Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Respect The Creative Process

It takes a lot of time, effort, blood, sweat and tears to create; whether it's writing, jewelry, painting, sketching, etc. Respect the creator, please.  You can use their creations as inspiration, but don't violate them by copying work. And be really careful with your inspirations. 

I've had someone plagiarize my writing and it thoroughly pissed me off. She blatantly did it and went on to try and publish it. There are no totally new ideas, just offshoots of old ones, but I would never copy someone's work. Not in writing. Not in my jewelry business. Never. I may make things in the style of someone, but I give credit where credit is due. 

That's why if I use repurposed items in my creations, I say so. If I use unconventional materials, it's stated. 

It's a matter of respect. I respect the creative friends I've made. I like being able to bounce ideas off each other and finding out how to do new things. I also know I have a set of skills that are uniquely mine; my creative friends do too. And there has to be a trust between creatives, a trust built on respect. 

Come to think of it, respect is something sorely lacking in the world today. There's no respect for life, for cultures, for differences. I've become disheartened with this crazy world. I don't know what the answer is, but I think we can start with respect. 

Thanks for reading. Blessings, love and peace. Respect each other.