Non Sequitur by Wiley Miller for October 26, 2018

That’s what I’ve always been told: The creative process is 1% inspiration, and 99% perspiration.

Flights of fancy are the way to better futures.

Original thought? That second paraglider isn’t being very original.

There are no barriers, only hurdles.

This is the excuse drug companies use, apparently.

Still droning on about it?

The comfort of conformity is a big hit among all the young rebels.

Mt. Excelsior

With Derivative Thought, you hit a brick wall….and you are not alone. There are many pseudo-intellectuals stuck in same prison yard. Original thought will set you free on flights of fantasy.

Call me picky, but where I come from, we call that a T-junction … (Or else Wiley is thinking outside my box!)

A good view of the process. He left out the “experts” booing the original thinkers.

“bav;lkja aertoiu v aeg;lka pqq7q4a qggka=r zbnmqpagqai falk efe[a agq475a @{Gaga ago q-F 23”

Now there’s some original thinking for you! See how much better it is than dull, drab, boring old English?

I’ve strived for the original for over 50 years, and every ‘glider I’ve tried so far has had a leaky ’chute. Still trying.

At first glance, I though the path to the left led to calculus class.

The line on the left is running into a wall, but the line on the right better hope like hell that their creations don’t fold up on them…

I’d turn left and dynamite the wall.

A third path off to the right is needed labeled “genius” with a bottomless pit.

See, we have to build a wall to keep out the Mexicans. None of them have ever had an original thought. (Intentionally arrogant statement)

Appropriate that ‘derivative formula’ is to the left.

Needs another line off to the right for people who take credit for others’ original thoughts.

Very clever, especially the hurdles and gliders.

The gliders are in the free air of success taking whatever flight path of their own choosing

Interesting, there sure is a lot of truth to this comic. Way more than meets the eye.

Because thinking is hard work and humans are lazy.

As others have suggested, the “Original Thinking” image is [ahem] idealized. No one is shown falling off the cliff, or stuck (very briefly) with non-gliding gliders. The absence of cat-callers from the right side, however, is appropriate. All those folk are on the left side (that none of them are watching, and screaming at, those on the right is an omission).

Those are hang gliders.

The only thing is: tweaks on an “original” idea often make the original better. Of course, tweaks can also be just for decoration. but think of the transistor: great idea, but better and better as designers/tweakers made the original smaller and smaller. And then there’s the microchip: I’ve got 300+ full length books on a miniscule piece of plastic not even a half inch square. Tweakers extraordinaire!

Looking at it from Wiley’s POV, though, it’s hard as he** to come up with an original cartoon every day, 365 days a year, without some yahoo criticizing his lack of originality. BUT—on the other side, some commenters who take off on the original riff are exceptionally funny and creative.

I vote for both lines!

Isn’t anyone going to quote Yogi Berra?

“This inspires us. Let’s make another movie from a 1970s TV show!”

I tried jumping hurdles once, but fell and scraped my knee!

If one has what one thinks is an original thought, can one be sure it is original?

All the money is to the left, unfortunately.

Why don’t those on the right just walk past the hurdles by going around them?

I found I am not good at creating new ideas. But I have a strength in synthesis of other’s ideas and elaboration on them.

What’s more derivative than a male ponytail?

y’all are thinking too much about the para-gliders. The cliches are that first original ideas have to jump hurdles, then it is an up hill climb and then it takes off.

Flying over the Wall! I’m guessing Wiley’s never been to Berlin. I was there when Checkpoint Charlie etc. were real things. A lot of dead para-gliders, balloonists… Some people made it.

Thanks, Wiley. I needed that.

At my age I wouldn’t make it over the first hurdle.

here’s to practicing until we can leap the hurdles, training until we can climb the mountains, and the leaping off to fly in whatever way we can!