It is true that success as an artist is not always dependant on technique. It is true that technique can quell individuality. It is true that technique itself is just a tool and not art. Technique needs to be assimilated so that it is at the service of the artist and not vice versa. The same happens with anything we learn from others in life. At first learning involves copying and reproducing, but at some point we need to break down the material and digest it, so that we can discard what stifles our nature and make the best use of what serves us and makes us thrive.