Treatise on Inspiration (inspiration and originality; conclusion)

So far I have explained why the best form of creation is that which leaves most to the audience. But the underlying cause of this fact lies in the secret of inspiration, which is linked to human nature and the social instinct. In the modern world, we poor humans so frequently find ourselves having to combat the woes of society, the woes of our instinct to conform and be accepted by others (and the terrible affects this has on our individuality), that we are constantly coming up with desperate theories to provoke a change of course - often at the expense of inspiration and influence. There is an unfortunate knock-on effect from the social world to the creative one.

Anyway, the message that seems to have been used as the battering ram for the alternative movement (a movement as old as conformity itself, and always of equal strength) is 'don't go with the flow'. Express yourself. Be who you really are. Lots of other sad, meaningless gestures. But the overall tone is one which crushes inspiration. Other negative side-effects include the widely-noted phenomenon that originality is elevated to such an extent that it itself becomes a social force, a focus point of cults and social groups, and being an individual becomes the basis for society. Sometimes irony is a very sad thing.

But the important thing to note for our purposes is that going against the flow is all very well when it's going in the wrong direction, but is not a mantra to be followed in all situations. Thousands upon thousands of people in history have done very good things. These should be emulated. Creators should replicate the best bits of previous creation.

Ultimately, inspiration is the driving force for almost everything good, and, interestingly, for almost everything new.

Take Pure Reason Revolution, for example. PRR are one of the greatest users of inspiration that I've ever come across. They use stuff from Romantic poets, 70s proggers, 60s TV shows and tacky harmony singers. They are also an expression of the new-prog and electro movements of the current era, and use all the latest technology. The reason why their output is of such high quality is that they are able to use all the best bits from all these different sources, combining them in such a way as to make something entirely new and unparalleled. So ultimately (again), originality and use of inspiration are not mutually exclusive. Inspiration can be used in original ways. PRR are not the only example of course. Iliketrains and Terry Pratchett are other good ones. As well as hundreds of others (and to a certain extent, all creators ever).

The irony here is that everyone uses inspiration naturally. The conclusion of this treatise is that it is inspiration which drives both conventional and alternative society; it drives humanity. As humans and individuals, we are little more than products of what we absorb and emulate. As children, we are better able to absorb inspiration, but as adults we should try to keep our faculties of absorption in tact. For it is the inspirational force more than any other that pushes the progressive boundaries of mankind; it is our ability to be like those who came before that makes us able to show the way for those who will follow. Inspiration allows us to be intelligent, and it allows us to be original. The inspiration chain has been our mainstay since the conception of our species, and from this glorious game of trial and error, of continuing what is good and leaving behind what does not inspire us, we shall eventually build utopia.