Today has been a bit of a bummer. I've came across a couple of items, from different people, that are exact rip offs of my stuff. I'm not going to lie... it's getting to me. It's especially disheartening because one of those sellers is from very nearby, and I've actually purchased from them :(
I want to show off my artsty fartsy things. I want to share my work so that others might be encouraged to make stuff too. However, when I see two vendors in one day passing off items that are replicas of what I make, it's frustrating to say the least. I don't even want to think about what I'd find if I actually searched.
You know what the funniest thing about this whole thing is? Someone mentioned paper theatres a couple of months ago and felt I should have acknowledged that when I posted the Faerie Theatre. I didn't copy anything, or swipe an original idea, paper theatres have been around for hundreds years, but she felt that her post should have been mentioned. Truthfully I had forgotten all about it, I had been influenced by a load of historical and fanciful fantasy things that I had seen in the past few months, but I had no issues acknowledging her original post. Somewhere in the mess in the middle of my brain I'm sure it had become part of the inspiration.
The thing is, it's one thing to be inspired by something that you see and to make your own version. Hell, if it's just for you, go ahead and make a carbon copy. But, it's whole other ball game when you start selling or passing off other people's ideas without changing a damned thing.
I don't make a heck of a lot of money from the things I make. Mostly I'm happy if I can make enough to buy supplies, and sometimes even that doesn't happen. When I see other people trying to make money off of the things that were born in my head, it's really upsetting.
*sigh*
Listen, if you're going to sell stuff, just play nice would ya? Use my projects as a springboard for your own creativity. I know you can do it! You are pretty damned fabulous after all.
