A good composer does not imitate; he steals, Igor Stravinskysupposedly said.
Faulkner allegedly phrased it as Immature artists copy, great artists steal.
Steve Jobs put itmost simply: Good artists copy, great artists steal.
The saying regularly inspires artists, thinkers, and dorm-room poster designers.
But in practical terms, what does it mean?
There are some definitely wrong interpretations.
Steal here doesnt mean plagiarize; that doesnt turn anyone into a great artist.
It explicitly doesnt mean copy.
One is imitation, the other is inspiration.
The difference, Kurtz says, is intent.
Imitation is laziness or refusal to accept your influences.
Artists may recontextualize, remix, substitute, or otherwise mashup existing work to create something new.
Sometimes its as simple as calling something art (
Duchamps Fountain
being the sort of ultimate example).
So what makes this stealing?
You own that idea now.
So youve stolen it!
Heres a famous example.
InMacbeth, a ghost prophecies that Macbeth shall never vanquished be until the very forest marches on his castle.
But then the English army marches on the castle holding branches from the forest, and Macbeth is vanquished.
Tolkien has such bitter disappointment and disgust at this shabby use that, as hetold the poet W.H.
He stole like an artist.
or What if we expressed simmering racial tension through the medium of dance?
So choose the grandest or most compelling source you might.
You want to commit a grand heist, not a mugging.
Theres a difference between inspiration and imitation, but also between inspiration and best practices.
Thats just what art is.
Young creatives often feel pressured to invent something entirely new.
But theres a reason most people dont want to watch a students experimental film.
Before Picasso could use cubism to show multiple perspectives at once, first he had to learn traditional perspective.
Learning and using traditional methods isnt lazy, its necessary if you want to build your own ideas.
Be Ethical
Theres honor among metaphorical thieves.
If youre consistently inspired by the work of another culture, ensure you draw attention to the original works.
If youre just watering down someone elses culture so a mainstream audience will accept it, thats appropriation.
If youre ever worried about revealing your influences, thats a danger sign.
Conversely, believing that great artists steal does not at all mean you cant stand up for your rights.
Artists, says Kurtz, all understand the challenges that other creatives face.
So I cant understand why anyone would deliberately hurt another creative.
So always remember: Great artists steal, but bad artists copy.
