Copy Machine - On Imitation, Identity, and Making Work That’s Actually Yours

Office Hours with Patrick

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https://theterriblecreative.com/office-hours

We all start by imitating. That’s human. But somewhere along the line, many of us stopped making work we love — and started making work that just looks like it belongs to someone else.

In this episode, Patrick tells the strange, slightly heartbreaking story of Klarbinnax-7, an alien who crash-lands in California and becomes a crude copy of a workshop guru named Brad. Through this fictional tale (that’s not so fictional), we dive deep into the psychology of conformity, the cost of mimicry, and how to find your voice again when everything around you screams “just do it like them.”

If you’ve ever felt stuck making the kind of work that doesn’t feel like you, this one’s for you.

🎧 Topics Covered:

• Why we follow, even when it costs us
• How photography education became a billion-dollar industry
• The subtle burnout of imitation
• 3 practical steps to break the cycle and make weird, personal, unforgettable work again

🌀 Creative Challenge:

If you stopped caring what other photographers thought of your work—if you weren't trying to impress them, join their communities, or earn their validation—what would your photography actually look like?

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Not what your clients want. Not what the algorithm rewards. Not what workshops taught you. But what would you create if the only person you needed to please was yourself?

📩 Feedback or thoughts? Email Patrick: patrick@terriblephotographer.com

📸 Follow: @TerriblePhotographer