Who would dare assign to art the sterile function of imitating nature?
One learns about painting by looking at and imitating other painters.
Men nearly always follow the tracks made by others and proceed in their affairs by imitation, even though they cannot entirely keep to the tracks of others or emulate the prowess of their models. So a prudent man should always follow in the footsteps of great men and imitate those who have been outstanding.
I have never been convinced throughout my life that one needs to be imitating others. I even tell my daughters not to look at me as a model.
The human is indissolubly linked with imitation: a human being only becomes human at all by imitating other human beings.
We simply need to believe in the power that's within us, and use it.