I recently stumbled on an article talking about blogging original content as opposed to blogging content written by others. This is a subject of contention on the Internet, for some web authors write new entries while others simply link to them. The links provide visibility to the original entry, but if nothing else is added, it can be seen as a waste of server space and bandwith, eventually leading to data pollution. I for one favor links to sources enhanced with the opinion of the referrer, so that a third party finding the referrer’s entry has again, something new to ponder about, add content, and link to. This is not only responsible Netiquette, it is also the primary mean of Human evolution: refactoring.
Following this, I had an offline discussion about inspiration in artistic endeavors. In the world we live in, we are constantly influenced by external sources, so that one may wonder: how personal and original is an idea one may have? Can we truly say that our idea was not inspired by someone else’s creation, work, or writing? If such was the case, is it wrong?
I believe most of the ideas we have, if not all, are in fact refactored from another source. The idea of an artist or scientist locked up in Eden and inspired by Divine Grace may well be a myth. In fact, isn’t this what formal education (a curse) and research (a blessing) is all about? The study of what has been done before us, so that we may learn from the wisdom of the ancients and propose new tenets. Actually, it strikes me that I am writing this, for I am quite an individualistic person, and would love to think that every thought processed by my brain is my own. Dream on, Hiddenson…
Thomas Edison said that genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration, and this is very true. The chances that your thoughts drive you into totally uncharted territory are dismal, so consider yourself lucky when it does happen. Then what? Well, you gotta work, buddy! Your idea alone will not lead you anywhere (except perhaps in conceptual art), therefore you still need to build upon it to make it slightly productive. Mind you, you must do this at lightning speed, before anyone else on the planet has the same idea and bounces you to second place. Do we have a pattern for another rat race here?
Instead, why not produce content at our own pace, and embrace the refactoring? Creation springs forth faster when working as a community than when working alone. This is why brainstorming is so successful, as are cultural periods and philosophical ideologies. For contemporary examples, look at the Open Source movement, Creative Commons, or even the whole Web 2.0 buzz.
Because the whole is larger than the sum of its parts.