Art is built on inspiration. Even the greatest masters borrowed from the artists before them. The trick is knowing how to take influence without replicating.
🤍 Inspiration = Seeing an artist’s work and thinking, “I love how they use colour. How can I explore a similar palette in my own way?”
🤍 Copying = Recreating someone’s work stroke-for-stroke, detail-for-detail, and calling it your own.
💡 A good rule of thumb: If your artwork could be mistaken for someone else’s, it’s time to push it further into your style. But finding inspiration without copying can be tricky sometimes, especially if you’re still trying to develop your own style.
Let’s be honest—social media is full of art that looks the same. It’s easy to get caught in an endless scroll, seeing similar styles over and over. If you want truly original inspiration, step outside the usual sources.
🌿 Nature & everyday life – Colours, textures, patterns—they’re everywhere if you pay attention. Even the way light hits a leaf or how rain distorts reflections can be a jumping-off point.
📖 Art history – Look beyond contemporary artists! Study Renaissance painters, Indigenous art, ancient cave paintings, or Art Nouveau posters—inspiration from the past helps break the cycle of modern trends.
🎭 Other creative fields – Music, poetry, dance, film, architecture… inspiration isn’t just visual. A melody can inspire a colour scheme, a poem can spark a composition idea.
🌏 Travel & culture – Even if you don’t leave your city, exploring different cultural traditions, folklore, and crafts can lead to fresh ideas.
📷 Your own life – Personal experiences, emotions, memories—these are the most unique sources of inspirationbecause they belong to you alone.
References are essential, especially when drawing from life. But the key is to transform them rather than just replicate them. That way you can entangle your own unique style into the finished piece!
When it comes to using references for your art, you may also be worried about copyright infringement. -a very good reason to alter your references! If you’re a pintrest junkie like me, you might be interested to know that most of the photos on pintrest are protected by copyright law.
So, how can you actually use a reference image?…
🖼 Use multiple references – Instead of copying a single image, gather 5-10 references and combine elements. For example, take the pose from one, the lighting from another, and the textures from a third.
✏ Change the composition – Flip it, crop it, zoom in on a detail, or rearrange the elements in a completely new way.
🎨 Mix it with your own ideas – If you’re using a reference for an animal, can you place it in an imagined setting? Add your own twist? Change the mood?
🚀 Use it as a learning tool, not a final piece – It’s fine to copy a reference for practice, but when creating a finished piece, make sure your voice comes through.
💡 Remember: References should inspire, not dictate. The goal is to learn from them, not rely on them.
The most exciting part of being an artist? Your unique perspective. No one else sees the world exactly like you do, and that’s where your originality comes from.
🖌 Experiment with different mediums & techniques – Try new brushes, different papers, mix media, or push your style in a new direction.
🎭 Ask yourself: what do I want to say? – Instead of just making “pretty art,” ask:
🎨 Look for recurring themes in your work – Are you drawn to certain colours, textures, or compositions?Noticing these patterns helps define your signature style.
✍ Keep a creative journal – Sketch, write, make lists of ideas. Sometimes your best ideas come when you’re notactively making art.
💡 The goal isn’t to be different for the sake of it. The goal is to make art that feels true to you—something that only you could have created.
It’s completely natural to absorb elements of the art we admire—our brains are wired to learn through imitation. But psychology also tells us that true creativity happens when we make connections between seemingly unrelated ideas(Csikszentmihalyi, 1996).
🧠 Studies on neuroplasticity show that when we expose ourselves to a variety of influences, our brain forms new connections—this is where true originality is born (Fields, 2008).
📌 Takeaway: The broader your influences, the more original your work will become. Don’t just look at artists in your niche—pull from unexpected sources!
💡 Your style is always evolving – Don’t stress about finding a “perfect style.” Every artist grows and changes, and that’s a good thing.
🌱 Inspiration comes in waves – Some days you’ll feel full of ideas, other days you won’t. That’s normal. Creativity isn’t constant—it ebbs and flows.
🚀 The more you create, the more original you become– The best way to avoid copying? Make more art. The more you create, the more your unique style naturally develops.
Finding your artistic voice takes time, but the key is to keep creating, keep exploring, and trust your instincts. Don’t be afraid to experiment, make mistakes, and remix influences—that’s how originality happens!
So, go get creating friend! 😊🎨✨ If you want some tips for ‘getting in the zone’, check out my article on the psychology of artistic flow.
Keep an eye on the blog for more posts on art techniques, history, and inspiration to help you keep evolving as an artist 🤍
☼ Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1996). Creativity: Flow and the psychology of discovery and invention. HarperCollins.
☼ Fields, R. D. (2008). White matter in learning, cognition, and psychiatric disorders. Trends in Neurosciences, 31(7), 361-370.
☼ Zeki, S. (1999). Inner vision: An exploration of art and the brain. Oxford University Press.
☼ How do I find inspiration without copying?
☼ What’s the difference between inspiration and imitation?
☼ Where can I find fresh artistic ideas?
☼ How can I use references ethically?
☼ How do I develop my own unique artistic voice?
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hi, i’m sarah, an australian artist head-over-heels for watercolour & creative practice- it truely is good for your soul.
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i am completely self-taught in all the mediums i use & i am here to share everything i know with you!
i write about all things creativity, watercolour, gouache, hand-made ceramics, collecting art, & my own artistic process. I have degrees in human psychology & veterinary medicine- so you might find some sporadic related facts in my writing.
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