“The magnificent talons, unbridled and asymmetrical, grasped the decaying carcass, lifting it high into the heavens, on wings of celestial despair.”
I’m pretty sure that sentence is original. No other person on the planet has penned that particular passage. At least I hope not.
I subscribe to the monkey theorem, that is, ‘give me a thousand monkeys at a thousand typewriters’, and they will eventually pen the works of William Shakespeare. Replace monkeys with three hundred million bloggers at three hundred million keyboards, and every topic imaginable is written, rewritten, reinvented, rejuvenated and rehashed. Every – single – line. Except for my gem above, of course.
And the point?
There’s nothing original left to write. Pessimistic view, but factual. Each week I brainstorm, rack my frontal lobe, jot down notes, research, evaluate, reevaluate, and abruptly toss the idea into the bin. Well not entirely. I keep notes on my bin deposits, the good, the bad, the cringe-worthy, in case a spark of creativity manifests itself at a later, inopportune time. Occasionally I pull something from the archives, but not often. The fundamental key is having the material available and accessible. I find nowadays if I don’t get it in writing immediately, much like a new password, it’s gone in sixty seconds.
My weekly writing process is rigid, yet simple. Upon topic selection, I brainstorm a catchy title, one that keeps me inspired while narrowing my focus and limiting my scope. Without limitations and boundaries, scope creep can transform that initial nugget of creative genius into a jumbled mass of ill-fated confusion, destined for the scrap pile. Step two is a web search, and alas, here’s where I discover the topic’s been done to death, and my original ‘catchy title’ has already been claimed. Not to worry. I’ve written enough articles to realize most topics have been done ad nauseam and I’ve yet to be proven wrong. As for catchy titles, I’ve penned some brilliant ones in the past, only to find I arrived at the party too late. Gems like; ‘Don’t cry for me Archie and Tina’ (years back), and more recently; ‘The Power of Positive Drinking’, which I later found was both a recorded song, and a Facebook Page – though I still reserve the right to use the title in an upcoming post, regardless. Stay tuned for that pearl of wisdom.
Which reaffirms the adage – nothing original exists under that blazing orb of perpetuity.
Years ago fewer of us wrote. Those who did rarely shared, opting to bury our private thoughts in the depths of a writing desk, way down at the bottom, beneath a pile of old Birthday and Christmas cards we could never quite part with. We all have such a drawer.
And then the world changed. The ability to share one’s voice, regardless of merit, became a simple sequence of keystrokes and mouse clicks; type – spellcheck – publish.
A thousand monkeys could do it.
And while most new Blogs fizzle out within three months, nothing deters the new sapling with visions of oak-hood. The circle of strife continues – one Blog dies, three are born. A blaze of new bloggers arise, forayed into the mix, searching for niches, topics, creative outlets, amidst a backdrop of an ever-shrinking Global Village. Which brings me back to the point.
What the hell is left to write about?
Penguins.
I’ll write about penguins.
The search for originality is elusive. There is nothing new under the sun, but creativity is unconstrained. Our uniqueness, life experiences, personal passions, set us apart from one another. We all have a voice, each worthy of being heard, I kid when I suggest otherwise. The difference is, some voices permeate the heavens, some the soul, some just ourselves.
No matter where your voice falls, use it.
There are things in life left to write about.
Like penguins.
Until next time,
Kudos to you for making an Evita reference with “Don’t Cry for Me Archie & Tina.” I just played keyboard for that show.
I like penguins. Maybe we should be guest writers on each other’s blogs about penguins. A penguin-off. THAT would be original.
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I’ll start with a review of Mr. Popper’s Penguins with Jim Carrey, I always tout Canadian talent! Thanks for commenting Kate!
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I see your Mr. Popper’s Penguins, and I raise you Happy Feet with Hugh Jackman and Elijah Wood.
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We have the Blu-ray, so I can fact check if need be! Cheers, enjoy your Saturday night!
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You’re right, I don’t think anything I’ve ever written hasn’t been written before (and certainly far more eloquently than I could). But there’s no substitute for putting your own spin on things. There is only one you, Mike. 😊
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Absolutely! Thanks Adele!
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I like the idea of blogging about penguins….😀
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I will have to re-watch Mr. Popper’s Penguins before I get underway! Thanks for commenting Fran!
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Now you’ve put the idea ‘out there’, I believe interviews with Pingu will be very popular.
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Ah yes, Pingu, I spent more than a few hours watching with our daughter. Perhaps that’s the subliminal connection? Cheers, thanks for commenting!
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Racking the frontal lobe. Been there, done that, incessantly. Penguins… did you see my post of two weeks ago? 🙂 I didn’t actually write about them but they were my header image and I alluded to them as companions. Enjoying your posts.
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I did see that post, earlier in the day when I perused your site. Inspiring, and your credentials are impressive. Thanks for taking the time to comment, and for following. Cheers!
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A Very Nice one…and from where i m reading it…thats quite a bit written…even without the penguins…LOL…i m not a huge Blogger – worth 2 pence of a comment probably…but i loved it…And yes all experiences are unique in their own ways…so yeah Lots to write about…
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Cheers, every week’s a new challenge! Thanks for commenting!
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Good post Mike. That is the exact feeling when I sit to write. Most times I have something in mind which I want to put into words, but then again, I always find people with similar experiences and thoughts out there online in another blog. Still it matters how we write and express our thoughts. The other day when I poped the question to my daughter, she was crazy behind me to write on Doreamon; -)
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It’s the inherent human condition I guess, deep down most of us possess similar hopes and fear. Write that post for your daughter, I look forward to reading it (I like Japanese anime). Thanks for commenting!
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If I do that piece of work right now, it will be full of hatred because that program is turning my daughter into a lazy girl glued to television this summer holidays. Anyways I am sure there is going to be a post on Doreamon someday by me.
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It’s not that it hasn’t been done, but that it hasn’t been done the way YOU can do it…Originality is all about surprise and being surprised that someone you don’t know could make you see and feel something familiar in a new and exciting way…
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Absolutely! No too voices are exactly alike. Thanks for commenting!
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And now I have to leave you with this one, I’ve shared it before and now sharing it with you 🙂
Quote unknown:
True originality lies not in saying what has never been said before, but in saying what you have to say.
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That’s it exactly, I like that quote! Especially true to keep to your own words and style, I often fine myself trying to sound more ‘professional’ instead of just saying what I want to say. Thanks for taking the time to comment and sharing the quote.
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I am not sure there is nothing left to write, the point about ideas that are open for discussion is that anyone can take a fresh approach, trouble is most people follow the status quo, they are not prepared to think out a new path. From a writing perspective, sometimes it is necessary to be controversial, propose something different even is it is to take a different look.
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Agreed. While there is nothing new under the sun, the world changes daily, as do people. Just a matter of looking at things through different coloured lenses once in a while. Thanks for commenting!
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I think one of my favorite things about reading is seeing how different people respond to the same topic. Especially if the topic itself is interesting, then all the different perspectives end up broadening my own thoughts on the matter. (For example, reviews. Everyone’s seen the same movie or read the same book, and yet somehow most of the reviewers all find something a little different to talk about. You can really see what speaks to the writer, which I love.) It goes along with your “creativity is unconstrained” line- everyone has unique thoughts even if the topic has been said and done since the beginning of time. Thanks for your comment on my post earlier. This was a really great read!
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Thank you Jessica. You’re absolutely right, everything is different from one’s own perception. Cheers, and I look forward to reading your posts!
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“Our uniqueness, life experiences, personal passions, set us apart from one another. We all have a voice, each worthy of being heard, I kid when I suggest otherwise.”
Despite the slightly pessimistic introduction, you nailed your point with the lines I quoted above. Very inspiring, Mike!
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Cheers, I appreciate that Vince! Thanks for the positive words!
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Cheers for the shout out!
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Reblogged this on Senczyszak.com and commented:
Another stroll down memory lane. What IS left to write about?
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Mike, what do I say about a post that literally puts a blogger’s fear of perishing before publishing, because of all the time spent on polishing the post, so perfectly. Hey, you are not alone!
And as I read of the monkey’s theorem, immediately I had visions of a thousand whipping up a ‘Tempest’ on their keyboards churning out plays ‘As you like it’. Your take on penguins or power drinking positivity should shake things up , looking forward already. Here’s to inspiration striking and carrying us through to publishing…cheers!
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Thank you! I wrote the post quite a while back, but it’s just as relevant (to me) today, as it ever was. Cheers!
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Nice article, humor with reality, I am going to reblog this article for you.
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Cheers, thank you for the comment and reblog! Much appreciated!
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Reblogged this on Truth Troubles.
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I agree wholeheartedly. There is no original thinking as it has been going on for quite a long time. I arrived at this conclusion some time ago, but am not disheartened, I intend to express
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Exactly! But we still have our story to tell. Thanks for commenting!
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I hit post comment before I finished-Yes I intend to express my experience as the collective consciousness flows through and unfolds before me
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