about being myself…since there is very little chance of my being anybody else.” Thomas Merton writer, theologian, mystic
I've always found this quotation entertaining but it deserves to be considered deeply. I find that it applies substantially to the making of art. What you make, what I make, what we ALL make -- is individual whether you intend it to be, indeed if you don't even like it to be.
It is your unique way of moving through the world.
That's just the way it is, so embrace that fact. Experiment freely and confidently. Allow yourself to do…well, just about anything. Be inspired by other artists' works. Or create an homage to a writer you admire. *
Merton goes on to say "Rather it seems to me that when one is too intent on 'being himself' he runs the risk of impersonating a shadow." That is open to interpretation...
I recommend the article "Be Yourself. Everyone Else Is Already Taken" published in Quote Investigator. It explores the concept of being yourself further even it is ostensibly about the quote itself.
* I am reminded of a line from the movie In Bruges. Chloë is a filmmaker struggling to explain the film she's in the midst of creating. "It's a Dutch movie. It’s a dream sequence. It’s a pastiche of (another movie)…not a pastiche, but a...'homage' is too strong... 'nod of the head'" She needn't have bothered being precise. Colin Farrell's character, Ray, likes her but is really not interested in her work.