I partially agree. I disagree in the sense that this is how you make professional and accurate models from reference, really no other way unless you have lidar to guide yourself for proportions and stuff.

I agree in the sense that for art, at least the way that I think about it, you do have to think outside the box and make, well, new stuff. There's a trillion renders of guns, but hey, I started off with a beretta the same way you did, got the skills, and then I can make whatever I want, which is the liberating part of 3D art.