--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You've got to be able to copy things…" description: "\"You've got to be able to copy things faithfully before you can deviate.\" — Damien Hirst" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e2/damien-hirst-3219_able_you-ve-got-to-be-able-to-copy-things-fai_371082.jpg" --- # You've got to be able to copy things faithfully before you… ![“You've got to be able to copy things faithfully before you can deviate.” quote by Damien Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e2/damien-hirst-3219_able_you-ve-got-to-be-able-to-copy-things-fai_371082.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e2/damien-hirst-3219_able_you-ve-got-to-be-able-to-copy-things-fai_371082.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e2/damien-hirst-3219_able_you-ve-got-to-be-able-to-copy-things-fai_371082.jpg) > “You've got to be able to copy things faithfully before you can deviate.” [Damien Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-hirst/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Mastery of imitation is a prerequisite for meaningful innovation. **In simple terms:** Copy before you deviate. Key Takeaway Learn fundamentals before experimenting. Themes creativity skill development originality Mood inspirational cautious Type educational philosophical When to use this quote - learning a new instrument - software programming - culinary arts - painting techniques Key Concepts art theory learning theory innovation Questions to Reflect On - What skills must you master first? - How can you balance copying and originality? A Different Perspective Copying can stifle spontaneity if overemphasized. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) ## Related quotes > [None of my films are comparable to anybody else's. So many years after I made them, nobody's been able to copy them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-morrissey/none-of-my-films-are-comparable-to-anybody-else-s-so-many-years-after/) [Paul Morrissey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-morrissey/) > [True piety admits no other rule than that whatsoever things have been faithfully received from our fathers the same are to be faithfully consigned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-of-lerins/true-piety-admits-no-other-rule-than-that-whatsoever-things-have-been/) [Vincent of Lerins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-of-lerins/) > [If you look at items of clothing like denim or polo shirts, they came from someone else's idea and everyone now makes them, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiroshi-fujiwara/if-you-look-at-items-of-clothing-like-denim-or-polo-shirts-they-came/) [Hiroshi Fujiwara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiroshi-fujiwara/) > [If you want to write good copy, you must be where the things are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-want-to-write-good-copy-you-must-be-where-the-things-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We all are influenced by things and copy things, but often where there is a certain level of copying, only the surface value ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-fulford/we-all-are-influenced-by-things-and-copy-things-but-often-where-there/) Jason Fulford > [I never liked to copy things that are out there. I always like to come up with something new, something different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-robinson/i-never-liked-to-copy-things-that-are-out-there-i-always-like-to-come/) [Sylvia Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-robinson/) > [Sometimes a noble failure serves the world as faithfully as does a distinguished success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-dowden/sometimes-a-noble-failure-serves-the-world-as-faithfully-as-does-a/) [Edward Dowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-dowden/) > [When you faithfully follow the three duties of a Christian, God rewards you openly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jentezen-franklin/when-you-faithfully-follow-the-three-duties-of-a-christian-god/) [Jentezen Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jentezen-franklin/) > [“It takes the trust of God for things that exist, to wait on him for the evidence of things that do not exist. Faith…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/it-takes-the-trust-of-god-for-things-that-exist-to-wait-on-him-for/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [“Contrary to popular opinion, leadership is not a reserved position for a particular group of people who were elected or appointed, ordained or enthroned.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/contrary-to-popular-opinion-leadership-is-not-a-reserved-position-for/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [Since the model he so faithfully copies is not going to be hung up next to the picture... it is of no interest whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucian-freud/since-the-model-he-so-faithfully-copies-is-not-going-to-be-hung-up/) [Lucian Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucian-freud/) > [Be strong. Live the gospel faithfully even if others around you don’t live it at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/be-strong-live-the-gospel-faithfully-even-if-others-around-you-don-t/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Love me faithfully forever, and I will be forever faithful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-me-faithfully-forever-and-i-will-be-forever-faithful/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Keep good company, read good books, love good things and cultivate soul and body as faithfully as you can](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/keep-good-company-read-good-books-love-good-things-and-cultivate-soul/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > ['Faithfully' speaks to me. It's about a guy who's busy with his work, always on the road, but I'm still completely into you. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myles-garrett/faithfully-speaks-to-me-it-s-about-a-guy-who-s-busy-with-his-work/) [Myles Garrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myles-garrett/) ## More by Damien Hirst > [I always look at money not as a motivating factor but as an element in the composition. You can't ignore it, but you've got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-hirst/i-always-look-at-money-not-as-a-motivating-factor-but-as-an-element/) [Damien Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-hirst/) > [Art goes on in your head. If you said something interesting, that might be a title for a work of art and I'd write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-hirst/art-goes-on-in-your-head-if-you-said-something-interesting-that-might/) [Damien Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-hirst/) > [Even as a kid in drawing class, I had real ambition. I wanted to be the best in the class, but there was always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-hirst/even-as-a-kid-in-drawing-class-i-had-real-ambition-i-wanted-to-be-the/) [Damien Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-hirst/) > [Since I was a child, death is definitely something that I think about every day. But I think that everybody does. You try and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-hirst/since-i-was-a-child-death-is-definitely-something-that-i-think-about/) [Damien Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-hirst/) > [But I think it's more that when you're young, you're invincible, you're immortal - or at least you think you are. The possibilities are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-hirst/but-i-think-it-s-more-that-when-you-re-young-you-re-invincible-you-re/) [Damien Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-hirst/) > [Museums are for dead artists. I'd never show my work in the Tate. You'd never get me in that place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-hirst/museums-are-for-dead-artists-i-d-never-show-my-work-in-the-tate-you-d/) [Damien Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-hirst/) > [No, I don't believe in genius. I believe in freedom. I think anyone can do it. Anyone can be like Rembrandt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-hirst/no-i-don-t-believe-in-genius-i-believe-in-freedom-i-think-anyone-can/) [Damien Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-hirst/) > [Never let money get in the way of an idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-hirst/never-let-money-get-in-the-way-of-an-idea/) [Damien Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-hirst/) > [I did a butterfly show in Berlin, and we had a guy who's an expert on butterflies; who bred them all and who looks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-hirst/i-did-a-butterfly-show-in-berlin-and-we-had-a-guy-who-s-an-expert-on/) [Damien Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-hirst/) > [There's no possible way you can get what you want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-hirst/there-s-no-possible-way-you-can-get-what-you-want/) [Damien Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-hirst/) > [I believe all painting and art should be uplifting for the viewer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-hirst/i-believe-all-painting-and-art-should-be-uplifting-for-the-viewer/) [Damien Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-hirst/) > [If the choice is between buying another building or a Pollock, I'd go for the Pollock every time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-hirst/if-the-choice-is-between-buying-another-building-or-a-pollock-i-d-go/) [Damien Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-hirst/) > [Picasso, Michelangelo, possibly, might be verging on genius, but I don't think a painter like Rembrandt is a genius.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-hirst/picasso-michelangelo-possibly-might-be-verging-on-genius-but-i-don-t/) [Damien Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-hirst/) > [Making art, good art, is always a struggle. It can make you happy when you pull it off. There's no better feeling. It's beauteous.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-hirst/making-art-good-art-is-always-a-struggle-it-can-make-you-happy-when/) [Damien Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-hirst/) > [So smoking is the perfect way to commit suicide without actually dying. I smoke because it's bad, it's really simple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-hirst/so-smoking-is-the-perfect-way-to-commit-suicide-without-actually/) [Damien Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-hirst/) [Explore all 136 Damien Hirst quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-hirst/) ## More Able quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [In the '80s, the way radio was programmed, if you didn't have a hit record you weren't going to be able to make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-lewis/in-the-80s-the-way-radio-was-programmed-if-you-didn-t-have-a-hit/) [Huey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-lewis/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/) [Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/) > [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) Greg Perry > [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-don-t-know-if-i-would-qualify-as-mainstream-i-think-i-have-managed/) [Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [- You look fine. - Right. I look fine. Except I don't, said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. This was why Kiki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-look-fine-right-i-look-fine-except-i-don-t-said-zora-tugging/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/) [Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/) Browse all 17,257 Able quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You've got to be able to copy things faithfully before you can deviate.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Damien Hirst" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-hirst/you-ve-got-to-be-able-to-copy-things-faithfully-before-you-can-deviate/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Able" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-hirst/you-ve-got-to-be-able-to-copy-things-faithfully-before-you-can-deviate/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e2/damien-hirst-3219_able_you-ve-got-to-be-able-to-copy-things-fai_371082.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e2/damien-hirst-3219_able_you-ve-got-to-be-able-to-copy-things-fai_371082.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e2/damien-hirst-3219_able_you-ve-got-to-be-able-to-copy-things-fai_371082.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You've got to be able to copy things faithfully before you can deviate.” — Damien Hirst", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Damien Hirst", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-hirst/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You've got to be able to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-hirst/you-ve-got-to-be-able-to-copy-things-faithfully-before-you-can-deviate/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-hirst/you-ve-got-to-be-able-to-copy-things-faithfully-before-you-can-deviate/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```