artists...can't we all just get along

So this is my first blog, and I think it needs to be a call to arms.  As a live event painter I have a few colleagues but not many.  As a commissioned artist I have lots of competition...yes I even consider Hobby Lobby my competitor.  As an artist creating new and interesting, and most importantly MARKETABLE work, I consider everything and everyone competition but also my muse!  I love looking through books of art and gathering ideas, techniques, and styles.  You can't deny the possibility of changing the world when artists support artists.  Look at how the artists in the salons of Paris changed the face of visual art, literature, and music simultaneously.  They had to support each other. 
So I ask...can't we all just get along?
If I don't care for your style I don't have to purchase it- but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate some part of it, right?  The breakdown of support is based on one word...plagiarism.  T.S. Elliot said, "Talent copies, Genius steals."  Let that sink in for a sec.  That is our breakdown as a group.  We create out of thin air an idea and bring it to life only to have some other person copy it (let's not even talk about when they do a shitty job) Don't copy.  You like a stroke style...try it out but with a new subject.  Just.Dont.Copy. Just be cool, like everyone thinks artist are, and it will only make you more marketable!  
::steps off soapbox::