Thursday Thoughts: Originality

Leon Stevens

Nov 30

As a creator, can one truly be original?

OK, OK Put your hands down you bunch of lemmings. That was meant to be a rhetorical* question.

No.
No? No, what?
I was answering my question. No, there isn't originality anymore.
Wait. That wasn't the question, and since you answered it, it's not rhetorical anymore.
Shush, you. Who's the creator here?
The Creator?
No, not "The Creator". I didn't use capitals.
Then what's with the "quotes"?
I was indicating what you said, nobody reads footnotes anymore.
Like the one for rhetorical earlier?
Exactly.

I'm not original. Everything I create has been influenced by others before me. The key to pseudo-originality is to combine those influences in a different way than others have done.

I admit, I don't read a lot of poetry, so when I write it, other than drawing on what I had learned in school, It shouldn't have much resemblance to the modern poetry out there, but I'm sure it does in some ways, with so many poets out there. I don't concern myself with structure, letting the words and feelings dictate the rhymes (or lack of) and the final form.

My science fiction has elements of Vonnegut, Adams, Asimov, and Weir. It is more adventure/mystery and less hard science, as I don't concern myself with the technical aspects. No one questions how a magic wand casts a spell, so why question how my faster-than-light drive works?

Oh, you want to know how it works? Simple, you press the green button.

If someone said my cartoons reminded them of The Far Side, I'd be flattered, and they wouldn't be wrong. But I don't think anyone has ...

None of my guitar compositions are completely original. My first classical guitar piece was in homage to the Renaissance composer, John Dowland, and many after that mimicked the minimalists, and I was finally influenced by Andrew York. If you have been following my Music Monday posts lately, you will know the acoustic guitarists that have shaped my playing.

I do not claim to be original. I just want to be entertaining.

-Leon

^{*I spelled that correctly on the first try!}

Leon Stevens is a multi-genre author, composer, guitarist, songwriter, and an artist, with a Bachelor of Music and Education. He published his first book of poetry, Lines by Leon: Poems, Prose, and Pictures in January 2020, followed by a book of original classical guitar compositions, Journeys, and a short story collection of science fiction/post-apocalyptic tales called The Knot at the End of the Rope and Other Short Stories. His newest publications are the novella trilogy, The View from Here, which is a continuation of one of his short stories, and a new collection of poetry titled, A Wonder of Words.

My new book page: http://books.linesbyleon.com/