Issues

These thoughts need to be written, I may or may not have touched upon this subject before, again I may or may not choose to break up this impending rant with pretty pictures.

Where do ideas come from?

I don't think there'll ever be an answer to that question. The one most people might say is 'your head' or 'your imagination'. The most important word I've just written is YOUR. This is because ideas should be your own and not somebody else's. Which brings me on to my main point of distinguishing inspiration and copying.

I once went through a stage where I thought up several amazing ideas. Slowly I found out that each one of my ideas had been done before by artists much more famous than myself. As I had not known this previously, I was not a copy, but concluded that I must have the same thought processes as these other famous artists, and therefore I myself must be a creative genius too.

Bathroom.
Originally uploaded by Paper Thin.

I'm not sure how true that last statement is but the more I expand my knowledge of the art world I find the same ideas being repeated time and time again.
Now, inspiration can be found in everything, and with so many people in the world its not surprising that two people who don't have any connection could think the same thought.
To use myself as an example, I have been fascinated with flat, almost monotone colour photographs recently. A day or two ago, I read a blog about someone the other side of the world who wrote exactly the same thing. Its coincidence but it feels spooky all the same.

House
Originally uploaded by Paper Thin.

In this age where anyone can post what they do on the internet, poaching and copying ideas is a lot easier to do. I look at flickr everyday, and everyday I am inspired by something I see or read. I do not go out and copy other's work but their image might start a chain reaction in my imagination that leads to a new idea.
This is inspiration. If I went out and took exactly the same shot, then that is copying.

One of my main photographic passions is candid street photos using black and white film in my Holga. I'm not doing anything particularly original but I do what I do my way, and mine alone.

Being original in everything you do can be an impossible dream. One that can do more harm than good to the creative process.