When doing projects, is it "cheating" to reference someone's code?

My gut says it is, but there have been many times where I felt absolutely stuck in spite of using the Read-Search-Ask method, so I referenced other people’s CodePens to see how they did it. I wonder how others have completed these projects completely on their own without referencing someone else’s code. I know it’s a matter of trying until you figure out something that works, but what if you absolutely have no idea what to do?

It’s normal. View all the code you want, dissect it, play with it, LEARN from it. Every programmer out there has learned from other programmers before him.