Every TikTok We Make is Stolen

Salutations, Submariners!

First of all, happy National Submarine Day, I know it’s an important day for everyone.

Anyway, we have to come clean about something. Similar to how submarines stole their design from fish, we creators have a habit of stealing from others.

Oh boy, before you get mad, let’s welcome back Captain Tejas from his hiatus as he confesses about his theft…

One of my role models, Naval Ravikant, once said – “A grizzly bear is pretty interesting, a unicycle is also interesting, but you put a grizzly bear on a unicycle, people pay to watch that.

To create something interesting, one way is to combine two things that aren’t supposed to be together. I do this a lot when creating content.

For example, take this gaming TikTok. I don’t play Call of Duty but I was one of 2.4M people who LOVED this video. So I stole the concept and applied it to networking.

To this day, that video is one of my most successful pieces of content.

For the longest time, I thought every piece of content I made had to be 100% original. The idea, the format, the presentation, they all had to be unique ideas from my brain. God, this set me back so much.

There is a term in the industry - steal like an artist. This means it’s encouraged to take inspiration from others and recreate it into your own. This does not mean plagiarizing, there is a fine line.

For example, Daniel is a much better editor than I am. I’ve stolen his overlays, transitions and formats.

Sean’s vlogs are so dynamic when it comes to the pacing, keyframes, and titles. My most recent series of giving people advice, I #stole the title format!

These boys have specific examples down below of how we three have stolen from each other but just remember, some of the best content out there is created when you combine a grizzly bear and a unicycle. Whether that’s using gaming videos to inspire business content, thirst trappin’ transitions to inspire 

Say what you will, but we all steal every day. Whether it's the way you dress, the gear you have, or the stuff you like - we all succumb to outside influence. 

When it comes to art, it's never more prevalent. Ask yourself: why did you start? Probably because you saw a cool thing someone made. What was your first creation? Probably a 1-to-1 recreation of that very thing. 

It's not a crime - it's inspiration. 

One of the reasons I first took editing seriously was my overwhelming crush on Vox Media. As a result, lots of my early work (and a chunk of my current stuff, I'll be honest) copied those slick Vox characteristics. I'm also heavily inspired by Noah Baumbach, Wes Anderson and Kurzgesagt.

But I make little videos on the internet. Which means I'm also inspired by those who do the same - my peers. 

*ahem* Right, let's get this out the way.

Tejas, I stole your text bubble idea - such an effective way of communicating.... communication. 

Sean, I also stole your use of film textures. They really draw attention - expertly crafted.

Tejas, you stole the idea but I stole it from you - I wouldn't have tried these animations without you.

Sean, every day I steal your "always shooting" approach. The quantity of B-roll you have of yourself just living life is something I'm chasing.

The point I'm making is you gotta steal. It's the best way of triggering creativity and developing your skills.

Shout out to 13-year-old Dominic - a fan of mine who's asked me the specific fonts I use so he can make a video inspired by mine. I think it's awesome. 

Go steal some sh*t.

You’re not original. Hate to break it to ya, you’re just not. Every thought you’ve ever had and will have will be because of some subliminal correspondence from the ether that you’ve picked up on. 

Understanding that we’re a product of everyone and everything around us is truly a hack.

In an industry where your advantage is being unique, how can you truly be original? When I started making videos as just a wee lad, a lot of my shooting and editing style was influenced by music videos. The energy of my videos was direct descendants of directors like Collin Tilley, Director X, and Gibson Hazard.

Fast forward to today, and I haven’t stopped stealing.

The storytelling of YouTuber Luke Korns struck me some years back, and I haven’t deviated from that style since - quirky classical music interwoven into a solo travel story that generally ends in some sort of big-picture eye opening lesson.

Even the guys in this very newsletter have fallen victim to my swiping tactics. Take Daniel, for example. His commuting video resonated so much that I mirrored the style here.

Tejas wasn’t safe either. He does a great job at tastefully responding to comments with hugely informative videos, a hook that’s built-in to itself. I gave it a try for a stint, fabricating celeb’s comments and pretending to give them actual life advice in response.

You’re a product of everything you consume, the people around you, and the people you look up to in life. Your work, whether you know it or not, will (and should) reflect that. Understanding this helps you become more aware of why your work is the way it is, and helps you get better exponentially faster.

Consider this your formal permission to steal.

Let us know the creators who inspire you in the comments below! Us three are always looking for others to steal from 😈 .

Also, are we interested in another coffee hour? I think we will have another one coming up in a couple weeks…