Isaac Newton once proclaimed, "If I have seen farther than others it is because I stand on the shoulders of giants."
I always liked that quote. It gave me a sense of respect for all of the human accomplishments that have resulted in the world that we live in. And, if those shoulders are still mounting up, we must be able to see pretty damn far by now. In this sense, I believe that whatever we create will hold qualities that did not exist before us. Original work can include retellings of old stories, as long as certain tweaks are made. Even in remakes of old movies, books based on classic story lines, or cover songs by bands, some originality exists.
However, there will always be a common link between what we do and what has been done. Universal themes such as death, purpose, connection, and conflict will be always be explored in art. We have all the perfect qualities to perpetuate this: the wisdom to ask all the questions and the ignorance to find and understand the answers.
- Why are we here?
- Where do we go?
- How do I make all of this mean something?
- When will it all end?
- What is the secret to doing this right?
- Is this fun or what?
Because we can ask these, we can search for the answers. This is what all expression, at some point or another, attempts to do. These questions have existed ever since the base of this human pyramid Newton mentioned was formed. At every step along the way, they have been asked again, and they will continue to be asked as we start to bear the weight of those that come next.
Therefore, we can't totally "kill the father" as Holden Caufield would have suggested. We can only tweak it a little and be satisfied with our minor original accomplishments. Whether they exist because of historical context or post modern twists on narration and perception, these differences create originality that is rooted in common ground.
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