Handling Copycats & Imitation.

There was a time when I feel threatened by imitation and copycats. It was several years back, when my doodling career just started and I found a lot of my artworks were imitated by several sites.  To be honest,  just like any other normal newbies, I feel threatened and insecure. I was afraid of being pointed as a copycat myself. So, I might handled it the clumsy-whoopsy way.

But several years passed, and I learned a lot since those several incidents. 

Since I keep reading about this topic on and off at several other websites/blogs recently, I feel the need to share my experience as well. 

Things that I've learned so far :

1. Nothing is original. We artists, tend to imitate from their surrounding. Example : "I can't say this is my original piece", because there might be some little subject in my artwork that was taken from the Kenny Roger's ads I saw at the shopping mall. You will never know where you get the inspiration.

2. Share, but not too much. It's an IT world, anything you say will hit you back eventually. That is the scariest part. You want to be as human as possible. Sometimes you make mistakes. Sometimes people get so angry, they want to boast it on their twitter or blog, well don't. Don't ever post bad things about other people, especially directly. IF some artist copied you, handle it professionally. Contact them personally. Don't write about them, you will destroy their life, their career, and maybe their future. For what? For an image that has been copied. And personally, I loathe reading blogs that condemning & destroying other artists. Just because they are much popular, they have the power to influence others. 

3. Don't make enemies. Enough said. We are here to make friends, to share. To lose followers and readers just because of the way you handle things? Well it's not worth it.

4. Stop it with the endless watermarks. Just notify clearly in the website/blog that copying is strictly prohibited. Enough said. Only mindless human can't understand clear statement, and if those case occurred, learn to handle them professionally. Privately. 

5. Do what you love, it will inspire you. Instead of making something to please others :) The fire will keep on burning, you will keep on running, you'll be breathless.

Here, read this inspiring website by Austin Kleon :

How to Steal Like An Artist

25 Quotes to Help you Steal Like an Artist

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In hope of learning to accept how the world works.