Creativity Isn’t About Being First, It’s About Being You

There are moments when you stand in front of a beautiful scene, camera in hand, and a voice creeps in telling you it has already been done. That it has been photographed a thousand times before. That it is not worth your effort. When this happens, understand that the real battle is not with the subject in front of you, it is happening inside your own head. These doubts are not real.

Maybe the photo has been taken a thousand times before. So what? You are not Magellan charting undiscovered territory. You are a person moving through the world, and it is perfectly natural to find yourself where others have stood. In fact, the reason certain scenes become iconic is because they work. They resonate. They are beautiful, powerful, memorable. Your job is not to reinvent the scene but to experience it, and to capture your version of it. Put your own spin on it, frame it your way, but whatever you do, take the photo. You will be grateful that you did.

I ran into this exact feeling while traveling around the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. It had been an amazing photography trip, full of stops that seemed to offer endless inspiration. Near Port Angeles, we visited Lake Crescent and Marymere Falls. Out on the lake, there was a floating dock, sitting still on the glassy water. The moment I saw it, a flood of images raced through my mind, classic shots of lone docks on misty lakes. It felt like such a cliché that I almost didn’t even lift my camera.

But at the last minute, I decided to go for it. I took five quick photos, not thinking too much about it. Later, when I reviewed the shots, one stood out. It quickly became one of my favorite images from the entire trip. Even though the scene was familiar, even though it felt “done,” it was mine. It was my experience, my perspective, my memory.

There are many photos like this on Instagram, but this one is mine.

Moments like that remind me how often we sandbag our own creativity in the name of chasing originality. We are human. It is natural to be influenced by what has come before us. Creativity is not about creating in a vacuum, it is about building, adapting, and reinterpreting.

In fact, research shows that what we often perceive as “original” work is actually an evolution of existing ideas. A study published in the Journal of Creative Behavior found that both new and expert artists regularly engage in “process modification,” taking existing ideas and altering them to create something new. Similarly, honing theory suggests that creativity is fueled by cross-domain influences, with 67% of creative inspirations coming from outside an artist’s primary field.

Simply viewing art has been shown to spark creativity as well. Psychological studies confirm that engaging with other works encourages reflection and growth, pushing artists to explore new directions. And across music, literature, and visual arts, remix culture celebrates the practice of reworking and recontextualizing existing materials into fresh creations. Artists like Andy Warhol and Shepard Fairey built iconic careers by reshaping what already existed.

So here is the truth: you can take the same photo as someone else and feel absolutely no shame. You were there. You experienced the moment with your own eyes, your own heart. Strip away the false rules about what you should be doing, and let yourself be part of the moment. Live it. Capture it. Celebrate it.

Next time you hesitate, remember, just take the photo. It’s your story to tell.