Hello friends....things are busy here my end {I will share more on that soon!!!}, but I wanted to take the time to stop by and put this out there. This is something that is affecting me right now, and is weighing heavily on my mind....so, as with almost everything in life - I thought that *talking* about it, putting my thoughts out there and asking what you all think, would, inevitably make it if not better, then at least something to debate and think on in a hopefully useful way for all of us.....
Okay, here it is :: What do you do when someone crosses the line between being inspired by your work and blatantly ripping it off? Where is the line.....what IS the line??
....as a community of Designers and Artists {online or otherwise} this is surely something that you have all had affect you at some point, or thought about. It is something that I have always been very interested in {what makes someone copy, besides the obvious of course?}....what does it mean for the person being imitated, the person who does the imitating, and what impact does/can it have on your business?
I think the Internet has actually been a wonderful tool for protecting Artists and Designers. Just think...every image you take is now digitally dated {so you can prove when your work was made}....every blog post you make is dated accordingly too....every time you upload something on flickr say, you have a note of who has 'faved' it, who has commented....you have emails, you have StatCounter. There has never been a more 'protected' age for proving when your work was first put out there {something that has been historically so hard to prove!}....never has it been more accessible to the THOUSANDS of people who see it and identify it as *yours*. This is a comfort to me actually, but when someone chooses to ignore all that anyway....it becomes an irritation almost like sand in your shoes....always there, always niggling. Always wrong.
For me - I have been working on my collection [or look] for years now....it is something very deeply rooted in a lot of work and research - I am sure this is exactly the same for a lot of artists and designers. Your work is often very personal. It takes a long time, and a lot of work to get to a place where your jewellery [or anything] has a voice that is quite uniquely your own. It also demands that you are aware of what else is 'out' there in the design world {so you don't step on any toes, and also, set yourself apart and create a niche for your designs}....
...the trouble is, when something/someone is imitated, a buyer won't always know the difference. There is no water mark for that. They won't know what is 'real' and what is a 'fake'. This is something that crosses over so many industries....film, music, clothing, designer brands, merchandise, electrical goods, plagiarism in writing....so far reaching, so deep rooted.
This, is what can damage your business. That association to the copied work. The fact that someone might look at it and think it is yours....or have you and your work come to mind. That is what you don't want. Ever.
*Now - I want to say this too ...genuine design cross-over is not really what I am talking about here....it is something more deliberate and knowing. When something is knowing and deliberate, is it cunning [negative]?? ;))*
....So - I guess the questions now are endless....what would you do in a situation where you found your work [and your livelihood] was compromised? Do you confront, do you rise above it and do nothing? Talking is where I want to start I think....dialogue within this blog community is something so VERY important to me....something very unique and something that should be protected [like so much else]. This we can do at least.
My gut feeling is that copying on any level is just plain wrong. Being inspired by someones work...that wonderful feeling when you want to make, want to try to be better, find their work uplifting and irresistible, see something that opens up a new world to you to explore by yourself, makes you want to explore a new road...is not the same as lifting it's essence and having it for your own without even considering taking a walk down the road of exploration.....
Nothing that came easy was ever worth having...perhaps that is really all I want to say. If I say it enough I will believe it too I'm sure. ;)
...what do you all think on this subject?...I hope you will talk about it with me....
Happy[ish] Tuesday to you all...
xox
Abigail
..these images are just what I need. Taken a few weeks ago when my parents were out for a walk one long weekend...I was in working if I remember rightly. I think a long walk would today would be perfect, but I don't have time today.....something for the weekend I think.
