November 7, 2024

When you’re standing in front of a blank canvas, brush in hand, there’s no room for hesitation. The creative impulse takes over, and you don’t stop to consider whether your painting might be too "contrived," too "pastiche," or even "derivative." In that moment, these terms hold no weight. The act of painting is a deeply personal, spontaneous experience—one that transcends intellectual critique. It's only after the paint has dried, the strokes have settled, and the work is complete that the artist steps back and asks, “What have I created?”

Let's explore this process of artistic creation—how it unfolds naturally, without the burden of self-consciousness or the worry about external labels. Let's look at what it means to avoid being contrived, pastiche, or derivative in a work of art—and why, during the act of painting, these considerations should never be your focus.

Struggle Against Contrivance

To be contrived is to create something that feels unnatural, forced, or artificially constructed. It suggests that the work was crafted with too much awareness of the viewer's expectations, rather than a genuine artistic impulse. An artist who paints with contrivance risks making decisions that feel mechanical, lacking in authenticity.

But this is not something an artist can think about while they’re in the midst of creating. The creative process is messy, chaotic, and intuitive. It’s about following an instinct, exploring shapes, colors, and textures. A painting often doesn’t emerge with a clear, preconceived design. Instead, it evolves over time, with one layer feeding into another, sometimes leading to unexpected results.

If you think about whether your work is contrived while you’re painting, you risk stifling your own creativity. It’s only after the fact that you can step back and see if the work feels forced or contrived. If it does, you might choose to edit, rework, or abandon it. But during the process, the most important thing is to trust your instincts and let the paint flow where it wants to go.

Danger of Pastiche

A pastiche is a work of art that imitates or pays homage to the style of another artist or period, often in a way that feels superficial or insincere. It's an exercise in mimicry rather than originality. While there’s nothing wrong with drawing inspiration from the past—many great artists have built upon the works of those who came before them—a pastiche doesn’t innovate. It repeats.

When you're painting, the goal isn’t to replicate what’s already been done. If you start thinking about whether your work looks like someone else's, whether it's echoing the brushstrokes of Van Gogh or the light of Vermeer, you’re already stepping away from your own creative voice. It’s tempting to look at famous works and think, “I want to paint like that," but in doing so, you may inadvertently suppress the unique qualities that you, as an artist, bring to the table.

It’s only after completing a painting that you can assess whether it feels derivative or too heavily influenced by another's style. But the crucial point is that the act of creation must remain personal, unburdened by the shadow of others' successes. The most rewarding paintings are those that emerge from within, shaped by your own inner vision, not the pressure to mimic or copy.

Derivative Art: When Influence Becomes Imitation

Derivative work, much like pastiche, is a form of art that takes inspiration from something already established—except here the line between influence and imitation is often much thinner. A derivative painting may be directly inspired by another artist, a trend, or a historical movement, but it fails to offer something new, leaving the viewer with a sense of déjà vu.

As an artist, you’re not thinking about being "derivative" while you're working. You're thinking about how the colors mix, how the composition balances, how the shapes and shadows interact. You’re thinking about the emotional resonance of the piece, not about how many other works it might resemble. A great painting, however, should be able to stand on its own merit. It may echo certain traditions, but it should speak with its own voice, born out of the artist's unique perspective.

In the creative moment, the artist is free to explore whatever ideas or techniques they’re drawn to, without fear of being "derivative." The act of creation should never be about avoiding being too much like someone else. It's only in hindsight that you can consider whether your influences have turned into something fresh or have led you into familiar territory. But ultimately, the goal is to create something that feels like your expression—not just a rehash of what’s come before.

Trust the Process, Not the Criticism

Ultimately, the key to successful painting—and to authentic artistic expression—is to not worry about whether your work might be contrived, pastiche, or derivative while you're actually creating it. These considerations belong to a different stage of the process: the post-creation phase, where you step back, evaluate your work, and make necessary adjustments.

The act of creation is messy, emotional, and intuitive. It’s about capturing a moment, a feeling, a vision. Worrying about how your painting might be categorized can only hold you back. The most successful works of art come from a place of vulnerability and openness, not from a desire to conform to external expectations.

Once the painting is finished, you can step into the role of the critic. You can assess whether your work is truly original or if it’s been influenced too heavily by others. But, more often than not, it’s the works that feel raw, authentic, and true to the artist’s vision that stand the test of time.

So, the next time you stand before a canvas, don't think about whether it’s contrived, pastiche, or derivative. Instead, think about the joy of the process—about what you're expressing, what you're discovering, and where the journey of creation will take you. In the end, the most powerful paintings are those that come from a place of true artistic freedom, unhindered by the need for approval or validation.

Let the painting come to life in its own time, and trust that your assessment will follow, but only once the work is fully formed. Creativity thrives in the moment of spontaneity—and that's where the magic happens.