Your pie doesn't need to be original (unless you claim it so)
1 min read
Summary
A mismatch in expectations occurs when a creative project is dismissed for not being novel enough, even if it was never intended to be, argueszs Andrew C Smith in a substack article.
The post uses the example of a peach pie, which an expert at a conference queries as to its uniqueness.
While baking a pie for pleasure is a creative act, simply buying the “best” pie would defeat its purpose, he adds.
Smith suggests that, as creators and feedback-givers, we should be clear as to whether the intention of a project is for creative expression or to make a novel research contribution.
He argues that it is easier to start with the former and then introduce critical thought later, rather than beginning with the pressure of having to be innovative.
Related work sections in academic research are valuable, he says, admitting that he previously dismissed them.