The Parallelism of Ideas.
Have you ever seen a written piece, a piece of art, a project and you go like “I literally thought about this before wow” or “I thought of this too”?
Ideas, they say, have wings, but I prefer to liken them to the “Chinese whispers” game. In this game, participants gather, and one person whispers a phrase to the next, passing it around. The final person then speaks the phrase aloud, often with variations from the original. The analogy here is the role of “process” in every idea, where even seemingly similar concepts undergo distinct transformations in the complexity of execution.
Thomas Edison once said “Having a vision for what you want is not enough. Vision without execution is hallucination.”
A great, constant epiphany of mine is that the human mind is remarkably peculiar, shaped by interconnected factors dependent on our experiences with the world — our ability to assimilate what we see, hear, and smell. These junctures in the growth process mold our minds into patterns of thought and discernment. What we read, the lessons we learn, and the things we accept or reject all contribute to our ability to think within or outside of a box. Though seemingly inconsequential, these small aspects of our inherent experiences are the thin threads that weave into thick yarns — an intricate web of adventures that collectively form one’s cognitive framework. This framework, in turn, influences the quality of our creative abilities and our contributions to the world, mirroring what we have received from it.
I have witnessed case scenarios where a person had an incubating idea for a concept or business but the moment they saw someone else do something in that line, an instant sense of hopelessness engulfs them. They suddenly feel there’s no use in harboring the idea so they empty the attic in their mind, where the said idea was being stored and built upon. It no longer feels “unique” or “innovative” enough. But the question to be asked is, does the rampancy of an idea or concept make it less unique? Is THAT what makes it unique? We have thousands of restaurants. Several delivery companies. Countless hotels. Several Brewery companies. Yet, they thrive- some more than the others but still, they are established. However, this is not what makes a company stand out. It’s the entire chassis of their execution that sets them aside from others. For that reason, an idea is not unique because it is an idea but because of it’s attachment to execution.
It is with this realization that I’ve become more aware of the soul in every and any creative work. I may read or absorb bodies of work that explore similar themes or appear alike, but I am teaching myself to concern less on how relative they may be but ponder more on the creator’s power of comprehension, the objective that gnawed their mind as they stared and worked, paused and continued. This is an act of acknowledgment, choosing to see their voice and hear their heart, an attempt to embody a mirror so as to be in the closest proximity of the very soul in said work.
I genuinely hope that less people feel discouraged due to the fact someone is exploring or has explored a concept they’ve always wanted to effectuate.
Especially you. Yes, you.
Parallelism of ideas is inevitable but could also….be the universes’ way of planting relevant seeds in multiple soils. If anything, it is indeed a privilege.
