You read the title and thought I was talking smack. But in fact, I’m trying to give advice.
The history of the world is one of shared spaces, shared food, shared water, shared DNA, shared lives. The history of art is the same. It is a history of an evolution of ideas, of appropriation and application. Therefore, if you’re looking for inspiration, look no further than 1. inside you; and then 2. to other art work that fuels your soul. Apply your own story to what you see. Make it relevant, make it yours. Remix it all and you’re underway. Filmmaker Jim Jarmusch says it best:
“Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable; originality is nonexistent.”
The above image plus the reminder that all of life is a collage, via the uber talented Austin Kleon.
I don’t really hate to believe this as a photographer. All work is influenced somehow, someway and rotates in a cycle. This is true for all forms of art, or “art”. Take fashion. Pieces of fashion keep “coming back” (of course way more quickly than “real” art). It’s human nature and very hard to avoid. If an earning professional didn’t steal, or use the fancy word, “was influenced by ______”, they would be exactly the opposite, a low-life-granola-unique-free-to-be-you-and-me “artist” (ahem…Pardon my quotations, hehe)
The eighth commandment should be inserted in that quote
Lazy non-innovative people steal
your inspration shouldn’t come from what you’ve seen
but rather from what you you’ve never seen
Beautifully put my friend I love it…
This is so true. People “steal” ideas from each other alllll the time then act like it was their own original idea. There’s nothing wrong with getting inspiration from other’s work, just as long as you’re not a complete copycat.