I think most people like to think of their place in a creative effort as the beginning or the end or even both, but the reality is that we’re always in the middle.
The most original ideas are still cued by experiences. The most original inventions are still spurred by problems. Nobody starts from zero, and I don’t just mean privilege or connections (though those count too). I mean the basic fact that your inputs came from somewhere, just like you did.
And it goes the other direction too. If we ship the software, people still need to use it. If we build the house, someone still needs to live in it. Our outputs are someone else’s inputs. The chain keeps going.
Once you accept this, something shifts. You don’t need to credit every influence or take responsibility for everything that happens downstream, but being aware that they exist opens your eyes. You start to see how your work can go places you didn’t expect, inform decisions you weren’t part of, generate ideas you won’t be around for. And it lets you rewind. If your “great idea” doesn’t work, it was always just one link in a chain, and you can go back and try a different path.
I think this actually reinforces your contribution rather than reducing it. We tend to put new ideas and great results on a pedestal and treat everything in between as an unavoidable burden. But if it’s all in between, if there is no pristine beginning or triumphant end, just the middle, then you have permission to appreciate and invest in the whole process. This may not get you on the front page or in the corner office, but I think it’s a clearer path to fulfillment and happiness