If you want to do art, you have got to copy other artists.
A painter knows this.
- For a painter spends years copying the techniques of the greats that came before them, before they find their own.
A photographer knows this.
- Because they start out in awe trying to duplicate images and lighting techniques they have seen before.
A writer knows this.
- As every writer starts out by reading the classics, and at some point says: “I bet I can do this.”
Quit mentally adding an invisible mystery to all creative work. It’s not there.
“Recipes are how we learn all the rules, and cooking is knowing how to break them to suit our tastes or preferences. Following a recipe is like playing scales, and cooking is jazz.”
–Shauna Niequist, Bread And Wine