yes, there is nothing new under the sun, but I still want to feel special

finding newness and originality in a world that repeats itself

“a dangerous idea” john kitching

I've recently found myself in a creative block. The ideas I have feel shallow and underdeveloped, words feel tired and overused, my outlooks are uninspired and bleak, and everything feels like a movie I've already seen 10 times. 

When I get like this, I usually attribute it to me overconsuming media. My screentime reaches embarrassingly high numbers and my thoughts and opinions start to blend with the countless others that I'm consuming through social media, TV, and movies. But it's not so simple as to stop consuming and start creating, because it's simultaneously true that in order to create you have to consume. To be great writers we have to read great literature, to be great artists we have to study and observe other great artists, and so on and so forth. Is there really any true sense of originality to begin with? Is the idea of “tuning out” a lost cause?

To an extent is it true—nothing is new, there are no truly original thoughts, and we are merely products of our environments and the people in them.The concept of "nothing is new" has existed for ages, but social media and the consumerist nature of society add a new dimension to this conversation, emphasizing the notion that everything is fleeting and superficial.

We have access to everything at record speeds, our technological capabilities are reaching new heights, and it feels like we are constantly being bombarded with new things.

How do we maintain our originality in the age of hyper content and unbridled access to media?

There is nothing new under the sun…

Ecclesiastes is a book in the bible by an unclear author but is supposed to have been written by Solomon, a king at the time (around 970 to 931 BCE). Even if you are not a believer, stay with me here, there is a lot to be taken away from this intriguing book. Ecclesiastes is written from a distinctly human perspective, discussing the vanities and paradoxical natures of life. When reading, you truly feel and can likely relate to the author's battle in trying to grapple with what the purpose of life is. The book opens up with a chapter titled, ‘Everything is Meaningless’. Solomon goes on to describe how everything in life is done in vain because the dust from which we came is the same dust we will return, the sun rises and falls right back to where it came (and will continue doing so long after we are gone), and lastly—nothing on earth is new.

“what has been done will be done again”

While the chapter starts off with a somewhat pessimistic perspective, the overall book of Ecclesiastes goes to explain that yes, while nothing is new, and the cycles of life are predictable, numbered and vain—God still empowers us to enjoy the simples pleasures He has put on this earth like food, drink, and community. 

I bring up Ecclesiastes to say that, if nothing was new in the 10th century, where does that leave us now in the 21st? Trends have come back and left, and come back again, we have gadgets for our gadgets, and our public health hasn't grown past the point of pandemics shutting our world down. History repeats itself and ideas are recycled over and over again and the effects of that in a world with the internet is glaring. 

The Age of Access and Consumption

I’ve had Instagram since I was in 8th grade, so probably around age 13. I remember being on the bus to school one morning with my brand new iPod Touch in the pouch of my backpack. I sat in the seat next to two of my friends, and they asked me if I had Instagram. I inquired, and they scrolled through their feeds showing me the social networking app. I downloaded it and created my profile with the username ‘its_kiera_who_else’. I got so embarrassed about it a few years later and changed my handle to just my name. But looking back on it, I was kind of onto something.

Ten years down the line, I'm still on Instagram and now on a host of other platforms for various purposes. It has been a part of my life for all of my formative years, shaping my opinions, interests, and social interactions. Social media gives us access to people in our lives, celebrities, and complete strangers. It exposes us to new cultures, niche topics, and fan culture. My presence on social media for the past 10 years has undeniably colored my youth and contributed to the person I am.

I share this to say that its influence on my generation, specifically, has greatly affected the way we consume and process information. Social media moves at a fast pace, thriving on trends and fads. And on social media, everyone has the opportunity to broadcast their opinions. We're not just consuming media and entertainment; we're also consuming the thoughts of thousands, at times millions, of other people who interact with the same online content. Moreover, we're currently in an "everything is content" era. It's true—there is an audience for everything. With platforms like TikTok built for virality, anyone who has something to share has the chance to become a content creator/influencer and gain a large audience. So, not only are we hyper-consuming everything, but we're rarely seeing authentic versions of things. In just a few minutes of scrolling on any feed, we see the same content recreated over and over. Information is misconstrued, and facts become tangled with personal opinion until the two are almost indistinguishable. The idea of 'nothing is new' is unfolding right before our eyes, minute to minute, and in the form of 15-second-long videos.

It's so easy to consume online content and feel less inspired than before you scrolled. The algorithm encourages trends and virality above anything else. Social media nudges us to conform, to do what everyone else is doing, and the reward is fame, popularity, and a seemingly cushy life filled with brand PR packages.

The access to this level of media makes everything feel shallow, overdone, and unoriginal at a much faster rate than ever before, and personally to the detriment of my creativity and mental health.

The Cure (more or less)

The real reason nothing feels new is because we're all occupying the same planet. While our personal experiences may differ, there's a kinship among us that makes aspects of our lives feel familiar, generation after generation. This is the beauty of being alive—the inherent similarities in each person's journey as a human being and our tendency to make similar observations and experience similar emotions. Social media serves as a potent medium for recognizing and embracing this unity— whether through storytimes that make us realize we all had the same childhood, GRWM’s that display our similar mannerisms, memes bring back niche memories from growing up. While it can be intimidating, it is also a powerful tool for connection, and it has become a permanent presence in our lives.

Like any indulgence, establishing boundaries is crucial for ensuring everyone's well-being. I've learned the importance of setting limits, taking healthy breaks, and approaching everything I see with a critical eye. For me, inspiration often springs from nature, conversations, the people I meet, and the art I encounter in books or in person. Originality is far from dead; it is waiting to be discovered in the small moments of our daily lives. In fleeting glances and the rustling of tree branches, it can be found—somewhere, anywhere offline.