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Stop Copying. Start Creating: Reference vs Imagination

Here’s a spicy truth bomb: if you’re only painting what you see in your reference photos, your art is going to be boring AF. 

Yep, I said it. And I can say that because I’ve been there … painting cows that look like they belonged in a bad country diner just because I was so obsessed with accuracy. Black was black, white was white, and grass was green. It was technically “right”, but it was soulless. 

And that’s the problem. Reference photos are meant to inspire, not to cage you. When you copy them line-for-line, you cut out the most important ingredient in art: your voice.

Your Voice Matters More Than the Reference Photos

In this episode, I’ll show you how to break free from perfectionism and start using reference photos that way they were meant to be used …. As jumping-off points, not finish lines. You’ll get my favorite rebellious tips for loosening up and adding your own imagination, quirks, and energy into every single piece. 

Because the world doesn’t need another “correct” sunflower. It needs YOUR sunflower. The messy, magical, wild one only you can create.

Here’s what you’ll take away from this episode:

• Why copying reference photos exactly makes your art lifeless
• How to transform references into inspiration, not limitation
• Practical (and fun!) tricks and techniques to loosen up and let your imagination take over 

Until next time, y’all!

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Have a question for Jodie? Ask it here: https://forms.gle/hxrVu4oL4PVCKwZm6 

Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review so I can keep bringing peeps all the need-to-know about Honest Art®. We artists have to stick together, right? 

Interested in being a guest on a future episode of Honest Art®? Email me at amy@jodieking.com!

Resources Mentioned: 

• Honest Art Workshop: Austin, TX Oct 22-26, 2025: https://jodieking.com/honest-art-workshop-austin-october-2025 
• Honest Art Society Membership: https://www.jodiekingart.com/has 
• Color Course for Rebels: https://www.jodiekingart.com/ccfr 
• Palette Knife: https://amzn.to/46AqZe5 
• Spatula: https://amzn.to/4772ntv 

• Have a question for Jodie? Ask it here: https://forms.gle/hxrVu4oL4PVCKwZm6 
• How are you liking the Honest Art® Podcast? Leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform and let us know!    
• Watch this full episode on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMquJfuMsSg0fr46BRdia1cWd-81GThzF

Want more from Jodie?

Learn from Jodie:

🎨The Color Course for Rebels: https://www.jodiekingart.com/ccfr  

🎨Honest Art® Society: https://www.jodiekingart.com/has 

🎨Studio Elite: https://www.jodiekingart.com/studioelite  

See some of Jodie’s favorite resources:

✍🏻Check out my free guide on how to hang and wire a painting: https://www.jodiekingart.com/how-to-hang-a-painting 

✍🏻Get my top 10 studio tools here: https://www.jodiekingart.com/10-studio-tools-opt-in 

✍🏻Learn 5 things they don’t teach you in art school: https://jodieking.com/work-with-me#free-rescources.0  

✍🏻See Jodie’s favorite things: https://www.amazon.com/shop/jodie_king_ 

🧘🏼‍♀️Guided Meditation for Creative Clarity: https://www.jodiekingart.com/guided-meditation