Using a reference picture to draw from is not "cheating"
Thats a stupid idea, banish it from your head now.
All art is inspired from some sort of reference, be it something you imagined, something you saw on your walk to the store, a song that caused certain imagery to float across your brain, a scene outside your window or from a picture.
Where your drawing came from has no bearing on whether you have talent or not.
The only thing wrong with using a reference is if you state clearly "this is entirely my idea and no reference used" when in fact you might have "stolen" someone elses ideas