Copying

Pablo Picasso once said, "It is not bad to copy others. It is necessary. But it is sad to start copying yourself."

The existence of a role model is important for everyone.
By trying to be like that person or trying to surpass them, we grow. As we copy others in this way, something like a winning pattern begins to form within us.

In his book "Thinking, Fast and Slow," Daniel Kahneman wrote that human thought consists of two systems: "System 1 (fast thinking)" and "System 2 (slow thinking)."

System 1 refers to thinking that works automatically and unconsciously. In other words, it is judgment and intuition based on experience. Its advantage is that it minimizes the load on the brain and can instantly find meaning or purpose from a given situation through associative pattern recognition.

On the other hand, System 2 is deliberate and analytical thinking. It places a heavy burden on the brain because it requires the intentional use of cognitive power and attention. However, because System 2 logically scrutinizes the judgment errors (such as cognitive biases or heuristics) of System 1 (which relies on intuition and emotion), it has the characteristic of being more likely to reach an accurate and appropriate conclusion, even though it takes time.

Picasso was born in Andalusia, Spain, in 1881 and left behind 147,800 works in his lifetime. He changed his painting style drastically many times; he painted realistically when he was young, but it was not until his mid-40s that he arrived at "Surrealism" after repeated transitions.

Picasso knew the importance of copying.
He likely did more copies than the number of works he left behind. This is supported by his statement affirming the act of copying. He must have known that copying would lead to the strengthening of his own "System 1." That must have been the source of his prolific output.

However, Picasso was likely not satisfied with just copying. That is why he said, "It is the end if you start copying yourself." I believe his repeated changes in painting style are evidence that once his System 1 reached a certain level in a field, he would shift to System 2 to create works that satisfied him, and then repeat the process by challenging himself with the System 1 of a different field.

When we were beginners, we all just imitated someone else. Those who cannot do that do not grow, and if they do not grow, they do not succeed. However, once you start earning a certain amount of money with those imitated skills, everyone finds their work suddenly becomes easier. You enter what is called a comfort zone.

Whether you are satisfied there or challenge yourself to a new "copy" is up to you.

…By the way, Picasso painted "Guernica" in 1937, when he was 56 years old. And Picasso started his career as a ceramic artist around 1947 (at age 66).