There's a Japanese concept called "sh ha ri." It's the different stages of learning a craft and ultimately artistry.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ShuhariWith "shu" you copy and follow the tradition.
With "ha" you break from that.
With "ri" you no longer follow the rules—making up your own.
In the beginning, we all need to follow and copy—just to even get the basics under our belts.
After a while—years perhaps—you get tired of that, and want to start striking out on your own. Even that stage can take a good amount of time to fully develop.
Then you get to a point where you can totally throw it all out the window, and be driven by pure inspiration and passion.
Jimi Hendrix is a good example of this. In most people's book, he's the best guitar player that ever lived. Plus he was a huge innovator. But before he started playing with distortion and his own sound, he played as a backup player for many acts.
Same thing with the Beatles. They played covers for a number of years before ever beginning to write and record original music.
Cooking is similar. You follow recipes until you get a basic understanding of the techniques and processes. Then, if you want, you're free to create your own dishes without following any recipes.
I think most people start out copying. And I think that's a good place. But the problem I see often, is that many people don't ever really move past that to start creating their own original sound and approach.
That seems like the scary part.