I know Ansel Adams' work. But I do understand Geert. ( I recognised Kloos in your quote ;) )

If you really want to find out what you are doing, how you are interpreting things, then it's best to steer clear from influences.
Humans have always been taught "the rules to abide, and accept it all bravely with God on their side" and, due to an increased study and knowledge of psychology, this influence is at the same time more subtle and more imposing than ever.

Most people are followers. No insult: Picasso was one (he never invented something but brought the ideas of others to full bloom).
Amongst those you have the angry-oppositionists. The ones who try to be different. But trying to be different makes them as influenced as the ones they consider to be "sheep" or "the herd".
To be yourself as an artist means not caring about what has been done or what should (or should not) be done.
And once you really!!! realise how you are led by publicity and rule- and fashion makers and the search for approval by "mother-society", you can try and stay conscious of this influence and try to minimalise it.
Or you can, as Geert, refuse all influences just to find out what you can, what you do and how you interpret.

There are no Borg. All resistance is fertile.