John M. Ford Quotes

Bring individuality into things, do not just be an imitator. To imitate is to miss life.

No man was ever great by imitation.

No, because I don't want to hear what's hot and feel I have to copy it. I'll just make up my own thing.

Work out of your work. Don't work out of anybody else's work.

There are no original ideas. There are only original people.

Don't look at all at what other people are doing. Think of what you're doing as completely fresh because if you imitate you're dead.

You want to stake your own claim. You don't want to be called a copycat.

Sometimes you find your voice by trying to write like people, and sometimes you find it by trying to write unlike people.

The 'copy, paste' mentality of some investors and entrepreneurs - be careful of that. Do something that is unique to you, not because someone else's journey is mirroring it.

Following the West is not surrendering. Following the West, the best of the West, is following originality.

I used to watch everybody's stuff, but I found I would get slightly influenced by the other comics. I try to avoid it now.

Build your own pyramids, write your own hieroglyphs.

I never wanted the temptation to imitate or emulate something that had been done beforehand.

Style is to forget all styles.

It is a poor wit who lives by borrowing the words, decisions, mien, inventions and actions of others.

Rather hang thyself than belong to the horde of successful imitators.

If someone asks me what inspires me, I always say, "That which is missing," because I don't want to copy everything that's already happening. I feel like when you copy, you blend in, and when you blend in, you get lost.

Story is about originality, not duplication

Imitation is for shirkers, like-minded-ness for the comfort lovers, unifying for the creators.

You've got to concentrate on the business of entertaining and writing songs. Always think different from the next person. Don't ever do a song as you heard somebody else do it.

I think if you study--if you learn too much of what others have done, you may tend to take the same direction as everybody else.

The original writer is not he who refrains from imitating others, but he who can be imitated by none.

Words are the instruments you play to the song of your ideas, you're just playing covers.

As for me, the only stuff I've ever had success with is when I'm trying to be completely original and not thinking about mirroring what else is out there.

Write it as it is, don't try to make it like this or that. You can't do it in anybody else's way-you will have to make a way of your own.