Steal Like an Artist

What makes great art great? Many people assume that originality is what defines greatness: art can only be brilliant if it’s something nobody’s seen before.

This can push artists into a struggle to make completely original art. No matter how hard they try, however, they’ll always fail. No art or artist is completely original – not Picasso, Dali, or W. B. Yeats.

All art is a product of the artist’s influences. Artists aren’t original at all – they take (or steal!) what others have done, then take it another step.

The Beatles, for example, started as a cover band. They only started writing their own songs after they’d mastered the work of their heroes.

Artistic influences are sort of like genetics. Every child is a mix of their parents’ genes. A person’s DNA isn’t new or original, but the specific output of it is.

This means that artistic work begins when you find the right art to steal or build upon. So surround yourself with art that’s worth stealing!

A good way to do this is to create your own artistic family tree. First, find an artist or other creative person whose work you deeply admire. Then immerse yourself in their world: put their pictures on your wall, figure out what made them tick, and learn the strategies they used to create the work you love.

Next, you can learn about three people who influenced the person whose work you love, and repeat the process with them. You can keep going with this as far as you like. The more your tree branches out, the more ideas you’ll be able to incorporate into your own work.

Ultimately, you should view yourself as the latest branch on the tree. When you feel connected to the legacy of great artists, you’ll be even more inspired to go out and create!