Every idea has been taken.

Everything you can possibly think of, someone has already used it to create content of their own. If you don’t believe me, google it, or search for it on social media.

There are no new ideas. Because of this, many creative individuals struggle to find their uniqueness. Most think they cannot compete with what’s already out there. That’s true; others have already made what you want to make, and it can be a little frustrating.

Does that mean you stop doing what you love? Does it mean there won’t be new writers, painters, artists, and musicians in the future because they won’t have unique ideas?

Definitely not.

Your work becomes unique because you are unique. There is only one you in the world. Your experiences and lessons are different from those of your predecessors. Therefore, your creations can be unique, even if the idea is the same.

The best way to create great work is to steal from others.

It sounds like an unethical statement. How can you steal someone else’s work and become great? That’s a crime.

Hold on!

By “stealing,” I do not mean plagiarizing their work (or idea). That is indeed a crime. You cannot copy someone else’s work and claim it as yours. The laws will punish you if you are guilty of plagiarizing.

So, what does it mean to “steal from others”?

Austin Kleon has written an excellent book about it called Steal Like An Artist, in which he explains the idea behind stealing from your inspirations. Here are some of my favorite quotes from Austin’s book:

“Every new idea is just a mashup or a remix of one or more previous ideas.”

“Copy your heroes. Examine where you fall short. What’s in there that makes you different? That’s what you should amplify and transform into your own work.”

“If all your favorite makers got together and collaborated, what would they make with you leading the crew?”

“Start copying what you love. Copy copy copy copy. At the end of the copy you will find your self.”

Stealing means taking certain things from the greats and mixing them to make your own. As I said, you are a unique individual. Your experiences are unique, and so is your thinking ability. You can find the best work from your heroes and add your elements to improve them.

How to make an idea your own?

Suppose you are a writer lacking “good” ideas. It has kept you from producing new work and doing something you love (write consistently).

You can read some of the best articles by top writers. Look up to your favorite writers and see how they write, what they write, and how they get so many views in their stories. Follow them on social platforms and stalk their work like crazy. Aim to learn as much as possible from them.

Make a list of the headlines of the best articles. Then, pick the ones that resonate with you—something you can write about. Rewrite the headline and article, adding your experiences and opinions. You don’t have to write it the same way as the original writer. Instead, make it your own. Further, you can find similar articles and mix the ideas to produce a better one.

You should ask yourself: How can I improve this article and add more value?

I learned a similar technique in SEO: If you want your article to rank on top of a search engine, find the top results for your keyword first. Read the top three articles that come up on your screen. Then, write a new article that includes more value than those currently at the top.

You can use this technique for other creative work, too. For example, if you want to make a YouTube video about passive income, search for the best ones. Watch the top three videos and re-create them, adding more value. You can also learn what headlines they use (and copy that) and how they approach the audience. Make your video better, providing additional value to the viewers.

Copying from the best will make you the best. Copy until you don’t have to.

If you want to be the best at what you do, learn how to steal from others. Consume what the top creators are doing, follow them, and use the lessons to create something your own.

Every creator has a hero—someone they admire who inspires them to continue doing the work. Identify what makes your heroes the best. Steal from their best work. Do it from multiple creators and add your input. The outcome is your creation.

“Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light, and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speaks directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic.”
— Jim Jarmusch

Once again, don’t plagiarize and copy the work A-Z from someone. Find inspiration from everyone’s work and make it your own.

Fake it till you make it. It means that you steal from others to find your uniqueness. When you have done it several times, you will eventually stop, and it won’t be necessary anymore. It’s because you will have learned everything you need to become the artist you want to be.

There are many views on whether daily writing improves your writing and helps you succeed.

I’ve been on both sides of the argument. Sometimes, I think daily writing is helping me grow as a writer. Other times, I think daily writing isn’t necessary as long as you are consistent with publishing.

It’s also a matter of whether you have stuff to write about, which is a significant concern for most writers. Even though they want to write every day, they can’t because they do not have enough ideas or topics.

I write every day and have been doing so for a long time. Although I take long breaks sometimes, I enjoy writing something daily.

Many writers also mistake daily writing for publishing an article each day. That’s not what it means. I don’t write a blog post every day. Instead, I also write on social media and drafts for upcoming articles. I publish around 3–4 articles per week. The remaining days are for writing other stuff like my newsletter, LinkedIn posts, and random drafts for future articles.

Here are four strategies I use to write daily without burning out:

1. Freewriting is the best way to practice daily writing.

My writing completely changed when I discovered freewriting.

I used to struggle to find ideas for my writing. Then, I read a story on Medium about freewriting, and it was a game-changer. Freewriting for two weeks helped me develop many ideas and discover the power of daily writing.

What is freewriting?

It is to write about anything you want without overthinking the results. You also don’t have to worry about publishing your content. I consider freewriting like working out my writing muscles. You go to the gym and lift weights to strengthen your muscles. Similarly, you practice freewriting to grow your writing muscles.

The purpose of training in the gym is to remain fit and healthy, not to participate in the “Who’s The World’s Strongest Man” challenge. Similarly, freewriting is not for publishing daily. It’s to be prepared when you have to write to publish.

I practice freewriting to explore my writing abilities. It gives me self-confidence as a writer because when you do something repeatedly, you get good at it. You are prepared to fight any battles that come your way.

2. Have an idea bank before you sit down to write.

I have a journal just for writing ideas. I call it my Idea Bank. I make notes on topics and also write outlines for articles.

It’s always good to have a topic prepared before you sit to write. Instead of staring at the blank screen and thinking back and forth about what to write, you should start collecting ideas beforehand.

Top writers also suggest writing at least ten headlines daily to prepare for the battle. I’ve tried it, but it didn’t work for me because I can’t force myself to think of ideas. Instead, I let them come naturally; when they do, I capture them in my journal.

I already have 5–6 ideas to write about for the next couple of days. That way, I always have something to write about.

Get yourself a notebook, and use it to build your idea bank.

3. Conscious consumption to collect ideas and gain knowledge.

You must have a source to fill your idea bank with. So, how do you collect ideas for your writing?

My way is by consciously consuming content. This means that I stay prepared to identify anything relevant to my writing. I collect ideas in my journal or phone when consuming content—reading books or articles, watching YouTube videos, listening to a podcast, or communicating with someone.

Most of my ideas come from books and articles. I read with a pen and notebook around. If I cannot physically write something, I use my phone to capture ideas as best I can.

The interesting fact about finding ideas is that they come when you least expect them. About ninety percent of the time, I get ideas when focusing on something other than writing, like meditation, running, or talking to friends. Ryan Holiday’s best writing advice was to go do interesting things.

I still look for ideas when I consume content, and that’s how I fill my idea bank.

4. Action before motivation: One of the best advice for writing.

We often wait for inspiration to strike to motivate us to take action — write. That’s the worst way to progress, not just in writing but in any work you do.

Motivation doesn’t always come before action. Often, when you take action, you find the motivation to move ahead and do the work.

Mark Manson calls it the “do something” principle. He says,

Action isn’t just the effect of motivation; it’s also the cause of it.

You often get stuck when you think of ideas (motivation) before writing (action). You have doubts regarding what you want to write. After overthinking for a few minutes, you are stuck there with zero progress. You end up not writing or publishing your work.

Instead, practice freewriting, as we discussed in the first point. When you begin writing whatever is in your head, you will find more ideas and want to continue.

Remember, you don’t have to publish everything you write. If you write 500 words daily (for example), at least a few ideas will be usable. You can develop excellent ideas when you begin to write instead of thinking and waiting for inspiration (or motivation).