You're Only Given One Little Spark of Madness. You Mustn't Lose It. — Robin Williams

Every great and original writer, in proportion as he is great and original, must himself create the taste by which he is to be relished. — William Wordsworth

William Wordsworth

Wordsworth’s claim begins with a bold premise: truly original writers cannot be fully judged by old measures because their work changes the very standards of appreciation. In other words, greatness is not simply a matter...

The most original writers borrowed one from another. — Voltaire

Voltaire

At first glance, Voltaire’s remark seems to undermine originality by tying it to borrowing. Yet that tension is precisely his point: great writing rarely appears from a vacuum.

The merit of originality is not novelty; it is sincerity. — Thomas Carlyle

Thomas Carlyle

At first glance, Carlyle overturns a common assumption: that originality means producing something no one has ever seen before. Instead, he argues that the true value of original work lies in sincerity—the honest express...

It is necessary to any originality to have the courage to be an amateur. — Wallace Stegner

Wallace Stegner

Wallace Stegner’s remark suggests that originality does not emerge from perfect polish at the beginning, but from a willingness to enter unfamiliar territory without guarantees. To be an amateur, in this sense, is not me...

Originality — A target best hit when not aimed at. — Charles Searle

Charles Searle

At first glance, Charles Searle’s remark seems contradictory: how can originality be achieved by not trying to achieve it? Yet that is precisely his point.

Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth, you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it. — C.S. Lewis

C.S. Lewis

At first glance, C.S. Lewis presents a paradox: the harder an artist chases originality, the less likely it is to appear.