Copy Transform Combine
Copy Transform Transform is the heart of Everything is a Remix. Of everything I’ve done, I am most proud of this, even more so than the Everything is a Remix concept itself. I wish I had this framework when I was a teenager.
I struggled with originality for many years. I idolized artists, especially musicians, and fully believed in innate talent. Some people had it, like Radiohead or Lucinda Williams or Quentin Tarantino (the director). Some people didn’t, like Creed or Bush or Quentin Tarantino (the actor).
I had a bit of talent and assumed that was my lot. I could raise my game some, but not a lot because I wasn’t naturally gifted.
As I got older I realized work and interest mattered far more than talent. Deliberate practice maintained over many years could lift you from low talent to high talent.
But how? Where do you direct your energy during these formative years?
The formula I eventually discovered is simple, powerful, and universal to art, innovation, and scientific discovery.
Copy
We all start with this simple activity as small children: copy. Monkey see, monkey do. It begins with copying the words we hear and the patterns we see. Copying is the foundation of all knowledge and it’s the foundation of creativity.
Transform
As we copy, we transform without even meaning to. We can’t copy perfectly, so we do the best we can and inadvertently generate a style. But quite soon, we transform intentionally. We twist our inspiration to make it more like what we envision.
Combine
Combine is the most powerful element of this framework. We merge our sources into a new thing. This is where the biggest creative leaps are made, especially when we connect seemingly unrelated things.
In practice, Copy Transform Combine happens hundreds or even thousands of times when we create something new.
Everybody who creates copies, transforms, and combines. Your source material might be media, like movies, books, and music, or it might be your life, like conversations, experiences, or even imagined experiences.
To learn more about Copy Transform Combine watch Part 3 of Everything is a Remix, which breaks down the Fortnite and the battle royale genre.
You can find more examples in the original version of the series, which focuses on Apple and the development of the original Macintosh.
I wasted years of my youth due to creative aimlessness. Copy Transform Combine would have given me the direction I needed. I entirely believe my creative journey would have been accelerated by years.
I’ve now heard hundreds of stories about how Copy Transform Combine changed people’s lives, and this, above all, is why I’m so proud of it. I hope it can change yours.