 Good Artists Borrow, Great Artists Steal The first time I heard this phrase, its author was not cited. After a quick Google search, I discovered it credited to T.S. Eliot, and Igor Stravinsky, and Pablo Picasso, and more. So who said it first, and why are so many people stealing this phrase? As unethical as it might be, this axiom is accurate. But this doesn't make plagiarism permissible, rather it simply acknowledges the collaborative nature implicit in all creativity. You never create an isolation. Every idea comes from somewhere. The question is whether or not you always know or acknowledge where they come from.