Inspiration knows no allegiance

When people ask me what inspired me to make a sculpture for my bike out of cardboard, I relate hearing this talk two years ago. It was the kid from the Philippines which Adam talks about, after about 6 minutes, who made me wonder whether I could make enduring works out of cardboard and epoxy resin. It was Adam's own adventures with the closet spaceship and the cardboard man that got me to try it.

Right now, as I'm making my first piece of 2D art in fifteen years, I'm thinking about his commentary on pop culture as inspiration. My current piece is fan art, which to some people makes it somehow not "real" art, not original enough to be valid. Adam says bullcrap, and I need to have the courage to say the same. Other people have created breathtaking fan art that I have admired, and I can work on the same level -- so maybe it's time to take "fan art", along with "fanfic", and stop saying it's somehow of a different quality than that which isn't inspired by existing works. Of a different origin, sure, but not any less valuable for that.

Adam Savage's Maker Faire 2012 Talk: Why We Make