I've heard that one, too. It's a thin excuse for writers who don't want to do the work of getting better. They just want to be themselves on every page and trust that readers will be just as fascinated by their brilliance as they are. And they're too lazy to pick up a book.

You won't find filmmakers who don't want to be influenced by the greats of their profession, or artists (good ones, anyway) who don't want to know how other artists create their unique effects.

I've come back to college to fill in gaps in my knowledge of writing craft--and to educate myself about the writing industry. But my most important teachers have always been the authors who worked magic with their words, who showed me what was possible and made me want to do it for myself.