Is There Anything New Under The Sun?

The NHL Stadium Series hosts hockey games in outdoor, open-air stadiums. While I’m not a huge hockey fan, I enjoy hockey played outside. If it’s snowing, even better.

Colorado hosted the latest installment of the series at the Air Force Academy. When I turned on the game, the “Stadium Series” logo jumped out of the television and stabbed my nostalgia.

Does this look familiar to you? My brain went straight to the Sega Genesis logo.

It’s not an exact copy, but the two logos share a lot of similarities.

We are very familiar with remakes and reboots. Over the last decade, most major film franchises built upon previous work — be it a book, a comic book, or a previous film. We have no issue spending our money on familiar characters.

So why do we feel like everything we create needs to be 100% original and unique?

I see a lot of writers trash ideas because they come across a similar concept. I’ve done this many times myself. But why? Why do we hold ourselves to a standard billion-dollar movie studios and sports leagues don’t?

There is nothing wrong with a reboot or a recreation or a similar take on a theme. Further, there is nothing wrong with creating stories in someone else’s universe. Fan Fiction has gone mainstream! See everything Star Wars is doing right now.

Our take on a theme is always unique regardless of how it’s been explored before. We’re the only ones who bring our experiences and ideas. Even if we’re playing in someone else’s sandbox, our ideas are our own.

So the next time you have an idea and get frustrated because the work isn’t original, remember that if it’s good for Disney, it’s good for you. Sit down, write, and be proud of what you create.