lol!

Everyone is unique and completely original in how they are made and put together by God, that is for sure. There is not another you. Did not mean to make it seem like that was the angle I was promoting.

But when it comes to creativity and influence, I am saying that it’s very rare and extremely hard to be the person who comes up with the really original and truly unique idea.

That is why google is willing to pay out for 10 people to wow the world with their new contest. They know it’s out there and people do have it.

They certainly do exist and anyone can come up with a 100% unique idea, but I agree with Hendrix that we are a mishmash of many influences. And struggle to be completely unique and produce original ideas in creation.

Jeff

I appreciate your comments.

Your emphasis on what life would be like without creativity reminds me of a book my son read for school and I read this summer called the “The Giver.” Set in the future, everything in the world is at peace, but everyone is the same and there is no color, it’s all gray.

Sounds like a world without creativity, does it not?

Jeff

The trouble I have is that when the concept of “creative imitation” is taught, there is very little (if any) spoken about the second phase (which you defined as “creative activation”).

The result of this means people only hear half the story and as such they begin to do things like flat out copy someone’s work thinking that they are “creatively imitating” (which is what you are experiencing with the course you mentioned in your post).

The bottom line is this…

I think the term “creative imitation” is easily misunderstood and as such it creates a variety of additional problems as mentioned above.

We’ve got to remind people that it’s “ok” to be creative. In fact, it’s one of the most important things moving us forward as a society.

Without fresh, new, innovative ideas, we’re all just standing still. That’s not what I want and I don’t think you do either.

Therefore, if you teach people about “creative imitation” it’s as equally important to also teach people how to tap into their own creativity.

Doesn’t that seem a little depressing?

But that doesn’t mean we should stop innovating!

It’s true that the iPod is still just an MP3 player but there is no denying that the unique features, components and design is what makes it so successful - that’s where the innovation comes in.

Most MP3 manufacturers were creating their MP3 players to have a similar look with similar features. The iPod completely took that “normal” MP3 player and turned it completely around.

However, that’s where I think things get dangerous because people aren’t taught the second “phase” and most end up running their business looking to just imitate others.