There’s no such thing as completely original art

good artists borrow, great artists steal

What makes great art great?

Many people believe that originality is what defines greatness: art can only be brilliant if it is something no one has ever seen before.

This can make it difficult for artists to create completely unique work. They will always fail, no matter how hard they try.

No artist or work of art is completely unique — not Picasso, Dali, or W. B. Yeats.

You heard it right!

All art is influenced by the artist’s influences. Artists aren’t particularly original; they take (or steal!) what others have done and then take it a step further.

So truly original art doesn’t exist. But surely that doesn’t mean you can just copy someone else’s work, does it?

There is a big difference between being influenced and inspired and being a copycat.

Many new content creators are in this situation; they believe that they must create something that no one has ever seen before and that they will be the only ones to bring into this world; otherwise, their artwork will be a waste of time and no one will pay attention to it.

But let me tell you something: no good artist believes that nothing comes from nowhere. All creative work builds on previous work. Some people find this concept depressing, but it gives me hope. If we are not burdened by the need to be completely unique.

“Everything that needs to be said has already been said. But since no one was listening, everything must be said again.”

— André Gide

This means that artistic work starts when you find the right piece of art to steal or build on. So fill your home with art that is worth stealing!

Here are a few suggestions to make things easier for you:

Making your own artistic family tree is a good way to accomplish this. To begin, seek out an artist or other creative person whose work you greatly admire. Then immerse yourself in their world by hanging their photos on your wall, If not, simply follow their creations and save them for later analysis if necessary to figure out what made them tick, and learn the strategies they used to create the work you admire.

Begin by mimicking your heroes and work your way up to recreating them

When you first start out, you probably won’t know what you want to create. At this point, imitating your heroes can be extremely beneficial.

So, find someone whose work you admire and strive to be like them. This does not simply imply imitating their artwork. Imitate everything they do: learn about their lifestyles and what drives them to work.

And this isn’t a new concept; many musicians, including Nick Cave, began by imitating their idols.

As you continue to imitate your idols, you begin to realize that you are very different from them. You won’t be able to do everything they did in some areas.

You’ll have found your niche — your own way of creating art — once you’ve identified your weaker areas. These “weaknesses” are what you should start taking advantage of. This is known as emulation.

When you refocus your life on art, don’t give up your hobbies and side projects.

When you first start out as an artist, you may be tempted to give up your hobbies and side projects in order to fully immerse yourself in your work.

While this may appear to be a good idea, limiting yourself in this way can actually reduce your productivity and happiness.

This is due to a number of factors. To begin with, your hobbies and other projects give you an outlet when you’re stuck in a creative rut.

What will you do if you focus solely on one project and run into a snag? You’ll most likely just try to get through it. Your efforts will most likely be futile, and you will become dissatisfied with yourself. Your work will suffer as well.

When you allow your mind to wander, you are more likely to find creativity and inspiration. So it’s a good idea to have a few side projects that can distract you from your main one — they can free up mental space for innovation.

Side projects do not even have to be creative. You’ll get the same effect if you devote time to housework or simply allow yourself to procrastinate every now and then.

Maintaining your hobbies is also important because giving them up will most likely leave you feeling empty. How can you be truly creative if you aren’t allowed to relax and have fun every now and then? If you deny yourself leisure activities, no matter how dedicated you are to your main project, you will always have some sort of void in your life.

Share your work with others to gain recognition, but first enjoy the benefits of ignorance.

Do you want to be well-known? Many of us, for sure. Some artists want to be famous as soon as possible — but they don’t take this route. Long-term success is great, but when you first start out, obscurity can actually help your career.

Obscurity allows you to be creative and make mistakes. When people know you, they will scrutinize every aspect of your work. You’ll feel a lot more pressure to make “great” art. It will also be more difficult to experiment because people will have high expectations of you. They’ll complain if you try something new and it doesn’t work out.

When you’re obscure, you don’t have to deal with these issues. When no one knows who you are, you are free to do whatever you want (and make as many mistakes as you want).

But, in the end, you want to be noticed. So, what is the best way to go about it?

It’s really quite simple: you must share your work with others. And, thanks to the internet, this has never been easier.

Take note of the compliments you receive, and don’t let the criticism get to you.

The internet is a fantastic tool for getting your creative juices flowing, but it is not without its drawbacks. If you post your work online, you will face a bunch of negativity and criticism from people who dislike you or your art.

When you are harassed or criticized, don’t let it depress you, and don’t stop creating. Ignore the negativity, or channel your rage inward and allow it to inspire you.

Engaging your critics too frequently can be a huge waste of time. You won’t have time to create and develop your work if you spend your day responding to mean-spirited emails.

If you can’t help but be angry, at least channel your rage into something productive. Anger can be beneficial if channeled into a creative outlet.

In conclusion

No work of art is entirely unique; all artists plagiarize. So learn about your idols, emulate them, and create a positive work environment for yourself to steal efficiently. Maintain your hobbies and push yourself outside of your comfort zone, then promote yourself online once you’ve had your fill of anonymity. Finally, you’ll use your influences to create new work — and in turn, you’ll inspire others.

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