Is it Stealing Art or Finding Inspiration?

July 25, 2012 in Creativity, Dig Deeper, Life with 11 Comments

Photo by Vigo74 (Creative Commons)

You’re a crook. A fraud. A liar. A cheat.

That’s what my inner voices tell me.

These evil thoughts tell me I steal ideas from other artists, then cut and paste them on the page.

But the truth is, artists have to find inspiration somewhere.

We all do it, to an extent, whether or not you realize it.

Artist A inspires Artist B who inspires Artist C who inspires Artist D. And so on.

It might not be easy to see the relationship of how Artist D was inspired by Artist A, but it might be easy to connect the dots from Artist C to Artist D.

But don’t overanalyze the creative process or you will not make ANYTHING.

I believe we were made by a creator. It’s in our DNA to create. I believe that God made us and gave us a blank canvas and all of the paint, stamps, brushes and spray cans we could ever want.

You have to start somewhere. The human hand can not make an exact copy.

I’ve tried copying Hemingway’s lack of description when writing a short story. (It still didn’t read like the works of Hemingway.) More like 99.99% me and .01% Hemingway.

I’ve tried thousands of times to copy a Jimi Hendrix lick on the guitar, but I still don’t sound exactly like Jimi. It might sound kind of like Jimi to an extent, but it’s still not the same.

The point is simple; find something you like and try to create it. Then edit. Revise. Edit again. And again.

When you think you are done, if you really want to create something special, ask others for feedback. Then edit some more. I believe it is in the editing process you give the work it’s unique voice.

We’ve been made to create. Embrace it and try to enjoy the process as much as possible.

What do you think the difference is between stealing art and being inspired by art?

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http://deuceology.wordpress.com Larry Carter

We all stand on someone’s shoulders. We may give a different take on the same issue. Or have a separate experience. Just don’t copy someone’s work.
- http://unknownjim.com/ Jim Woods
  
  Great point Larry. I couldn’t agree more!
Yvette Carol

Frankly Jim, I don’t think there’s much difference! I heard a head guy from Coca Cola speak once about how to make it big. He said, only fools try to create something original, the smart ones STEAL!
- http://unknownjim.com/ Jim Woods
  
  Haha. I think there is a difference, but often that difference is very subjective. Thanks so much for the comment!
http://KatieAxelson.com/ Katie Axelson

Great thoughts, Jim.
Artists create; it’s what we do. We find inspiration in the weirdest places and run with ideas that may or may not be our own. My question is always when does something need to be cited and when can you get away with calling it your own because the other artist was just the launch pad for the new thing you’re creating. Another artist who inspires me a lot from actually reads my work. It makes me wonder how much she sees herself in the subtext of my writing… I know it’s there but is it as obvious to everyone else?
Katie
- http://unknownjim.com/ Jim Woods
  
  Thanks Katie!! Great point!! I’m so influenced by certain others at certain times..I wonder if it is as obvious to others as it is to me too. I personally have never been as flatter as I was when someone told me a blog post I wrote inspired them to write a blog post. That was just one of the biggest honors I have ever received as a writer.
  - http://KatieAxelson.com/ Katie Axelson
    
    What’s the cliche? Imitation is the greatest form of flattery.
http://chrystalmurphy.com/ Chrystal

Ive thought this before too. There have been times that I’ve said “I saw such and such and it made me think this…” Or “I read this post and it brought this idea to mind”. And then there have been times where I honestly can’t remember who or what inspired the thought to begin. I think we have to understand that everything has an influence in who we are – things we read or watch or listen to all affect us in some way. Eventually those influences shape our own ideas. They become part of who we are. I don’t think that’s stealing – its just they way we’re wired. Of course, like Joe said, if you straight copy something it’s probably stealing.
- http://unknownjim.com/ Jim Woods
  
  Chrystal, this is fantastic! You are rocking it!!!!!!! Thanks for the comment.
http://www.jmlalonde.com Joe Lalonde

It can be a fine line between copying and inspiration. There’s been lots of blog posts and books that have inspired new blog posts. It’s when we take an idea that it’s inspiration. When we take what was written and copy it verbatim, or almost verbatim, that it’s stealing.
- http://unknownjim.com/ Jim Woods
  
  I think you are on to something Joe; but it really is subjective as to how others interpret it too isn’t it? What you may think was a post “inspired by something” others may view as something you “stole”.