Over the past few weeks, the same topic keeps resurfacing amongst my circle of artist friend -- copying. Certainly not a new subject, but I'm slightly embarrassed to admit, not one I've given much thought to until about a year ago. Fellow artist and art blogger bianca bello made a very valid point recently that most every artist at some point has copied another. It is part of a natural process of finding and developing your own voice and path as an individual creative. In most art schools and universities this is even a common exercise, to copy the style of another artist. In an effort to learn from it and to see how the artists' techniques were achieved.

I unfortunately feel that the innocence of this common practice has taken a disturbing turn for the worse since the birth of social media. One needs only to peruse the feeds of instagram to get the feeling they are seeing the same artist over and over -- originality has become a scarcity. It certainly saddens me to see how social media has begun to dilute the art world, stealing away the most essential thing for an artist -- their originality. I will concede the subject seems quite simple. In fact, it is very complicated with many shades of gray. I also certainly do not know how to stop or influence this modern day issue. Other than push oneself, stay true to your vision, and continue to try to create work that is as original as you are.

"...Follow your own private muse. The key is to reveal our quirks and flaws, not to hide them, and to listen to the inner self, the voice inside." —sol lewitt