I was in school for architecture and when you're in school for a creative discipline, so much of what you produce comes out of inspiration from other people. The more you're exposed to architecturally, the better you can develop your own language out of that history of architectural thought.

Evan Sharp’s quote — “I was in school for architecture and when you're in school for a creative discipline, so much of what you produce comes out of inspiration from other people. The more you're exposed to architecturally, the better you can develop your own language out of that history of architectural thought.” — reflects a deep understanding of how learning, exposure, and influence shape the growth of a creative mind. Sharp, co-founder of Pinterest, draws on his background in architecture to explain how personal style and vision are not born in isolation but emerge through engagement with existing ideas.

His reference to inspiration from other people acknowledges that in creative fields, including architecture, the process is inherently collaborative and iterative. Rather than copying, students learn by observing design precedents, understanding various movements, and internalizing the visual vocabulary passed down through centuries of architectural development. This kind of historical awareness helps young designers form their own unique voice by filtering and reinterpreting what they’ve absorbed.

By emphasizing the importance of being widely exposed architecturally, Sharp suggests that diversity of experience — seeing different buildings, styles, and cultural approaches — enriches a designer’s ability to think critically and creatively. The idea of developing a language implies that architecture is not just functional, but expressive — a means of communicating ideas, values, and emotions through form and space.

Ultimately, this quote captures the essence of creative education: that originality is often the product of deep immersion in tradition, followed by personal reinterpretation. Evan Sharp’s reflection connects his architectural training to his broader creative journey, showing how foundational principles of design thinking, influence, and cultural literacy can extend far beyond architecture and into fields like technology, media, and user experience design.