That is interesting Lisa, about how you don't like your ideas being stolen, so you bend over backwards to not be in a position to make others feel like it's been done to them. That says nice things about you.
I think we all kinda do that in our own ways. For example, I try to tell Dan when I don't like something in my environment, or if - and this is a big one - I find a topic boring to discuss. I HATE feeling like I am boring other people and feel embarrassed if I find out later someone was just letting me talk away and bore them.
So i think it's doing someone a favor to tell them a topic bores me. Whereas Dan just finds it rude when I do this. I try to tell him, over and over, that in my mind, I am doing what I see as a kindness.
Anyway, that is related to what you were saying, Lisa. I just find it neat how different people try to do things right by our own versions of what we don't like in others. Is that too convoluted, or did that make any sense?
Back to emulating. With something like painting, it really is a great idea to start out by doing what one likes in the works of the masters. Then we all start going from that, and developing our own style. It's not like we are copying per se - we have to pick and choose what we like from the many styles out there, and then develop from there. Look at the tons of ways to do landscapes alone, or do make abstract art, or surreal art. What we pick to emulate says a lot about us.
I think that can be applicable in many fields, whether it's setting up a website, blogging, building a home, or breeding dogs. You know?