--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The reason to copy your heroes and their…" description: "\"“The reason to copy your heroes and their style is so that you might somehow get a glimpse into their minds. That's what you really want - to internali..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ca/austin-kleon-1835_mimic_the-reason-to-copy-your-heroes-and-their_259715.png" --- # The reason to copy your heroes and their style is so that… ![“The reason to copy your heroes and their style is so that you might somehow get a glimpse into their minds. That's what you really want - to internalize their way of looking at the wold. If you just mimic the surface of somebody's work without understanding where they are coming from, your work…” quote by Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ca/austin-kleon-1835_mimic_the-reason-to-copy-your-heroes-and-their_259715.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ca/austin-kleon-1835_mimic_the-reason-to-copy-your-heroes-and-their_259715.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ca/austin-kleon-1835_mimic_the-reason-to-copy-your-heroes-and-their_259715.png) > ““The reason to copy your heroes and their style is so that you might somehow get a glimpse into their minds. That's what you really want - to internalize their way of looking at the wold. If you just mimic the surface of somebody's work without understanding where they are coming from, your work will never be anything more that a knockoff.”” [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Copying a hero’s style helps you understand their mindset, but superficial mimicry yields only knockoffs. **In simple terms:** Imitate to learn, not just copy. Key Takeaway Seek depth, not imitation. Themes creativity learning authenticity Mood inspired reflective Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - art practice - writing - design - skill development Key Concepts mindset modeling originality Questions to Reflect On - How can you move from imitation to internalization? - What deeper aspects of a hero’s process can you adopt? A Different Perspective Surface copying lacks insight and originality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) ## Related quotes > [“If you just mimic the surface of somebody’s work without understanding where they are coming from, your work will never be anything more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/if-you-just-mimic-the-surface-of-somebody-s-work-without/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [“They’re never human, Lieutenant. They just mimic us to get what they want.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bishop/they-re-never-human-lieutenant-they-just-mimic-us-to-get-what-they/) [Anne Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bishop/) > [“A wonderful flaw about human beings is that we’re incapable of making perfect copies. Our failure to copy our heroes is where we discover…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/a-wonderful-flaw-about-human-beings-is-that-we-re-incapable-of-making/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [“Our failure to copy our heroes is where we discover where our own thing lives. That is how we evolve.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/our-failure-to-copy-our-heroes-is-where-we-discover-where-our-own/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [I used to play around and sing Randy Travis for my dad. I'd always be able to just mimic things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-dorff/i-used-to-play-around-and-sing-randy-travis-for-my-dad-i-d-always-be/) [Stephen Dorff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dorff/) > [I'm not against the technology at all, I just don't like to use it if it's just to mimic what you can do with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-gondry/i-m-not-against-the-technology-at-all-i-just-don-t-like-to-use-it-if/) [Michel Gondry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-gondry/) > [Prada makes really nice bags and then somebody in China makes knockoffs. This is the knockoff version of the mutant world. You have Weapon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-miller/prada-makes-really-nice-bags-and-then-somebody-in-china-makes/) [Timothy Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-miller/) > [I read a lot of scripts and so many are clearly a knockoff of one familiar genre or another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/i-read-a-lot-of-scripts-and-so-many-are-clearly-a-knockoff-of-one/) [Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/) > [A knockoff is not as easy to spot when it comes to love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-jessica-parker/a-knockoff-is-not-as-easy-to-spot-when-it-comes-to-love/) [Sarah Jessica Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-jessica-parker/) > [“Plus, if you’re a copycat, you can never keep up. You’re always in a passive position. You never lead; you always follow. You give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-fried/plus-if-you-re-a-copycat-you-can-never-keep-up-you-re-always-in-a/) [Jason Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-fried/) > [When a well-known creative person such as me is perceived to have created a knockoff of my own previous work, such a perception is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bass/when-a-well-known-creative-person-such-as-me-is-perceived-to-have/) [Saul Bass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bass/) > ['Pong' is simply a knockoff of the Odyssey Ping-Pong game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-h-baer/pong-is-simply-a-knockoff-of-the-odyssey-ping-pong-game/) [Ralph H. Baer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-h-baer/) > [“AI art is just fancy knockoff.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/ai-art-is-just-fancy-knockoff/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“the other kids at school got brands, Nike and Adidas. I never got brands. One time I asked my mom for Adidas sneakers. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-noah/the-other-kids-at-school-got-brands-nike-and-adidas-i-never-got/) [Trevor Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-noah/) > [No matter what Kobe or LeBron do, we've already seen some form of it in Michael Jordan. Everyone else is a knockoff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-clark/no-matter-what-kobe-or-lebron-do-we-ve-already-seen-some-form-of-it/) [Ryan Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-clark/) ## More by Austin Kleon > [“The thing is, you can cut off a couple passions and only focus on one, but after a while, you’ll start to feel phantom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/the-thing-is-you-can-cut-off-a-couple-passions-and-only-focus-on-one/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [Don't think of your website as a self-promotion machine, think of it as a self-invention machine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/don-t-think-of-your-website-as-a-self-promotion-machine-think-of-it/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [“We want you to take from us. We want you, at first, to steal from us, because you can’t steal. You will take what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/we-want-you-to-take-from-us-we-want-you-at-first-to-steal-from-us/) [austin kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [“Validation is for parking.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/validation-is-for-parking/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [“If you want fans, you have to be a fan first. If you want to be accepted by a community, you have to first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/if-you-want-fans-you-have-to-be-a-fan-first-if-you-want-to-be/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [“Social media sites are the perfect place to share daily updates. Don’t worry about being on every platform; pick and choose based on what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/social-media-sites-are-the-perfect-place-to-share-daily-updates-don-t/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [“Writing a page a day doesn't seem like much, but do it for 365 days and you have enough to fill a novel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/writing-a-page-a-day-doesn-t-seem-like-much-but-do-it-for-365-days/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [Be boring. (It’s the only way to get work done.)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/be-boring-it-s-the-only-way-to-get-work-done/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [It sounds a little extreme, but in this day and age, if your work isn't online, it doesn't exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/it-sounds-a-little-extreme-but-in-this-day-and-age-if-your-work-isn-t/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [“Don't wait until you know who you are to get started. If I'd waited to know who I was or what I was about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/don-t-wait-until-you-know-who-you-are-to-get-started-if-i-d-waited-to/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [Your brain gets too comfortable in your everyday surroundings. You need to make it uncomfortable. You need to spend some time in another land,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/your-brain-gets-too-comfortable-in-your-everyday-surroundings-you/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [Nothing is more paralyzing than the idea of limitless possibilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/nothing-is-more-paralyzing-than-the-idea-of-limitless-possibilities/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [“Whenever Picasso learned how to do something, he abandoned it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/whenever-picasso-learned-how-to-do-something-he-abandoned-it/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [“The writer Jonathan Lethem has said that when people call something “original,” nine out of ten times they just don’t know the references or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/the-writer-jonathan-lethem-has-said-that-when-people-call-something/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [“Stock and flow” is an economic concept that writer Robin Sloan has adapted into a metaphor for media: “Flow is the feed. It’s the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/stock-and-flow-is-an-economic-concept-that-writer-robin-sloan-has/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) [Explore all 204 Austin Kleon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) ## More Mimic quotes > [You try to go with something that's familiar to people and that way they can jump on board with what you're trying to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenan-thompson/you-try-to-go-with-something-that-s-familiar-to-people-and-that-way/) [Kenan Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenan-thompson/) > [People are confusing me with a good actor when I'm just a good mimic. When someone asks me to play a nun from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jemima-kirke/people-are-confusing-me-with-a-good-actor-when-i-m-just-a-good-mimic/) [Jemima Kirke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jemima-kirke/) > [I got through with my ability to mimic others and make people laugh. I swaggered through life, but, in reality, I lived in fear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paddy-considine/i-got-through-with-my-ability-to-mimic-others-and-make-people-laugh-i/) [Paddy Considine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paddy-considine/) > [“Everybody has a little bit of the sun and moon in them. Everybody has a little bit of man, woman, and animal in them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/everybody-has-a-little-bit-of-the-sun-and-moon-in-them-everybody-has-2/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [“~Never mimic. Be true to yourself. Never give up on your dreams or your heart.~”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-r-cone/never-mimic-be-true-to-yourself-never-give-up-on-your-dreams-or-your/) Sheila R. Cone > [I'm a huge mimic. That's how I learned to sing. I listened to a lot of Freddy Mercury, obviously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-martel/i-m-a-huge-mimic-that-s-how-i-learned-to-sing-i-listened-to-a-lot-of/) [Marc Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-martel/) > [Yoga is the most boring exercise. It's for people who are too lazy to get on the elliptical. Bikram, where they heat up the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noureen-dewulf/yoga-is-the-most-boring-exercise-it-s-for-people-who-are-too-lazy-to/) [Noureen DeWulf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noureen-dewulf/) > [“The Board would like to come back and see you tomorrow, Ariana,' she mimicked. 'Any more questions?' 'Yes,' she answered in the Warden's Irish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-merle/the-board-would-like-to-come-back-and-see-you-tomorrow-ariana-she/) [Claire Merle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-merle/) > [I like to mimic accents. I don't even know if that's a talent. That's just a weird thing that I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alessia-cara/i-like-to-mimic-accents-i-don-t-even-know-if-that-s-a-talent-that-s/) [Alessia Cara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alessia-cara/) > [I can hear someone's voice once, and I can pretty much mimic them. Not to make fun, but I can do an impression of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittany-snow/i-can-hear-someone-s-voice-once-and-i-can-pretty-much-mimic-them-not/) [Brittany Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittany-snow/) > [There's never been a conscious decision to sound like anybody else. I can't mimic, I don't have that ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kk/there-s-never-been-a-conscious-decision-to-sound-like-anybody-else-i/) KK > [TV is all about learning to write in someone else's voice, so if you do it long enough without selling your own project, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-hawley/tv-is-all-about-learning-to-write-in-someone-else-s-voice-so-if-you/) [Noah Hawley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-hawley/) > [Only Russ Tamblyn is Russ Tamblyn. I can't try to emulate or mimic what he does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-faist/only-russ-tamblyn-is-russ-tamblyn-i-can-t-try-to-emulate-or-mimic/) [Mike Faist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-faist/) > [You can't mimic my life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z-2/you-can-t-mimic-my-life/) [Jay Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z-2/) > [And what do automobile companies do? They see something that's taking off and they want to mimic it, don't they?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-panoz/and-what-do-automobile-companies-do-they-see-something-that-s-taking/) Don Panoz Browse all 61 Mimic quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The reason to copy your heroes and their style is so that you might somehow get a glimpse into their minds. That's what you really want - to internalize their way of looking at the wold. 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