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@William.
Folk is any music or art that tells stories about people, and doesn't fit into a particular period of history or superficial style. Folk music performs a function; a folk song is a way of remembering a story without writing it down, so it can be easliy transported and told to other people. Poetry performs a similar function. Dylan performed songs that were written decades before he performed them. Similarly, I might read a poem by someone else that was written decades ago, alongside my own work. The fact I am repeating something from the past has no bearing on weather it is 'good' art or not.
Often when we try to relate an experience or event we are dealing with the past, be it imagined or real. Inventiveness in art, which I agee with you is essential, comes about when solving a problen as to how to write / tell or perform a story more effectively, but you can't avoid the fact that other people will have told similar stories before you.