nO moRe OrIginAL iDeaS?

What do you think about the concept that there are no more original ideas? I could go either way on this one. I was reading this design magazine the other day that said that when it comes right down to it, there really are no more original creative ideas left. That no matter how hard a designer tries, all of their ideas essentially are derived from what someone else has already done. It's kind of a depressing thought.

On the one hand, this philosophy sort of makes sense. Whenever I'm in a rut and am having a hard time thinking of a concept, I often turn to design magazines, books and websites to help get my creative juices flowing. Does this mean that I see a logo and think, "Hey, that would work for what I'm tyring to do. Let's copy it!" No, not at all. As a professional in this field there are so many issues with copyright legalities, it's crazy. Besides, the fun and interesting part about my occupation is trying to solve design problems. Finding the solution is the best part.

But does the idea that I sometimes look to several creative muses for inspiration mean that I have no original ideas? Or, is it just that - looking for inspiration?

On the other hand, have you ever thought about how many songs there are out there? That somehow, musicians are still coming up with tunes that, while composed from the exact same notes and musical scale as others, really don't sound like anything we've heard before. Can we attribute influences in a band, artist or any other creator, of sorts, to being unoriginal?