Nothing is original (and that’s a good thing).

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I was having this conversation with a client today about how those of us in learning and development are continually building on the ideas of others but being totally original is a bigger challenge. Keep that in mind as you work with others.

For example, we can put a lot of pressure on kids to be "original." We want them to have "their own ideas." But here’s a secret from the world of design: Everything is a remix. Most great breakthroughs aren't brand-new ideas; they are two old ideas having a baby. The "Genius" isn't the person who thinks of something from nothing; it’s the person who sees two unrelated things and realizes they belong together.

I’m going to encourage you to remove the pressure to be "original" and giving yourself and the kids in your life permission to Remix. Let’s change the conversation and reinforce that creativity is a collaborative conversation with everything that already exists. When we stop trying to be "first," we start being "interesting."

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