Why You Should Steal Ideas
From Other Artists.

Despite saying steal ideas, I'm not trying to sweet-talk you into a life of crime.

But I am suggesting – no, let me rephrase that, I am strongly advocating that you follow an art tradition that is centuries old.

Learn by imitation.

When you were a baby, you learned to walk by observing people around you and imitating their movements. You learned to talk by listening to the sounds coming from your parents, imitating those sounds (often at high decibel) and gradually learning to arrange those sounds into words.

The same is true of art. No one learns in a vacuum. You aren't endowed with inherent knowledge of how to express yourself artistically.

You learn by seeing what other artists have accomplished. You feel drawn to certain creative ideas or ways of working and you steal those ideas and try them on for size.

Sometimes they stick. Sometimes they lose their appeal and are discarded.

Either way, this process of stealing ideas that appeal, filtering them through your own feelings and tastes and keeping what works, helps you develop your creativity and your own unique style.

Believe me, I am not the only one who promotes this thievery.

I recently finished reading On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Steven King, where he relates his early struggles before becoming the massively successful writer he is today.

He also gives advice to those who are or want to be writers.

The opening sentence of one paragraph in particular struck me, because if you substitute the word "artist" for the word "writer", his advice pertains to every aspiring artist, as well.

"Stylistic imitation is ….. a perfectly honorable way to get started as a writer (and impossible to avoid, really; some sort of imitation marks each new stage of a writer's development)…"

His observation probably pertains to almost everyone in the arts: singers, dancers, movie makers and poets included. We all steal ideas from each other.

In fact, King echoes the advice of noted oil painter, Richard Schmid, in his book Alla Prima – Everything I Know About Painting.

"Without mindless imitation, don't be shy about stealing good ideas. All artists have done that. It is why we have a vast body of cumulative knowledge from which to draw. Plagiarism is passing off someone's works as yours, but learning from their knowledge is an extension of their achievement. The caveat is that if you wish to study the works of another artist, make sure that he or she is competent."

So, let me encourage you to go forth and steal ideas.

Study the work of other artists and imitate what appeals to you. Your creativity can only grow from the experience.

And to promote your new life of crime, let me point you to the work of two very different artists, Joseph Zbukvic ( www.jzbukvic.com) and Sheila Evans (www.sheilaevans.net), to see if you find anything worth filching.

And when you are done with Joseph and Sheila, feast your eyes on the art of some Hall of Fame illustrators in the Articles section of Art Tips and Articles. Start with Robert Heindel and follow the links to the rest of their glorious work.

Believe me, you're gonna need a truck to carry away all you can learn from them.

Best Wishes,

Gary Gumble
Founder of www.beginningartist.com

Without art the crudeness of reality would make the world unbearable. (George Bernhard Shaw)

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