--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Unique is what one person does alone…" description: "\"“Unique is what one person does alone. What is not unique is what others have to collaborate on.”\" — Shannon L. Alder" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/768/shannon-l-alder-363_artistic-expression_unique-is-what-one-person-does-alone-wha_1182026.jpg" --- # Unique is what one person does alone. What is not unique… ![“Unique is what one person does alone. What is not unique is what others have to collaborate on.” quote by Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/768/shannon-l-alder-363_artistic-expression_unique-is-what-one-person-does-alone-wha_1182026.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/768/shannon-l-alder-363_artistic-expression_unique-is-what-one-person-does-alone-wha_1182026.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/768/shannon-l-alder-363_artistic-expression_unique-is-what-one-person-does-alone-wha_1182026.jpg) > ““Unique is what one person does alone. What is not unique is what others have to collaborate on.”” [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Uniqueness arises from solitary effort; collaboration creates common, non‑unique outcomes. **In simple terms:** Being alone makes you unique; teamwork makes ideas common. Key Takeaway Balance solo work with teamwork. Themes creativity collaboration innovation Mood reflective inquisitive Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - startup brainstorming - art projects - research teams Key Concepts team dynamics originality productivity Questions to Reflect On - When should you work alone vs. with others? - How do you protect originality in a team? A Different Perspective Collaboration can dilute personal vision. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artistic expression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artistic-expression/) [Being different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-different/) [Collaborate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/collaborate/) [Does Unique](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/does-unique-2885045/) [Solo artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solo-artist/) [Unique](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unique/) [Unique Collaborate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unique-collaborate-3470082/) [Unique Person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unique-person/) ## Related quotes > [A genius is a man who does unique things of which nobody would expect him to be capable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-v-lucas/a-genius-is-a-man-who-does-unique-things-of-which-nobody-would-expect/) [E. V. Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-v-lucas/) > [The Nineties was such an incredible period. There was this real sense of community and such a uniqueness to it. There were unique personalities,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-kowalczyk/the-nineties-was-such-an-incredible-period-there-was-this-real-sense/) [Edward Kowalczyk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-kowalczyk/) > [I'm not a solo artist. I love to collaborate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shavo-odadjian/i-m-not-a-solo-artist-i-love-to-collaborate/) [Shavo Odadjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shavo-odadjian/) > [I knew I didn't want to make a country record just because that's not really what I would have ever made as a solo…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-maines/i-knew-i-didn-t-want-to-make-a-country-record-just-because-that-s-not/) [Natalie Maines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-maines/) > [I honestly think if I had been a solo artist, it wouldn't have been as bad. Because I was being compared to three other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesy-nelson/i-honestly-think-if-i-had-been-a-solo-artist-it-wouldn-t-have-been-as/) [Jesy Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesy-nelson/) > [I never wanted to be a solo artist. I always wanted to be in a band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-campbell/i-never-wanted-to-be-a-solo-artist-i-always-wanted-to-be-in-a-band/) [Mike Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-campbell/) > [If you think of a solo artist, you normally know them by their name; you don't normally describe their kind of music. You just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-gillan/if-you-think-of-a-solo-artist-you-normally-know-them-by-their-name/) [Ian Gillan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-gillan/) > [My art and my self-expression in any form has always been an attempt towards sincerity, honesty, and empathy for others. For a multitude of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-glass/my-art-and-my-self-expression-in-any-form-has-always-been-an-attempt/) [Alice Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-glass/) > [I never, ever wanted to be a solo artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sisqo/i-never-ever-wanted-to-be-a-solo-artist/) [Sisqo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sisqo/) > [Growing up, watching pop music icons, I never saw a solo artist whose main instrument was drums.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-flip/growing-up-watching-pop-music-icons-i-never-saw-a-solo-artist-whose/) [G Flip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-flip/) > [Since I was the solo artist as well as the writer for the songs, I figured I had enough credits on it already.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cy-coleman/since-i-was-the-solo-artist-as-well-as-the-writer-for-the-songs-i/) [Cy Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cy-coleman/) > [Being in a group, you don't really get to give an ounce of who you are as a solo artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dinah-jane/being-in-a-group-you-don-t-really-get-to-give-an-ounce-of-who-you-are/) [Dinah Jane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dinah-jane/) > [I get a little sick of myself as a solo artist. I get a little bit bored.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juliana-hatfield/i-get-a-little-sick-of-myself-as-a-solo-artist-i-get-a-little-bit/) [Juliana Hatfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juliana-hatfield/) > [It's silly to call me the new Ed Sheeran. He can fill stadiums as a solo artist, but I'm not like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bay/it-s-silly-to-call-me-the-new-ed-sheeran-he-can-fill-stadiums-as-a/) [James Bay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bay/) > [As a solo artist, it's so easy to be lumped into a singer / songwriter genre and writing sleepy, sad songs that are very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anderson-east/as-a-solo-artist-it-s-so-easy-to-be-lumped-into-a-singer-songwriter/) [Anderson East](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anderson-east/) ## More by Shannon L. Alder > [“Don’t waste your time trying to explain yourself to people that are committed to misunderstanding you. Instead, commit your time to explaining who they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/don-t-waste-your-time-trying-to-explain-yourself-to-people-that-are/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“God has a way of picking a “nobody” and turning their world upside down, in order to create a “somebody” that will remove the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/god-has-a-way-of-picking-a-nobody-and-turning-their-world-upside-down/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“Mental illness is not something you misunderstand in this era. Get educated because bias is no different than racism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/mental-illness-is-not-something-you-misunderstand-in-this-era-get/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“It takes a female to have a baby, It takes a woman to raise a child, It takes a mother to raise them correctly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/it-takes-a-female-to-have-a-baby-it-takes-a-woman-to-raise-a-child-it/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“God is going to send you someone that will rescue you. Then one day you will rescue them in return and together your story…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/god-is-going-to-send-you-someone-that-will-rescue-you-then-one-day/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“You can be bit in the leg by a rattlesnake and seek help to heal your wound, or you can run after it and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/you-can-be-bit-in-the-leg-by-a-rattlesnake-and-seek-help-to-heal-your/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“It is not the self respect and pride that you take with you, but the heritage you leave behind to your children that matters.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/it-is-not-the-self-respect-and-pride-that-you-take-with-you-but-the/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“The art of being wise is the art of knowing that solutions don’t come from individuals, but rather experiences.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/the-art-of-being-wise-is-the-art-of-knowing-that-solutions-don-t-come/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“If you have feelings for someone, let them know. It doesn’t matter if they can be in your life or not. Maybe, it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/if-you-have-feelings-for-someone-let-them-know-it-doesn-t-matter-if/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“After every storm, there is a rainbow. If you have eyes, you will find it. If you have wisdom, you will create it. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/after-every-storm-there-is-a-rainbow-if-you-have-eyes-you-will-find/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“Don’t ever feel bad that someone couldn’t give you all of their heart. Be grateful that you can take the least complicated part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/don-t-ever-feel-bad-that-someone-couldn-t-give-you-all-of-their-heart/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“I don't know why anyone would be scared of a homeless person. The truly scary people are all the murder mystery writers. They spend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/i-don-t-know-why-anyone-would-be-scared-of-a-homeless-person-the/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“Until you have stood in another woman’s stilettos, you will never begin to know the year of pain she felt breaking them in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/until-you-have-stood-in-another-woman-s-stilettos-you-will-never/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“I don't understand women that call themselves a "bitch". It doesn't empower a woman. Rather, it reveals to everyone that you were deeply hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/i-don-t-understand-women-that-call-themselves-a-bitch-it-doesn-t/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“ The Prodigal Son They gave the deep end of their heart--a hue of crimson red, They whispered their desire and offered up their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/the-prodigal-son-they-gave-the-deep-end-of-their-heart-a-hue-of/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) [Explore all 639 Shannon L. Alder quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) ## More Artistic expression quotes > [In the documentary space, the biggest and most obvious difference is that in those films you're not in it for a financial gain. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-smolyansky/in-the-documentary-space-the-biggest-and-most-obvious-difference-is/) [Julie Smolyansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-smolyansky/) > [“The key experiential approach I now use to induce non-ordinary states of consciousness and gain access to the unconscious and superconscious psyche is Holotropic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanislav-grof/the-key-experiential-approach-i-now-use-to-induce-non-ordinary-states/) [Stanislav Grof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanislav-grof/) > [“A person writes similar to how a blind person uses brail. We grope along the palpable corridors of the mind’s organic texture to locate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/a-person-writes-similar-to-how-a-blind-person-uses-brail-we-grope/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [Art must be an expression of love or it is nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-chagall/art-must-be-an-expression-of-love-or-it-is-nothing/) [Marc Chagall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-chagall/) > [“I had artistic classical training, and when you learn the classics for so many years, you might gain audacity, power and confidence to subvert…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nuno-roque/i-had-artistic-classical-training-and-when-you-learn-the-classics-for/) [Nuno Roque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nuno-roque/) > [Dance, one of the oldest forms of artistic expression, requires only the human body for its realization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/igor-youskevitch/dance-one-of-the-oldest-forms-of-artistic-expression-requires-only/) [Igor Youskevitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/igor-youskevitch/) > [“Hidden in dreams are arts that haven’t been crafted, and songs that haven’t been chanted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/hidden-in-dreams-are-arts-that-haven-t-been-crafted-and-songs-that/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [Actors are loved because they are unoriginal. Actors stick to their script. The unoriginal man is loved by the mediocrity because this kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-kavanagh/actors-are-loved-because-they-are-unoriginal-actors-stick-to-their/) [Patrick Kavanagh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-kavanagh/) > [My view is that "A Small Oak Tree Runs Red" is about putting people 'on the record,' who otherwise would have been forgotten, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-lennix/my-view-is-that-a-small-oak-tree-runs-red-is-about-putting-people-on/) [Harry Lennix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-lennix/) > [Humor may be defined as the kindly contemplation of the incongruities of life, and the artistic expression thereof.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-leacock/humor-may-be-defined-as-the-kindly-contemplation-of-the-incongruities/) [Stephen Leacock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-leacock/) > [Artistic expression, sex, and truth are the only things that really matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-frusciante/artistic-expression-sex-and-truth-are-the-only-things-that-really/) [John Frusciante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-frusciante/) > [For me, what I do is an artistic expression which is channeled through me. Fashion is just the medium.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mcqueen/for-me-what-i-do-is-an-artistic-expression-which-is-channeled-through/) [Alexander McQueen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mcqueen/) > [“For if freethinkers did not have a political platform, they nevertheless agreed on a wide range of social, cultural, and artistic concerns, which generated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jacoby/for-if-freethinkers-did-not-have-a-political-platform-they/) [Susan Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jacoby/) > [“The essence of romance is an extremely powerful life-giving sensual force for change. I view the romantic periods in our history as cycles of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayesha-ophelia/the-essence-of-romance-is-an-extremely-powerful-life-giving-sensual/) [Ayesha Ophelia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayesha-ophelia/) > [It's not like since I make comics I only read comics and since I make movies I will only go out and watch movies.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjane-satrapi/it-s-not-like-since-i-make-comics-i-only-read-comics-and-since-i-make/) [Marjane Satrapi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjane-satrapi/) [Browse all 130 Artistic expression quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artistic-expression/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Unique is what one person does alone. What is not unique is what others have to collaborate on.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Shannon L. 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