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The blog banner was made with elements from Lorie Davison. The nail head is Mo Jackson, the white rabbit and the key is Tangie Baxter. The butterflies are from Katie Pertiet.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Pondering Originality


I love this quote*. 
I'm pretty sure that there are quite a few artists out there who will not agree.
I am not an artist.
I am a rather crafty person but not an artist.
VanGogh, Picasso, and Magritte were artists.
Not me.


Recently, I've joined the masses on Pinterest.
I hadn't done it because I had to join Facebook to get on.
I didn't want to join Facebook.
No reason.  Just a choice.
Does anyone really want to know
 that I went to the hardware store
 to purchase new tips for my soldering iron? 
I think not.



I jotted down the above quote a while back.
I love Pinterest.
Great ideas.
-BUT-
People/Artists
worry about being copied.
They post little signs about this worry.
I get it.  I do, really.
Please don't write and explain it to me.
I understand copyright issues.
That being said, now I worry
 that I might accidentally copy someone else.
All of Pinterest is on my desktop and in my brain.
So...
When I make this:


or this:


or this:


How do I know I'm original?
I get a lot of inspiration from many, many places.
I'm sure everyone else does too.
I understand not copying something
piece by piece
or 
word by word.
But, with the Internet and everything downloadable
it is inevitable.  Hopefully, these folks are copying and
making it their own.  Making it a little bit different.
I think that tends to happen anyway.
If you can copy it exactly then you are probably copying
Monet, or Rembrandt, or Van Gogh
and making HUGE illegal bucks.
This opinion of mine may irritate some people.
And you may not know this about me
but,
my goal is 
to make everyone in the entire world happy!!
And this thought is probably not going to help me achieve my goal.


I've seen my bow tutorial reproduced.
And you know what?
I don't care.
I took apart a bow to figure it out.
It's a fun project.
You can do it too.
You can even blog about it.
You can write another tutorial.
I.
Don't.
Care.


I did this one too.
Make your own glitter out of
broken Christmas Balls.
I KNOW I saw that somewhere else.
Gosh, I wish I knew where.

You know,
every day
the only 3 things I have to remember to take with  me are:

my asthma inhaler
my reading glasses ('specially since I work at a library)
my car keys.

Every day, I will leave the house without one of them.
Because, I can't remember ...
I'm too busy remembering the million and one other things
that I have to remember.  As we all do.

How in the world, I ask you,
(Tiny hedgehogs.  Aren't they cute?)

am I expected to remember
where 
on the
WORLD WIDE INTERNET
I saw something?!


I think I made up these designs.
But- if I didn't,  I apologize.
I wasn't stealing.
I just have a very bad memory.


And as Forrest Gump said,
"That's all I have to say about that."

Off the soapbox now.
Thank you for your support.
(and if you can remember where THAT quote came from you have a very good memory)

This was a little tongue in cheek.
I understand that they (the artists) want their
work linked back to their website.
But, I do worry...
A lot.

*I threw this little quote together in Photoshop.  Feel free to steal, copy or use

7 comments:

Sue said...

Hey Kathy, interesting post.....I agree that we that cruise the waters of the internet can not but help be influenced by what we see on our travels and incorporate it into what we do....I think the difference comes when something is blatantly copied and said to be our own....different matter altogether.

Jennifer @ Town and Country Living said...

I like the part of the quote that says, "It's not where you take things from, it's where you take them to." I couldn't agree more. Your work is absolutely amazing! LOVE that octopus necklace!

Cameron said...

Gosh...I agree wholeheartedly and don't want to have to account for every little thing that pops into my head or comes off my paintbrush. I know I won't copy anyone else's work exactly or intentionally....and I hope someone won't copy mine....but, it would still be a tiny bit gratifying if someone did and made millions. Then I'd know it was a great idea....that I obviously had no clue how to market...haha! At least I'd know it was good :)

Mac n' Janet said...

I agree too, I'm always looking for inspiration, not to copy but to inspire me to make my own.

fairyrocks said...

Well said, and how generous of spirit for you to say you don't care,
and give the creative minds the freedom to just make things without worry.
Keep smiling and creating,
I think we all have a style and eventually it does come to the top and the
projects we make are our own.

Anne said...

Kathy, I feel the same way..."they" say "There's nothing new under the sun..." ~ I am a painter (watercolor) and also do little art cards in ink and watercolor...sometimes I worry about doing something too similar to something I've seen and loved that a fellow artist did ...(Sometimes to the point of not wanting to look at others' art, afraid I will be subconsciously influenced!
Love the post...

Laura Weed said...

Thank you for your support - Bartles and James wine coolers...whatever happened to those. I loved them...and the guy that did the commercials! Everything you do is wildly original and breathtakingly individual, and don't let anyone tell you differently. I love it all!