Originality is not what its all about

There usually comes a point in every artists progression when the question of “originality” seems to be of great importance.

I think I ignorantly thought as a younger artist that “of course everything I create is original!” I wasn’t too concerned about it. As I continued to progress and develop my skills, I became more aware of the world around me and increasingly unsatisfied with the work that I created.

It didn’t seem original enough.

Surely, my images were not earth shattering enough for one to say that they had never seen anything similar before. That seemed to leave me with a sense that my work was nothing special.

I took a break from looking at other photographers work for awhile (especially those living in my area) and became determined to think and create on my own. I discovered some interesting things.

I still remember one particular occasion of triumph and disappointment.

As a portrait/lifestyle photographer I am constantly scouting new and interesting locations to photograph my subjects. A few weeks after moving to a new home I discovered the most amazing house a few streets away that had incredible landscaping mixed with vintage art. An old school bus, bikes, rustic wooden buildings, a chicken coup, and many more exciting treasures to be found around each corner. I resolved that I must shoot there and congratulated myself on such a unique find! Soon after, I knocked on the door to seek permission to use the owners yard for a shoot.

A beautiful woman with long silver hair answered the door and listened to my request with an almost knowing smile on her face. After I finished my elaborate compliment of her artistic yard, she nodded casually and granted permission.

“Of course you can photograph here!” She began. “We get photographers all the time who want to use our place and we’re delighted that other people can enjoy it!”.

Instead of feeling triumph in obtaining the right to shoot, I suddenly felt deflated inside. Other photographers had already discovered this place before?! I wasn’t the first one to come here?! My work would be just like all those other photographers who came here before I did?

I thanked her, and scheduled the shoot regardless.

This same type of experience has happened to me on a few other occassion’s. I think of a thrilling concept, I approach people for permission, only to discover with their gracious cooperation that others had been there before I had.

But is this really a reason to get down on myself for the quest of originality? Should I visit Grand Teton National Park and refrain from taking pictures, simply because Ansel Adams already photographed the Tetons?

I was beginning to see that chances were high that anything I wanted to create, had likely been done before in some form.

But thats the key. It was only a “form”. Sarah Ban Breathnach said, “There is no such thing as originality. Only authenticity.”

If I sought for truth, if I sought to be honest in my work, drawing from my own life experiences and perspective, my form and interpretation would be different and unique.

I began to discover that perhaps my naive young artist self hadn’t been so wrong after all. Everything I create is original in the end. Just as C.S. Lewis said,

“Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it.”

In a recent interview with Tamara Lackey, photographer Scott Bourne shared this piece of advice, “Don’t worry about new, worry about you.”
The quest for new can be a misleading and disappointing road to follow, especially if that is our main intent in creating.

Seeking originality simply for the sake of originality produces work that lacks a deeper more communicative purpose.

I’ll never forget the day I sat in my graduate level music composition course listening to the new works of fellow composers. The quest for originality was more valued than authenticity among the faculty here, and as such, there were quite a few “interesting” works produced. Like the 20 minute musical work written for Clarinet and Vacuum Cleaner. Most certainly it was original! I had never in my entire life heard a piece that was written for the vacuum cleaner. Ever. And I really don’t care to hear another one. Ever.

Contrastingly, I have also heard another piece written by this same composer when he was less concerned about impressing a faculty with his originality and instead wanting to communicate something important to him.

Both pieces ended up to be original in the end. But the latter was far more profound and communicative.

I have since learned that the quest for authenticity is much more powerful and fulfilling than the quest for originality. And really, that’s what makes this whole photography experience as thrilling as it is… how can I share my perspective? How do I see the world differently than those around me? What is my story?

Trying to find our own authenticity among the abundant work that has already been created is not merely a matter of shooting something similar with a different lens, or taking a higher or lower vantage point. Its about finding the spirit of who we photograph and what we photograph. Its a moment that can sometimes be as fleeting as 1/100 of a second. But its yours. Its truth. And its original.