Stealing Isn’t Genius: Why Original Artists Don’t Need the “Copy” Excuse
Tired of the “good artists copy, great artists steal” cliché? We are too. If your influences are showing, maybe you haven’t found your own voice yet.
We hear it all the time:
“Good artists copy. Great artists steal.”
But let’s be honest—that quote is tired, and the people using it usually are too. If your work depends on what someone else already did, if your influences are front and center—you’re not innovating. You’re arranging.
Referencing isn’t the problem. Everyone has influences.
The issue is visibility. Obvious influence isn’t a sign of depth. It’s a sign you haven’t gone deep enough.
Great work doesn’t show its homework.
It metabolizes it. Transforms it. Moves on.
You Can’t Fake the Source
Art isn’t built from other people’s ideas—it’s built from your own history.
Your thoughts. Your failures. Your decisions.
You can copy a technique, but you can’t borrow a mind.
And when you try, it’s transparent.
This is why true artists don’t rely on the “steal” defense.
They don’t need it.
Their work stands alone.
So here’s the quiet truth behind the loud quote:
If you still need to steal, you’re not ready to show.
Not yet.
ART Walkway News
