The secret to ideation and originality is simpler than you think. What if I told you that you could become a better writer by copying a few chapters of your favorite author’s book? No matter how much education and experience you have under your belt, there are days when your mind is blank, and you question your abilities. Staring at a blank page or canvas won’t spark an idea– it’s like waiting for permission to begin. However, imitating others’ work before attempting to produce individually is an effective and accessible mode of creating. Just like musicians hone their craft covering songs by their favorite artists, you should imitate others’ styles and techniques until it transforms into your own– this is how creativity develops. 

What Blocks Innovation?

The problem is staying stuck on learning and consuming information without applying it. It’s thinking that you need to do everything differently, which adds unnecessary pressure. If you’re a writer, the first step is to rewrite a couple of pages from a book or article. Think of this as the training ground for finding your voice and focus. It’s not plagiarism because you’re not aimlessly copying and taking credit for someone else’s work– you’re immersing yourself by absorbing the original author’s writing. I find that I reach a flow state while re-writing a short ebook or article I find interesting. If the topic is similar to what I’m working on, I spot instances where I can add my perspective, and this leads to a new concept I can build on. I know where to turn to get back on track if writer’s block hits. Passive consumption doesn’t serve me. Instead of saving and bookmarking articles to read until I’ve “learned everything,” I train and upskill immediately by copying content like headlines, paragraphs, and ad copy until I find myself turning it into tangible, original output. 

Why Imitation Works

Questioning why certain books became a success allows you to understand what sets them apart. You notice the structure, patterns, word choice, the target audience, and more. This is a natural way for your brain to collect techniques that you can apply to your writing later. Through this process, your distinctiveness will emerge without force as you’ve engaged with that text. Since the main goal is to practice and create momentum, there’s no fear of failure. You’re not overthinking and waiting for inspiration or motivation. You’re creating by doing, and over time, it becomes less intimidating to shift to your own work, where you bring your individual touch, perspective, and angle to every project. Imitation is a path you can choose to take toward achieving innovation.

Originality is not found by searching. It’s found by exercising your brain muscles to recognize nuances and voids you can fill. You can only achieve this state by execution. To produce, allow yourself to explore and experiment rather than staying stuck in place. There’s no such thing as an original idea, since you’re influenced by everything you see and consume, whether you realize it or not. However, you can dig out something from this collection of information to build into a concept. Imitation is a warm-up exercise that will seem repetitive, but helps reveal your innovations.