Got “originality anxiety”? Here's 5 ways to unlock your unique ideas
Originality is getting more competitive. Use this framework to consistently produce your most distinctive ideas and avoid AI sameness.
Lately, I’ve been having what I can only describe as “originality anxiety”.
Every time I write something, the same thoughts keep creeping in:
Does this sound too much like an AI idea?
Am I just regurgitating the bland mush of sameness I’ve been absorbing from social media?
It doesn’t matter if you’re a writer, marketer, CEO, or startup founder.
Many of our livelihoods depend on generating unique ideas, solutions, and ways of seeing things.
But when everyone has access to a tool that can generate everything that’s ever been said, I’ve started to wonder:
Do I really have anything else valuable to add?
I still believe the answer is yes.
But now that we have AI on the scene, the reality is that it's going to be a lot more competitive.
This is why each person who cares about original thinking needs to answer for themselves:
“How do I come up with unique ideas in the age of AI?”
I'll explain some of my processes, and I hope it will help you find your answers to this question.
Step one: Let go of the myth of pure originality
The first step towards originality starts with your mindset.
It sets the stage for novel thinking to either blossom or die.
A lot of fear of being called out as a “copycat” or “unoriginal” comes from this idea:
That original thought has to come from nowhere.
That it must be pure, untouched, and uninfluenced by anyone else.
Even before AI, that’s never been true.
Every writing course I’ve ever taken says the same thing: you don’t pluck ideas out of thin air.
All artists, writers, scientists, and great thinkers build their work on what came before them.
For years, I blocked myself creatively by thinking I had to start from a blank canvas.
Ironically, that mindset stifled my originality.
Once you let go of the pressure to be 100% original, you’re creating from a place of safety instead of fear.
This is in itself a big step.
Step two: Define your originality process
Original ideas start out like seeds.
To support its growth, you need to water it with a variety of mental processes that nurture it, allow it to branch out, and bear the fruit of unique ideas.
Somewhere along the line, I developed a way of “watering” the seed of original thinking when pitching article ideas to editors.
I hope these 5 mental processes will help you find your own rhythm.
1. Exposure
Gather information widely.
All great writers read a lot.
All great artists study the work of other creators.
AI can be a great help in this step as an exposure accelerator.
Give it any topic, and it instantly shows you what’s already out there — what’s been said, how it’s been framed, where the conversation seems to stop.
This stage isn’t about clarity.
It's about gathering seeds and planting them in your mind.
In a sense, you're mapping out what not to write at this stage.
2. Friction
Remember that AI is great at sounding confident.
So your job is to resist the urge to nod along, and instead look for what’s missing.
Ask questions like:
Where are the hidden assumptions?
What would someone who disagrees say about this?
Are there logical leaps that don’t make sense?
How would someone from a different field interpret this?
What perspective is missing from this?
You could ask AI these questions.
But I’d urge you to try first on your own.
It’s honestly one of the most satisfying parts of the process.
Like trying to find a hidden message that no one else can see.
2. Recombine
This is an old but tried-and-tested journalism trick.
Most “new” ideas are really just finding the intersection between existing ones.
You could:
Take two seemingly unrelated ideas and find the common thread. (Why “chasing experiences” is just another form of materialism)
Connect an old idea to modern life. (Stoicism in 2025)
Find the overlap between two different fields. (How climate change is affecting allergies)
This is one of my favorite strategies because it's like fitting a puzzle together.
And unexpected combinations often bring the freshest perspectives.
4. Play
Creativity happens best through play.
This is something I see with my kids all the time.
Their most unique ideas don't come from a worksheet with set rules and instructions.
They emerge organically when presented with a random set of objects and simply asked to have fun.
As adults, we somehow lose this instinct.
Playing with ideas often looks like thought experiments that may seem silly at first glance:
Take things on a weird tangent.
Reverse your opinion.
Break your own rules.
Ask things only a child would.
Follow your curiosities for no reason.
Remove all limits, and let your mind surprise you!
5. Reflect
Ever since AI came out, the most repeated advice has been: Lean into what makes you human.
What does this look like in terms of original thinking?
Filter any idea through the lens of your own life and experiences.
Try to make sense of it through your eyes.
It's one of the easiest strategies, because no one else has lived your life.
Ask yourself:
How does this idea feel true or false in your life?
How does this connect to a story, memory, or experience only I have?
What would I add, change, or question based on how I see the world?
That reflection is what turns information into perspective.
Such content is becoming increasingly valuable in a world craving for connection to human experiences.
What’s your process for thinking originally?
Despite being a content writer for 5 years, this is the first time I’m documenting how I come up with fresh ideas.
I encourage you to do the same, because once you’re aware of your thinking, you can:
Figure out what's working and what isn't.
Create a system for unending fresh ideas.
Clarify where AI does (or doesn't) fit in with your process.
More importantly, the benefits of learning how your brain generates novel ideas go beyond productivity.
You’re gaining a sense of your unique cognitive fingerprint, and essentially, your being.
Because, as Descartes has said, “I think, therefore I am”.
I'd love to hear: What are your processes for thinking originally?
P.S. Are you an executive struggling to polish your thought leadership articles? Get my free 5-day email course on editing thought leadership content so it actually showcases your expertise. It’ll be useful whether you use AI or not. I bring my experience as a journalist with work featured in New Scientist, SLATE, Forge, Elemental, and more.
Super advice Dawn. Yes we can get hung up on AI has the answers better than we do, but our brains work differently. We can spot connections that won’t always resonate with an AI.
I LOVE:
“Creativity happens best through play.”
So true!
I will try out your ideas!
I definitely lean into "how can I avoid agreeing with this conclusion that sounds obvious but strikes me the wrong way." So often there's a negative energy in play even though the superficial conclusion seems reasonable (like the world is so overwhelming that all we can do is bemoan the problems but not take any action to make it better). But frankly, my biggest challenge is not coming up with original ideas. It's my tendency to cut and standardized my prose so that it is technically correct, but sort of short and soulless. It's hard for me to have confidence to dive into my unique writing style.
It's so tempting to write what other people say is good for reaching an audience. Is that a challenge for you?