You’re right, there is no point if it’s not coming from you. Yet, abetted by the internet, many an artist can become overwhelmed by popular standards. It’s part of the reason for the boom in online courses. “In this online writing course you’ll learn that my pathway to success mostly involved sucking you into this online writing course.”

Typically, the emphasis is technical proficiency rather than creativity. Follow the formula. Perhaps the most obvious example for me is endless guitar shredding videos. Guitar playing as gladiator sport rather than musical expression. It has a certain wow factor to it, but it’s musically bankrupt.

So hang onto your own terms, your creativity. Yes, might be slower. Cutting a new path through the forest always is. It’s the only way to uncover something new.