Being inspired is dangerous
As a creative person, inspiration has always been the game.
I consume a lot of media and content to constantly feel inspired and learn. I've done this since I was a kid watching cartoons on tv up till now that I watch 150 movies a year on average (I know you think i'm a freak)
It's easy to feel inspired by people doing great creative things.
They take up positions we want. They live the lives we desire. So why not!
As a brand designer years ago, this was both a blessing and a curse.
Being constantly inspired did wonders to my output. I'd come up with the craziest of ideas on a regular basis. My designs were always fresh and wowed most of my clients at the time.
I was improving rapidly. Barely anyone in my circles could keep up with me.
But, every couple of months, I'd catch myself hyper fixating on one specific creator, artist or designer. I'd fall madly in love with their work, and what ended up happening was that all my work would start to look like theirs.
I'd start to design exactly like how they would. And eventually, people will start to realize.
Even as recent as last month, I constantly have to check myself to make sure i'm not copying my way to losing my identity as Mike.
All masters were copycats first
To become a master at anything, you have to become a master at copying.
We learn how to spell and write in any language by copying and mastering how the letters look and sound.
Then we start reading already-made sentences for a long time.
It's only after we properly understand the rules of the language that we can start making our own sentences.
And even then, most of what we say is stuff we've already read, seen or heard.
People look at people copying someone else and start throwing frenzies, and I can understand that because it's a crime to steal intellectual property (more on why this is wrong soon).
But what I see when people copy and steal is just someone stuck (intentionally or unintentionally).
They're stuck in the learning process and are too scared to graduate to the next step.
They're stuck riding a bicycle with training wheels and are too scared or lazy to take the damn training wheels off
3 clear signs you're stuck on copy mode
You follow and learn from just one source
This is the easiest way to know you're in danger of being a copycat. You listen and learn from just one source.
When you listen and learn from multiple sources, our brains will combine all of them into a unique thought process that is unique to your own interpretation of both of them.
But when you learn from just one source, you are probably only going to take what they say as the gospel truth and rarely find any other angles to improve your stance.
For example, when I'm learning about new concepts for content. I almost always find three different teachers I can learn from.
This keeps my brain active by making those connections and reduce the risk of becoming a direct copy of one.
You find it extremely hard to make remixes
The beautiful part about learning is that eventually you are going to have to add your own spin to it.
If there's some internal resistance to add your own flavour to templates, structures and formulas you pick up, you're at risk of becoming a serial copycat.
Start small.
Add your own ideas very small every time you create to keep what you make in alignment to you.
You never give credit where it's due
This sign is for the people who always feel the need to claim work that isn't theirs.
I've had my fair share of people taking my content without crediting me.
Giving people credit does not make you less credible. On the contrary, it even makes you more credible.
The resistance to cite sources is a sign of how uncomfortable you are in your own ideas.
Let me know if you enjoyed today's write-up! Take a screenshot and tag me on IG @themikelawson
Have a great weekend, my friend