Skip to main content

The Art of Imitation

"Nothing is original, there's nothing left to say
You won't be the first or be the last to bleed
Every broken heart as far as your eye can see
It's a copy of a copy of a copy."

-Louis Tomlinson ('A Copy of a Copy of a Copy', an Unreleased Song)

Do you think you're entirely unique- every single part of you? Do you think all that surrounds you are one of a kind? If so, then you're terribly wrong.

Everything is an imitation of something else. We humans were made as an imitation of God in His own image (as the biblical narrative goes, that is.) We humans, creatures of high intellect and high productive capabilities, have made a great deal of inventions over time but all these inventions are just progressions of things that already exist in nature. Even the topic I chose today is inspired from a lecture by one of my professors and the above comparisons that I drew out are his own. Yes, everything is a copy of a copy of a copy. Everything in this world is an imitation of already existent things. And no, that does not undermine your talents or your work. It only enhances it, so please do not be offended as I elaborate upon this notion.

How does a newborn baby pick up a language? How does a toddler learn to draw? How does an artist find inspiration for their work? 

Yes, the answer is imitation.

People mostly attribute a negative connotation to the term 'imitation' but I've never really agreed with that. Because in my head, it's not really something negative. It's comforting.

Dwell on this thought for a moment- wouldn't the fact that someone else has gone through the same struggles as you have, that they have suffered and endured it and came out of it alive, bring you a sense of hope- a sense of relief and calm? Wouldn't that make you feel less alone? Wouldn't that make you feel acknowledged? That's the true purpose of imitation.

To imitate is a human instinct. There's nothing that we can derive which is entirely original. Knowingly or unknowingly, we imitate the people and the things around us. Haven't we studied how our ancestors, the ancient cavemen, communicated by grasping the sounds of their surroundings and then imitating them? That's how language was born. It is through the art of imitation that everything in this world was born, even art itself. And therein lies the sheer beauty of it. 

For everything to be a reflection of something else is absolute. Instead of treating that as a shortcoming, use it to the best of your benefit. Make everything your source of inspiration. Make everyone your muse- even a complete stranger who passes you by on the streets. Make the tune of your favourite song the tune for the messy lyrics you jotted down in the back of your notebook. Make the words of your professors the theme for little poems that you type out in the notes app on your phone.

Imitate!

Imitate all that surrounds you. And invent. And then re-invent.

Imitate anything and everything and make sure that even the very last drop of your creative ability is used before you end up six feet under the ground. Leave an imprint of your own here on this earth before you go- something that someone else might one day imitate. 

Take inspiration and become the inspiration. 

Imitate and be imitated.





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Significance of Jo March's Monologue in 'Little Women'

'Little Women', a classic novel by Louisa May Alcott was adapted into a movie under the direction of Greta Gerwig (one of my absolute favourite directors of all time) in the year 2019. It portrays the lives of four sisters- Jo, Meg, Beth, and Amy- navigating love, aspirations, and societal expectations during the Civil War era. The film beautifully captures their individual journeys and the evolving dynamics of sisterhood. Jo March, who is the second of the four March sisters, is the protagonist who aspires with every fibre in her to become a well-acclaimed writer. It's even more interesting how the character of Jo is actually based on Louisa May Alcott herself, making the story sort of a semi-autobiography. Played by Saoirse Ronan, Jo is portrayed as an extremely independent woman, challenging the gender roles and the restraints placed upon women in society.  Even though the whole movie is something that strikes the very depths of our hearts, there is one particular monolo...
Post a Comment
Read more

My Experience with Writer's Block and Overcoming It

  Writer's block, in my own personal experience, is something that eats away at your brain. You sit down in front of your laptop or your book and you want to write- you really really want to write- but your imagination fails you and no words come out. Then, you eventually have to shut the laptop or the book and keep it aside and I think that's one of the worst feelings in the world for a writer. As someone who has always penned down her thoughts and feelings, not being able to write is like a curse to me. If I do not write, I cannot express myself in the way I want to express myself, and that is truly something that disturbs me to my very core. When I was in high school, I had started on a fanfiction with a really intricate and complex plot with even more complicated sub-plots (and I do not know how I came up with all that but I just did). In the beginning, I was so excited about it and I was making multiple character and plot outlines and writing three to four chapters per day...
2 comments
Read more

The Thing About Life

Let me start off by telling you some good news. It has passed and you will never experience that again. Now let me tell you a bad one. It has passed and you will never experience that again. There are instances we wish we could freeze and frame forever. Like, even when you're living in it, you will feel a kind of ache within yourself over the fact that it will end at one point in time. And there are other moments you just want to get done with and leave the whole thing behind. You've had enough. It has drained you to the point where you want to be rid of it as soon as possible. This is life- a remix tape of the same two scenarios over and over again. This is life until your death. The highs and lows are a part of our existence. We cannot choose to keep the good part and avoid the bad. We have to learn to balance it both. We should cherish the good moments and enjoy them to the best of our capability whether it is with our loved ones or by ourselves. Learn to live in the moment....
Post a Comment
Read more