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In his book, "Steal Like an Artist," @Austin Kleon argues that all artists, regardless of their medium, should embrace the act of stealing.
The idea may seem counterintuitive, but it draws inspiration from a famous quote by Pablo Picasso: "Good artists copy, great artists steal." đ
By stealing, he simply means that artists should study the work of their favorite creators, & borrow techniques, styles to create something new & original.
Is stealing ethical? đ
Many feel that there is a fine line between taking influences & copying. Famous American playwright Wilson Mizner says, âWhen you take stuff from one writer it's plagiarism, but when you take from many writers it's called research.â đ
The issue is that stealing can lead to a lack of authenticity. Art has the power to shape our perceptions of reality, & the most innovative artists are those who break away from the cultural zeitgeist to create something that has never been seen before. â¨
For beginners who aspire to become original artists, it's important to copy & emulate at first to build up the creative muscle đŞ
The creative process often involves three stages:
đ Imitation
đ Imagination
đ Innovation
Oscar Wilde famously said, "Life imitates ART far more than ART imitates Life."
Despite this debate, it's clear that many successful artists have taken direct influence from the work of others. Many famous films, for example, have âborrowedâ from classic works of art.
The film "Blade Runner" was heavily influenced by the work of surrealist painter Edward Hopper, while the opening sequence of "Star Wars" was inspired by the Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa.
The discussion of stealing in art has become complicated with the rise of AI-generated art. đ¤
Some argue that AI algorithms essentially steal from the original creators, while others argue that the art produced by the algorithms is not truly original and does not constitute stealing.
One thing is for sure - artists will always be inspired by the work of others...
And it's up to each individual artist to decide how they want to use that inspiration to create something truly original... If that is even possible? đ
Stay Curious. Stay Creative.
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