Originality Isn’t Magic. It’s a Muscle.

“Talent is long patience, and originality an effort of will and of intense observation.”
– Vincent van Gogh

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Most people think originality is a gift.

Van Gogh knew better — it’s grit.

School leaders often feel pressured to have brilliant ideas.

You see the “innovative” campus across town. The polished keynote speakers. The trendy TikToks.

And you wonder: How do they come up with this stuff?

The trap is thinking creative leadership is about having more talent.

The truth? It’s about having more patience.

If you believe originality is magic, you’ll always feel like you’re missing something.

So you copy what worked for someone else. Or you wait for inspiration to strike.

And nothing changes.

Meanwhile, your students and staff wait for someone brave enough to notice what’s broken — and fix it.

Originality doesn’t come from genius. It comes from paying attention.

Van Gogh’s words weren’t poetry — they were process:

“Talent is long patience, and originality an effort of will and of intense observation.”

The most creative school leaders I know aren’t chasing applause.

They’re chasing patterns.

They’re looking closer, listening deeper, and noticing what others miss.

Then — they act (like this):