rule #5: nothing is original

more blogging. I'm apparently obsessed. or just have a lot on my mind lately. I realize that nothing I say is particularly revolutionary or interesting. I just like to blog. it gives me a space to throw all my mental turmoil, where I can edit it into something that makes rational sense. a little like cooking spaghetti in reverse: it starts as a mushy, messy sometimes sticky tangle... then things firm up and each line is drawn straight and clear. well, most days.

anyway, I stumbled onto this quote the other day and fell in love:

Rule #5: Nothing is original.

Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic.

Authenticity is invaluable; originality is nonexistent.

And don’t bother concealing your thievery—celebrate it if you feel like it. In any case, always remember what Jean-Luc Godard said:

“It’s not where you take things from—it’s where you take them to.”

--Jim Jarmusch

I know that whatever I type, someone has typed it before. my issues are not special or unique, my outlook on life is not profound, and I'm sure there is some other lunatic out there who writes with the same ridiculous combination of run-on lists of descriptive phrases, alliteration, (usually) correct grammar and spelling, but horrible punctuation and capitalization. and fragments. for emphasis.

as far as photography goes, there are only so many objects to shoot, and only so many ways to shoot an object. if there wasn't something to inspire you, you would never even take the photo.

the quote comes from an article Jim Jarmusch wrote about film making, but I think it can be applied just about anywhere. (full article here) love love love this quote. I'm certainly not the first to say that. and definitely not the last. but I do. so I'm proud to say that, and proud to be stealing this quote that will now reside at the bottom of my page.