Make visible what, without you, might perhaps never have been seen.
–Robert Bresson
When I was younger, I thought originality was the most important thing you could aim for as a writer. Make things that nobody else could make. And that I was always falling short of this goal.
I spent years reading, writing, studying, and while I still believed it was important for a writer to have their own voice, it was clear that stories share elements with each other (even unintentionally).
Looking at this quote, I think about how perspective isn’t just manufactured. It’s not an affectation you put on (ex: That Barton Fink Feeling). Who you are, where you are, where you came from, and where you’re going—they all play into it.
By the very nature of existing as a singular person, that gives you a point of view different from other people.
And it would be a shame to not know that, and still believe there’s nothing about you that’s unique or original.
Side note: As an example, I started thinking about the connections between Winter Light, Diary of a Country Priest, and First Reformed. So I stumbled on to this great video about those films and several other existential stories:
This Builds Character 