In Mastery by Robert Greene, he emphasizes the importance of studying the work of other artists using Mozart as an example. This is an essential building block for the pursuit of mastery and for improving creativity [emphasis mine]:
"Throughout his career, Mozart never asserted any particular opinions about music. Instead, he absorbed the styles he heard around himself and incorporated them into his own voice. Late in his career, he encountered for the first time the music of Johann Sebastian Bach—a kind of music very different from his own, and in some ways more complex. Most artists would grow defensive and dismissive of something that challenged their own principles. Instead, Mozart opened his mind up to new possibilities, studying Bach’s use of counterpoint for nearly a year and absorbing it into his own vocabulary. This gave his music a new and surprising quality."
Learning does not entail the study of one domain but rather a diversity of them. This facilities the process of cross-pollinating ideas and concepts, introducing you to new methods and ways of thinking. Not everything will be put to use, of course, but it will develop your taste and style and tailor it to your own individual creativity.
