Adding our own

How many wizard stories were written before J.K. Rowling wrote Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone? And how many musicals had been written before Lin-Manuel Miranda created Hamilton? Or recordings of “America the Beautiful” before Ray Charles’ version in 1972?

There’s no guarantee that our own ideas and voices will catch fire. But time and again, we learn that the canon can be expanded. That there’s room for new great work. And if someone is to make an addition, why not us?

Of course, to enrich the world in any way, we have to tend to our craft. Our contribution begins with our creation.