Why is it so extremely difficult for people to come up with original material?

Question

Why is it so extremely difficult for people to come up with original material?

Answer 1

It's only extremely difficult for unoriginal people.

Answer 2

ehh i have my own

i dont need to copy other people

its just a waste of time

Answer 3

simpsons did it.

Answer 4

Most things, like stories, have similar plots or parallels, so they are often update or modernized to make old stories seem original, but a lot of it is just old stories.

For example, you think "The Lion King" is original?  It was based off of Shakespeare's "Hamlet", and Shakespeare in turn based or adapted most of his plays off of local legends or stories.  It is thought that Shakespeare's "Hamlet" was adapted from an earlier play (now lost) called "Ur-Hamlet" by Thomas Kyd.

You also have to know how to define original material, for example, is a story about "a poor woman marrying into wealth" an original plotline or not?  It may not be original, but when adapted or modernized, this same plot line becomes both "Cinderella", "Pride and Prejudice", and "Sabrina", just to name a few.  These three stories depict the same thing occuring during different time periods, and they are similar but still original when compared to each other.

Answer 5

Because when people are original, they're either put down or copied.

I try to be original, and personality wise, I am.

Clothing? It's hard to be original. I wear whatever is comfy.

Being original is pretty much "being weird" until other people start to do it too and then it's no longer you being weird and original, it's a trend and you look like another manufactured toy.

Also, people are afraid of being original because they don't think they'll fit in as well.

Answer 6

Because almost everything has already been done.

Answer 7

For what?  If you mean for TV, Jokes, entertainment, that sort of thing, its because people are spending too much time being entertained and not enough time living life.  

People who spend most of their time watching TV or being entertained in some other popular way, are likely to draw on ideas FROM that experience when coming up with something 'original'.  They can't come up with anything original from their own feelings, thoughts, and life experiences, if most of those experiences include watching other peoples ideas. lol

A lot of the best artists, musicians, writers, etc.. draw upon themselves, their inner thoughts and feelings, experiences, etc.. rather than others.  They may borrow basic ideas from others for inspiration "South Park integrates morals or messages into an absolutely rude presentation.. I like that contrast. I should try for a big contrast in my work." See, that's more general and inspired than saying, "Hey South Park made fun of Family Guy, I think I'll do the same, in my own way of course, of course".  Which is just douchebaggery - and the most common type of mimicry we see on TV.  I mean honestly, how many times have we heard a movie use, "Who let the dogs out?" or "Yo momma".  

Believe it or not, the first time "yo momma" was said, it was probably funny. Because at the time it was said, well, for the first time. It was literally original material.   And because of that, because of the surprise, the silliness of the phrase, it was probably funny.  But people took that SINGLE moment they loved, and tried to recreate it. The recreated the words, and the tone, somewhat, with none of the original substance, the real thing BEHIND the words that made them funny.  Kind of hard to explain that, but now I'm not really talking original material so much as cliche's, which are the ultimate form of unoriginal material.  

Anyways, the case is almost always over saturation.  Sometimes it's a good thing, but sometimes it kills creativity. For example art.  If you weren't introduced to so many different artists from the time you were a kid, your own art might be very original, you having had to develop your own style in every way, from scratch. And there would probably be less artists (until a group of possible artists are inspired by your work!) but at the same time you are working with less knowledge.  Maybe you wouldn't know about perspective.  Or the possibility of translucency.  Or a certain texture or technique would have never entered into your mind.  Etc.. without the exposure to it.  

So a balance between exposure to other peoples work, and a rejection of borrowing specific things, while an acceptance of borrowing others, might help.  

I think the best thing to do is to learn the basics or fundamentals of your craft (comedy it would be the art of surprise, which most people mistakenly call timing; art it would be composition, perspective, etc., music it would be timing or maybe song structure, etc. etc. etc.) the barest bones, the absolute fundamentals of the technical side.  And then of course the fundamentals of the non-technical, are pretty much the same for all the arts and entertainments - Grab attention, break guards, express something, communicate an idea, or feeling, have a focus, etc...  and with those fundamentals you create something based on real feelings, experiences, observations, bits of your real personality, your innermost thoughts, etc... and that's the ingredient that makes them original.  

For example: modern drawings of monsters.  At first some creative guy or girl came up with a story about a half man half bird, or some such, and ended up writing a book about it.  Then that opened the door to other minds who all created stories based on monster man hybrids.  At the same time artists had similar ideas, they saw how cool bugs looked and said, what if I combined a bug with a man?  Then they set about experimenting with the image of it, until they had something they liked.  These people were fairly original.  Now thousands of years later, if I ask you to picture a bird-man in your head, or a monster, you will have dozens if not hundreds of over-done cliche's to draw upon.  You won't need to construct a monster from your own experience and observation, or your own feelings, you will do what every well developed natural brain will do, take the laziest root. lol That's just the nature of the brain. You have to be aware of that and go against it intentionally.

For example if you want to create a monster you really care about, why don't you think of someone in life you absolutely hate, they've ruined you, or they have done things you find monstrous. Think of them saying something that kills you inside, picture their face, their way of doing it.  Now think of something you are afraid of? ANYTHING, even if its public speaking.  Okay, how can we make a monster with the personality of that person who maybe forces you to public speak... etc.. if you use your own brain, you won't have a monster right away, in most cases, but you will construct a very real and very original one.  Maybe you could start by asking, "what really, is a monster to me, what do I find monstrous, truly".

Of course this monster exercise could apply to artists or writers most easily, as far as I can picture, but the process of real creativity is pretty similar in most instances.  Its a little bit of inspiration, a little bit of thought, a touch of creativity, etc.. but its mostly drawing from within yourself, and I personally think, your feelings are the strongest key.  Not your petty surface feelings, but your deep, true, and subconscious ones. This is probably why so many people have gotten inspiration from dreams. Because at the root of your dreams is your subconscious, and at the root of your subconscious are probably your deepest feelings, thoughts, ideas, and symbols.