“One defining trait of inspiration is that it’s not always yours…as the great Chuck Palahniuk once said: ‘everything is a copy, of a copy, of a copy.’”

Inspiration is a weird thing. When you really think about it, can your work truly be considered original if it’s inspired by someone else’s? This is the burning question we’re digging into over on the blog with the help of artist Darya Jandossova Troncoso. In an exploration of what it means to produce original work, Darya ultimately challenges us to ask ourselves the question:

“Will the artwork I produce evoke an original feeling in the viewer?”

Bottom line is, your ideas are most likely a combination of everything you’ve ever watched, read, and seen. It’s not quite yours, and it’s not entirely someone else’s either. Since everything is bound to be repeated in some shape or form, Darya insists that the defining characteristic of original work comes from the unique feelings it evokes in our audience. Learn more about how to take inspiration from other people’s work—all without copying\