothing is original" line can be a depressing deterrent. Then again, many are gullible - as evidenced by the repeated success of people claiming exclusives, first time evers, etc.
Wet, Chris. But I wouldn’t have it otherwise.
BWT: In a relativist world, it’s inevitable that the notion of “best” begins to seem a bit silly; check out the list of the best British albums of the past 30 years. But when supposedly empirical, objective notions such as “first” also become matters of opinion, we have a problem.
Ugh - shudder - just looked at the best British albums list
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