How to Be Original: The MUSICIAN Method to Unlocking Creativity

Learning how to be original can feel daunting. Especially if you’re an artist, entrepreneur or creative looking to make waves in your niche. But don’t worry – I’ve got your back.

Let this be your template and guide to discovering your true originality.

I call this strategy the MUSICIAN method and I came up with the concept after years of trial and error (and too many hours of rabbit-holing down research tunnels).

I should make a quick note that this ‘MUSICIAN’ method I speak of is merely inspired by my life as a musician, and in finding my own style. The strategies and steps are meant for any creative endeavor.

OK, so the method looks something like this:

• Mindset

• Understand and observe

• Simplify and reverse engineer

• Imitate and copycat

• Create at scale

• Interpret

• Add up + combine layers of interests and skills

• Narrow in on your unfair advantage and originality

So those steps make up the shell of this post – a sort of outline. Of course, I explain each concept in greater detail below.

But first, let’s work out some definitions and figure out what it even means to be original.

What Does Being Original Mean?

Originality is the mixing and matching of unoriginal things to create new and original ideas.

So what does being original mean? For me, it means you’re able to think differently. You’re contrarian, you see.

You’re able to pick and pull ideas and concepts from different verticals, blend them together, and create new solutions or styles from them.

So with that in mind, the path to originality is not necessarily some immediate mystical moment. Rather, it’s the result of years of practice, expertise, observing and borrowing ideas from mentors along the way.

I prefer this definition as it adds strategy to becoming original and debunks the whole idea that uniqueness is some random event reserved for virtuoso creative minds or lucky serendipities.

While those kinds of moments can and do happen, there’s definitely a more methodical way for reaching creative innovation or avant gardeness.

Hence this post.

So let’s dive in and explore how to be more original – insights from my art and music background.

How to Be Original Using the MUSICIAN Method

I made up the MUSICIAN method. But that doesn’t mean it’s not grounded in research and validity.

The framework is an archive of my personal experiences as a musician and artist and stems from countless hours of research.

This model is simply a curated and organized template of my favorite lightbulb moments and revelations for being more creative (and original).

So please enjoy – originality awaits.

Mindset first

If you spend any time on my site, socials or reading my blog, you’ll notice I have a small obsession with mindset.

But it’s critical! I used to gloss over this with a quick “yea yea yea, mindset, I know” and never really gave it the time of day.

Once I did start paying attention to mindset, things in my life started changing subtly – especially for my creativity and originality.

It’s one of those things that can sound almost cliche, but don’t let that distract you from the impact that your mindset can have on literally everything.

For our purposes here, let’s briefly explore how to get our mindset in the right place for some truly unhinged originality.

Before we can start being original, we should strive for a mindset that’s:

• Growth-oriented

• Open to new ideas and learning

• Absorbs feedback in a positive way

• Listens more than speaks

Understand and observe

To be original, we need to know and understand our market, our industry and our niche. We need to know what’s working and what’s currently being done.

We should know who the key players are, where their attention is and what they’re working on.

This second step can feel pretty obvious, but it’s easily skipped – or at least, not considered with enough thoughtful intention.

So spend some time being patient and silent – and just observe. Look for patterns, trends, points of differentiation. Look for traits and factors that foster originality.

Write things down and organize your observations. We can circle back to this data as we move forward.

Simplify and reverse engineer

The second step of the MUSICIAN method is all about the what, who and where. This third step is all about the why and how.

This stage is all about understanding the mechanics of what’s working and popular now. It’s the engineering of your niche. It’s using first principles to deconstruct and uncover how and where things began for currently original artists, projects and ideas.

We want to simplify uniqueness and complexity by deconstructing things into their basic building blocks. It’s reverse engineering creativity and originality.

For example, we can deconstruct music to understand what makes an artist so original (like this video deconstructing Billie Eilish’s ‘Ocean Eyes’).

By reverse engineering originality, we get a glimpse into creative processes, techniques, ideas and more.

Understanding how something was made is incredibly helpful in our own pursuit of being original.

After all, we don’t need to reinvent any wheels – just reimagine them.

Imitate and copycat

“The Secret To Creativity Is Knowing how To Hide Your Sources.” - Albert Einstein.

At this stage, we’ve successfully observed, understood, simplified and reverse engineered originality and creativity. Now let’s be copycats.

No success came without failure first. And no originality comes without first copying and following in the footsteps of others.

I mean, there may be outliers, sure, but everyone is a beginner with zero knowledge or direction at some point.

So embrace this copycat phase and go all in. Copy the people and concepts you studied in the previous steps. Replicate their process, style and originality.

Now keep creating – at scale.

Create at scale (Quantity, Not Quality)

This is the fun stage. This is where you should be focusing on output, and creating or thinking of new ideas at scale (and yes, copying is still aloud).

Just keep making things and DON’T try to finish them.

The goal here is to focus on creating and thinking of as many new ideas as possible (or copied ones with slight variations). The more, the better. 

Do NOT focus on quality.

The ideas and things you create can be awful – embrace it. Just move on and make another thing. Another idea. One more unfinished thought, melody or concept.

Go rogue! Get willy nilly with this.

A big myth about originality is the idea that focusing intently on quality and just coming up with one big idea will make us different and give us the results we crave.

Mais au contraire, mes amis! I hope this comes as a relief. 

Because in reality, one of the quickest ways to originality, creativity and just great quality is by doing something over and over again – quantity, not quality.

Interpret and self-reflection

Originality stems from unconventional thinking. Now is the time for self reflection and interpretation of everything you’ve learned and created so far.

So first, let’s go back to the beginning, where we deconstructed and reverse engineered originality.

Is there anything you’d have done differently?

Imagine you only had the first half of the creative, original idea. How would you have finished it? Think outside the box and try to come up with a different idea.

Now let’s revisit the projects and ideas that you created in the step above. We need to review our ideas, but with objectivity.

So for this, the solution is simple: step away, and forget.

Once you’ve forgotten (more or less) what you created, when you come back you’ll have fresh eyes and be able to review your projects with more clarity.

What jumps out to you as being more original, unique and genuinely you? What excites you? Double down on those things.

At this point, there’s a good chance we’re already unlocking some creativity and originality.

But let’s really round things out with one of my favorite strategies for originality: layering your interests and expertise.

Add up + combine your interests and expertise

This next step is all about finding your unfair advantage – your originality. I refer to this stage as Venn diagramming your life.

After you’ve done some self reflecting and interpreted your creative phase, now we can uncover unique combinations.

It goes something like this:

• Audit and write down your interests, expertise, values, goals and areas of confidence

• Assign each thing into its own bubble

• Combine, mix and match and overlay those bubbles

• Look for unique combinations and synergy

For example, I layered my expertise in content planning and SEO with my passions for art, travel, filming and music to build a creative brand with a purpose.

Combining your interests and expertise can be a fun exploration exercise.

And now that you’ve dialed in on your strengths, unique interpretations and understandings of your niche, the process should be a lot easier now.

You may be able to finally tap into your unfair advantage and originality. So let’s move on to that last step.

Narrow in on your unfair advantage – your originality

Once you’ve uncovered a unique layering of your passions, expertise, goals and values, then we’re one step closer to uncovering your unfair advantage.

And originality is all about having an unfair advantage. But what is it exactly?

It’s actually a book by Ash Ali and Hasan Kubba. According to it, your unfair advantage is your competitive edge stemming from unique circumstances and personal strengths.

Identifying your unfair advantage(s) can go a long way in boosting your originality.

So be honest with yourself, audit your strengths and weaknesses, assess your circumstances, review your creative projects and practice being more original.

But remember, this MUSICIAN method isn’t a one-and-done thing. Keep cycling through it.

Keep aware of your mindset, keep observing, keep analyzing, keep creating and interpreting and keep inching closer to being confidently original.

You got this.

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