There is a difference between seeing something work for someone else and understanding what made it work in the first place. Too often, creators see a successful idea and rush to recreate it, hoping for the same results. But without their own perspective, the work can end up feeling like a repeat of something we have already seen.

The difference between copying and getting inspired is what you do with the idea

When Hilda Baci broke the Guinness World Record for the longest cooking marathon by an individual in 2023, she sparked a wave of interest in cooking marathons. Three years later, filmmaker Nora Awolowo and her team took a different route with Black Market, setting a world record for the largest attendance at a film screening in September 2026. Both milestones brought people together around a shared experience, but they did so in different creative spaces. Hilda made history through food, while Nora and her team did it through film. One achievement can inspire another without requiring someone to repeat the same thing.

That principle also applies to how creatives present their work. Diya Joukani, through her brand DiyaDiya, has made a name for herself with bold runway walks through the streets of Mumbai. Rather than relying on a conventional runway, she took fashion to the streets and built a recognisable identity around the idea. In Lagos, Rachel Ojuromi and stylist Debby Fasingha brought their own take to street fashion, pairing bold looks with runway walks that eventually caught Chanel’s attention. Both examples show how a creative idea can become more distinctive when it is shaped by the people behind it.

Inspiration can also come from learning directly from people who have already done the work. Tobi Amusan, for instance, had former Jamaican hurdler Lacena Golding-Clarke as her coach and role model. Golding-Clarke contributed to Amusan’s development, but Amusan went on to establish herself as a record-breaking athlete in her own right. Learning from someone does not mean becoming them. Sometimes, it means gaining the knowledge and discipline to discover what you can do differently.

The same applies to fashion and personal style. Fisayo Longe showed her community different ways to style the NAO Tank Top, giving people fresh ideas for a piece they could already own. The value was not necessarily in creating something entirely new, but in helping people see more possibilities in something familiar. A creative does not always have to invent a new product or concept. Sometimes, a different perspective is enough to make an existing idea feel fresh.

Music offers another example. Wizkid has influenced a generation of artists through his sound, delivery and style. His impact is clear, but studying what made him successful is different from trying to become the next Wizkid. Artists can learn from his approach to music while developing their own sound, stories and identities. The same is true across fashion and design, where figures such as Naomi Campbell and the late Virgil Abloh have influenced generations of creatives. Their achievements have helped expand what others believe is possible, but their influence does not remove the need for the next generation to bring something new.

Sometimes, the most interesting ideas come from looking closer at what is already around you. Shalom Rayhamen’s Lagos Life is a browser game built around everyday experiences of living in Lagos, while Rume Onosode’s Beyond Tarkwa Bay explores the lives of young Nigerian surfers. Both draw from specific places, communities and experiences to tell stories that feel grounded in their own environments. Their work is a reminder that creativity does not always require looking elsewhere for a formula. There is often plenty to explore in the places we know and the lives we see around us.

None of this means creators should avoid studying other people’s work. Understanding what has succeeded before you can help you improve your craft, identify opportunities and approach your own ideas with more confidence. The problem begins when the only lesson you take from someone else’s success is to recreate it.

Copying might get people to notice your work for a moment, but it does not necessarily give them a reason to remember you. Inspiration, on the other hand, leaves room for interpretation, experimentation and personal expression.

The goal is not to be completely unlike everyone who came before you. It is to understand what you can learn from them, then use that knowledge to make something that reflects your own perspective. Because in the long run, what makes a creative stand out is not how closely they can reproduce someone else’s success, but what they bring to the conversation themselves.