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Artists enjoy calling their work "original". For good reason too, as artists, we want to distinguish ourselves and convey a genuine message to the world. But there are hardly any truly original ideas in the art world. Everything has been invented, reinvented, and re-reinvented over again.

Recently, I have been reflecting on how I get ideas for my work as a professional photographer. Some of my images can be traced back directly to what inspired them, while some others are more "unique". Nevertheless, I cannot genuinely classify any piece of my output as truly original, since every image ultimately represents a synthesized fusion of previous visual influences, external conceptual inputs from others, and a diverse range of personal life experiences.

This personal realization prompts a deeper and more universal inquiry into the nature of originality. If we go by the principle that all ideas are a hodgepodge of other ideas, a natural question arises. Is it possible to trace back and find the original ideas? The first original thought must have been by the first man. Ever since, it has all been one big fake. This definition will take us exactly nowhere, and the debate will end right here. So, let's stop hunting for an original idea, whatever it may mean. Just think how some fashion brands manage to produce two new couture collections each year. Fashion has mastered the art of showing old as new, and new as old.

The approach to originality that I suggest is that all ideas are a byproduct of other ideas, and what truly matters is the intention you hold behind those ideas. If you take inspiration from Rodin's work and see people in a similarly monumental way, there is meaning in the work and you are creating something authentic, something that is authentic and true to you. But, if your intention is to copy Rodin's work because it made him a famous sculptor, your work will have very little meaning and authenticity.

The point I am trying to make about authenticity is that it doesn't have to be authentic to anybody else but you. If we take out the obvious instances where one artist copied another artist to make money off the idea, we are left with a world of trillions of thoughts and ideas, each ready to inspire you to create something that is authentic to you, something that speaks to you. Even if you take pictures only because they "look beautiful", they already mean something to you: they mean beauty.