How to Be Original (my 6 favorite moves as an artist)
Originality is not what you think.
It’s not coming up with some novel idea that nobody else has done before. Because let’s honest, most people have already done most things before. But this has always been the case. So we start getting into a sort of chicken-or-the-egg scenario.
Most creativity (innovation, novelty) is built on top of someone else’s ideas or connecting dots in a unique way. We’re constantly influenced by those before us, consciously or subconsciously. And that’s okay, because we can leverage that.
Even if something has already been (over)done, it hasn’t yet been done by you.
And this is the foundation of how to be original — understanding and accepting that you are, quite naturally, authentic.
Being original is nothing more than a side effect of truly being yourself.
Now, I know that this advice can sort of feel lame and a bit empty. So let’s make it more potent.
Enter, passion stacking.
This is how I approach my personal brand, creative projects and content.
Here’s how.
Table of Contents Show
What Is Originality? A Fresh Take
Originality is a measure of creative newness. But for practical purposes, I see it as the unique layering of your passions, skills, ideas and experiences.
To put it another way, originality isn’t a singular event or thing. It’s the intentional collection and combination of many things.
Originality is nothing more than a simple math equation — adding things together, taking some stuff out, and amplifying other elements.
Where and how you add, subtract or amplify is up to you. That’s the secret sauce (your voice). And it’s what you’re bringing to the creative table.
So let’s explore how to make this process a little clearer.
How to Be Original (6 moves)
1. Stack Your Passions
Passion stacking is the intentionally layering of new and different passions or skills on top of each other.
Together, this creates a totally unique profile that nobody else can replicate. It’s a foundation for personal branding, embodying your true authenticity and living an epic, multi-passionate life.
So here are some quick tips for stacking your passions:
Prioritize your core passions
Look for overlaps — find a through line
Stack skills that compliment each other
Don’t be afraid to experiment — side quests and rabbit holes are 👌
Explore more:
➤ The Multi-Passionate Handbook
2. Observe + Imitate
“The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.”
Just like how success leaves clues, so does creativity. Observing other people or projects are great ways to spark your own ideas.
When you try to be original, you’ll inevitably compare yourself to others. So rather than approaching this from a negative place (like jealousy or feeling like an imposter), strive for inspiration.
Seek out and observe other people and ideas that inspire you. Then, imitate them.
Try to deliberate copy them. Simplify their process by reverse engineering it into smaller component pieces.
Inevitably, as you try to copy someone else, you’ll fail.
Failing at trying to be someone else is an awesome way to discover who you are. Because it’s near impossible to replicate someone else’s unique quirks and originality.
But in failing to copy them, you discover your own quirks.
Pay attention to where and how you failed to imitate. These are big hint about what makes you truly original.
3. When They Zig, You Zag
I love a little disruption (part of why I like the punk ideology so much). It’s also a great path being original.
The idea here is pretty simple. When everyone else is going one way (zigging), you go the other way (zag).
Or to put it into familiar terms, “don’t follow the crowd.”
Spotting patterns is a skill. Going against them is a creative act.
So the next time you find yourself hopping on a trend or chasing the same golden egg, stop for a second and see if there’s a different (more original) trail to follow.
4. Create at Scale
Something interesting happens when you do something over and over again (I mean, besides getting better).
Patterns emerge and you discover personal nuances and habits natural to you. You discover originality. This adopts the quantity over quality principle, and it seriously works.
So lean into repetition here. Sure, it’s boring — but if you put in the work, it’ll pay off.
Originality comes from awareness and skill building. And especially early on, focusing on quantity over quality is an effective strategy.
5. Intuition > Rules
In pursuit of true originality, you’ll undoubtedly break some rules, somewhere at some point. This is normal (and good).
Because best practices are just that — safe spaces for generic creativity.
That’s not to say that all standard advice is bad — au contraire! The skill is in knowing which rules to follow and which to bend (or break altogether).
Great things like innovation or avant-garde concepts take risk and swimming in the unknown.
It sounds easy, but trust me, it’s not.
This path is full of rejection, confusion and even concern from loved ones (as you tinker away at some idea that nobody else quite gets).
But trust in your intuition helps a lot. It’s as simple as that. Find your flow state and listen to your inner voice.
6. Hello, You Must Be My Unfair Advantage
Clearly naming your originality is the final step. Often, it’s obvious; other times, it’s takes more patience and testing.
I struggled with this for a while.
I constantly hopped from one passion to the next, each time convinced that “This was it!” — only to rotate onto another project, much shinier and more aligned.
Eventually, this loop did become smaller. And I found that while the project hopping didn’t stop, the projects I was hopping between got smaller.
I have 3-4 core passions. And these are stacked on top of each, creating a unique portfolio that no one else can copy (at least, not as easily).
I make music and art, blog and do SEO, travel and create content. And I have many new promising side quests (like no-code app building).
All this is to say that I am multi-passionate and that is my unfair advantage.
I can leverage SEO to grow my music, or blog my way to a remote income for full-time travel.
So, what is your passion stack? This is your originality — your unique layering. Look for common theme and through lines and identity your unfair advantage.
This is your superpower. It’s the most authentic, creative and flexible path (IMO).
Later ✌️
Passion stacking is my favorite way to discover how to be original.
Finding unique layers by blending skills, passions and experiences is a creative force that breeds innovation. And to really take things up a notch, look for a clear through line.
Stack passions that relevant and compound easier. But don’t discount random connections either.
Sometimes, the most original ideas come from stacking things together that seem totally unrelated.
Want More? Nice. Here’s More.
