imitation

Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable; originality is non-existent. And don__ bother concealing your thievery - celebrate it if you feel like it. In any case, always remember what Jean-Luc Godard said: __t__ not where you take things from - it__ where you take them to." #53 - Winter, January 22, 2004 ]

To be as good as our fathers we must be better, imitation is not discipleship.

Above all things -- read. Read the great stylists who cannot be copied rather than the successful writers who must not be copied.

Nice is a city of ghosts and specters, but I hope not to become one of them right away.

But once an original book has been written-and no more than one or two appear in a century-men of letters imitate it, in other words, they copy it so that hundreds of thousands of books are published on exactly the same theme, with slightly different titles and modified phraseology. This should be able to be achieved by apes, who are essentially imitators, provided, of course, that they are able to make use of language.

Almost all absurdity of conduct arises from the imitation of those whom we cannot resemble.

He who imitates what is evil always goes beyond the example that is set on the contrary he who imitates what is good always falls short.

Most people go on living their everyday life: frightened half indifferent they behold the ghostly tragi-comedy that has been performed on the international stage before the eyes and ears of the world.

Every man is a borrower and a mimic life is theatrical and literature a quotation.

Agesilaus the Spartan king was once invited to hear a mimic imitate the nightingale but declined with the comment that he had heard the nightingale itself.

There is a difference between imitating a good man and counterfeiting him.

A good imitation is the most perfect originality.

We are in truth more than a half of what we are by imitation.

The crow that mimics a cormorant gets drowned.

We do not imitate but are a model to others.

Immature poets imitate: mature poets steal.

It is impossible to imitate Voltaire without being Voltaire.

When people are free to do as they please they usually imitate each other.