It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation. — Herman Melville | Printable Wall Art

“It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.”

Words by Herman Melville (1819-1891) — Author of Moby-Dick.

About this quote

This quotation argues that true value lies in creative, brave thinking rather than safe copying. Melville suggests that attempting something new, even if the result falls short of perfection, holds greater merit than achieving an easy triumph by copying others. It encourages people to accept the risk of failure as a necessary price for developing an authentic voice.

This line appears in Herman Melville's 1850 literary essay, Hawthorne and His Mosses. Writing anonymously to review Nathaniel Hawthorne's short stories, Melville argued passionately for writers to embrace their own unique voices rather than copy traditional models.

People often hang this print in a home studio or study to encourage original thinking and quiet creative confidence.

What you get

An instant digital download. Choose your design and size at checkout — 19 typographic designs and 8 print sizes are available for this quote.

• Print-ready PDF with fully embedded vector type — sharp at any scale
• Exact trim size, no cropping required
• Print at home, at a local print shop, or upload to an online printer
• Instant download — no physical item is shipped

Sizes available

5" x 7" · 8" x 10" · 11" x 14" · 12" x 16" · 16" x 20" · 18" x 24" · 24" x 36" · A4 (21 x 29.7 cm)

Designs available

Atelier Serif · Quiet Garamond · Studio Left · Gallery Rule · Midnight Serif · Editorial Left Serif · Modern Sans Calm · Letterpress Caps · Poster Condensed · Script Whisper · Manuscript Italic · Asymmetric Left · Minimal Unsigned · Charcoal Sans · Gallery Frame · Soft Serif Right · Statement Serif · Night Script · Tracked Caps Unsigned

Digital product. Colours may vary slightly between screens and printers. Frames and props are not included.