Many people delay bringing their ideas to life because they believe they must come up with something entirely new.
What they don’t realize is that no idea is truly original.
Only God holds the original blueprint for any idea or creative concept. Everyone else either takes inspiration from nature or builds on what others have already done.
Even Jesus, the greatest teacher of all time, acknowledged this truth. He stated that He does nothing except what He sees His Father do. In other words, He observed, learned, and replicated.
Similarly, Moses didn’t design the tabernacle from scratch. God instructed him to build according to an existing pattern He had shown him. Moses didn’t need to invent a new design—he simply followed a divine template.
The reality is that those we admire as “original creators” have, in one way or another, drawn inspiration from God, nature, or past works.
What truly matters is how you transform what you’ve copied.
The Art of Copying with Creativity
In today’s world, people often frown upon the idea of copying. We hear accusations of imitation and plagiarism, and many creatives hesitate to borrow ideas for fear of criticism.
However, as Austin Kleon explains in Steal Like an Artist, everyone takes inspiration from others. The key to originality isn’t avoiding influence—it’s knowing how to remix ideas in a way that adds your unique touch.
Kleon emphasizes that true creativity comes from gathering inspiration from multiple sources and infusing it with your own perspective. The problem arises only when someone copies verbatim—without acknowledging the original creator, obtaining permission, or adding their own originality. That’s plagiarism.
Innovation is Built on Imitation
Across industries—whether in business, music, art, or technology—many of the most celebrated innovators have borrowed, adapted, and refined existing ideas to create something new.
Let’s explore some examples of well-known figures who built upon the work of others to achieve greatness.
Examples of Innovators Who Built on Existing Ideas
Tech Innovators
Steve Jobs & Apple – Apple borrowed heavily from Xerox PARC’s graphical user interface (GUI), which inspired the Macintosh.
Bill Gates & Microsoft – Windows was influenced by the same Xerox PARC innovations that inspired Apple’s GUI.
Mark Zuckerberg & Facebook – Facebook’s concept was inspired by Harvard’s Facemash and earlier social networking sites like MySpace.
Business & Marketing
Sam Walton & Walmart – Walton adapted the discount retailing model from Kmart and other stores but executed it more effectively.
Ray Kroc & McDonald’s – He didn’t invent the fast-food concept but refined the McDonald brothers’ system and turned it into a global empire.
Howard Schultz & Starbucks – He modeled Starbucks after Italian coffeehouse culture.
Music & Entertainment
The Beatles – They were heavily influenced by American rock and blues artists like Chuck Berry and Little Richard.
Elvis Presley – He borrowed extensively from Black rhythm and blues music to shape his rock ‘n’ roll style.
Quentin Tarantino – His films are often inspired by classic cinema, martial arts movies, and spaghetti Westerns.
Art & Literature
Pablo Picasso – Famously said, “Good artists copy, great artists steal.” He was influenced by African art and reworked it into Cubism.
William Shakespeare – Many of his plays were adaptations of older stories, myths, and historical texts.
J.K. Rowling & Harry Potter – Elements of Harry Potter bear similarities to earlier fantasy works like The Worst Witch and The Lord of the Rings.
Science & Innovation
Thomas Edison & the Light Bulb – Edison didn’t invent the light bulb but improved existing designs to make them commercially viable.
Henry Ford & the Assembly Line – He borrowed the idea from meatpacking plants and revolutionized automobile production.
The Wright Brothers & Aviation – They studied previous aeronautical research by pioneers like Otto Lilienthal and built upon it.
The Truth About Creativity
Creativity thrives on iteration. The key is not just copying but transforming ideas into something original. By studying and adapting the work of those before us, we can innovate and bring fresh perspectives to existing concepts.
Which of these examples interests you the most?
Subscribe Below to Get My Weekly Letters