Hi there. I had read your blog and was hoping to comment on it, but it seems I'm not able to, for whatever reason. So instead, I'll leave a VM.
Regarding the thought that copying is 'cheating', that largely depends on what you use it for. Since I'm a writer, I'll put it in context of writing. Copying something directly off the internet and using that as "my work" is clearly cheating. Taking the text and creating a copy without citing the source, regardless of how faithful or faithless I am to the original, is also cheating. But, there's nothing wrong with using source material to either practice your craft or to create a slightly different version while citing the original.
I haven't seen any of your work, so I don't know exactly what your form of copying entails. However, as long as you're citing whatever work your art is derived from, then I say go ahead.
They also say that imitation is the greatest form of flattery, so there's that too.
Hope that helps.