What original?

Not “has anyone done this before?” Almost nothing survives that. The real question is quieter: can you trace this idea back to something you actually saw?

Originality isn't novelty. It's provenance of thought: whether an idea has a source you can point to, or is just the air you've been breathing, handed back.

Below is a short interrogation. Name an idea you want to make, then answer plainly. Nothing is stored; nobody sees it. The test is only honest if you are.

If every answer is borrowed, the idea is a souvenir.