respecting the art

I originally wrote this on the evening of Feb 24th, I read it to a couple of friends & my momma, but I didn't post it..
 I did however save it as a draft.  And I find it very fitting to post today.

If any of you follow me on facebook then you know why I'm posting this.

*When you copy others, you show no imagination.
(*disclaimer- this doesn't apply to diy crafts or recipes okay!)

I don't want to be the big bad bully here, in fact I share.
I share a lot.
I share too much.
I help too much, and for what??

I had to do this all by myself.
I created a product, I created my blog.
I didn't ask for help, I taught myself.
If I didn't know something I found resources.

It took a while to get things right, and I'm proud of where I am and its only the beginning.
But when you steal or copy from someone else, you stop creating.
When you stop creating, you don't see anything new.
When you don't see anything new, everything looks the same and the original design is lost.
The credit to the person who created it, is lost.
There is a difference from being inspired and copy/stealing.
(I love being inspired and I hope you do too!)

I was asked over the course of 3 days these things:
How do you make your ruffle headbands?
Do you sew your ruffles to felt or something else?
Where do you get your elastic from?
Where do you get your buttons from?
Where did you get your labels from?
How did you make your blog?
How did you start your etsy shop?
Where do you go for printing?
How did you sponsor a blog?
Where do you buy your fabric from?
Where did you buy this, this, and that?

Most of the questions were just out of curiosity, but that wont always be the case.

I answered every single one of them.
Why?
Because, I'm not mean. (at least today I'm not)
I answered them because my mom taught me to share.
I answered them because I'm flattered they asked me.

But then tonight, I thought about it.

Do you call KFC and ask for their "11 secret herbs and spices" ?
see what I mean..?

I'm just a girl who has big dreams, who started something that is very precious to me.
I'm so lucky that it is even getting off the ground and I appreciate all the encouraging compliments

I'm not the first person to make a hair flower and I won't be the last, so I hope that you understand this message as a whole and not just about the things I make.
But as a business woman its been a weird thing to me when people come into my salon for instance and ask me where I purchase my retail from, or into my photography studio and ask where I print from. I even had a girl pretend to be a potential photography client just to get my pricing info, then she copied it word for word and put it on her page.. really?.. really??

Those things are precious to me.  And if its not to much to ask I would like to keep it that way.
Not to be a meanie meanie poo poo head (whoa i just used two words twice right there!!!)
but because I had to work to get these things, and so should you.

So take this as encouragement, if you dream something go for it.
You can do it!
and if you do it yourself you will be even more proud.

=)

I really hope you take this in the way it was meant to be taken.
positive and nothing else

Its great to teach others, its great to learn.
But learn something for a good reason.

I'm not asking for you to stop messaging me, in fact I love chatting.
If you honestly need help, I'm here!
But I just ask that if you don't have good intentions, then please just don't do it.

20 comments:

  1. I'm proud of you...You created this. Share or not, they are your creations and only YOU rock at making them. Knock off's just aren't the same!

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  2. cristie you are always so encouraging.. ps i love your new studio =) its soooo cute!!! im super proud of you!

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  3. I love your shop and I think you are so creative!!

    Great post! While it is nice to get ideas from others, we have to realize it is so important to be true to yourself and be creative as a reflection of you; not a carbon copy of someone else.

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  7. sorry, my computer went crazy and a million of my comment posts showed up!!!

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  9. I love your honesty! No one should take this post as being mean... You are being a smart business woman and we should support each other more.
    Congrats!
    x

    www.baileyschneider.co.za

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  10. I love this post! I'm guilty of being pretty open myself so I always try to find some sort of balance like this.

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  11. I have a question about your shop! I got birthday money yesterday and am so excited to get some flower headbands. LOVE THEM. Are you going to have more soon?

    Thank you so much!
    Heather
    heatherdmullin@gmail.com

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  12. I agree with you 100% :) great advice!

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  13. Touche'. I totally agree. Plus doesn't everybody appreciate things more if they work hard to achieve them?

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  14. thanks for all your kind words and support!!! =)

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  15. I love your headbands and am so excited to see the ones I ordered! So sorry people are being copy-cats.
    Just know that your supporters will always stand behind you and your beautiful work! I've shared it on my blog and made sure people knew where they could go and buy!

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  16. I have to deal with this all the time but lucky, since I'm an illustrator, it's harder for people to copy me. I'm so sad that you have to deal with it frequently. I think it was important to write this post and I'm happy that you shared it! It's wonderful to meet such a passionate creative like yourself.

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  17. YOU ROCK!! I am having this very problem as we speak!! I have an Etsy shop called TheSnootiePig and I am seeing my style..ideas.."look" on another shop who I KNOW is copying me! Worse, it is someone I know. I feel ya girlfriend.This is when I dont want to be the better person and smack em right upside the head..but then again..isnt it better to be "the better person" and your'e right, when you imitate you lose your own creativity! and just remember " Imitation is the best form of flattery"..even though sometimes it makes you mad! :)

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  18. oh girl, i'm playing catch up this morning on everything i missed out on and this ones BIG! hot topic and so good of you to share it, i'm glad for the weighed decision to post.

    i agree with you about originality vs insp vs plagiarizing and not giving credit back...wtf?! that stuff gets my buns in a knot.

    i get it, like when i used to do hair (and you still do) would our clients ask us to show them how to cut their own? um, NOT! that would just be weird. i can't believe your story about that "photography client" - OUCH! so rude and outright infuriating. sorry you've had these experiences lades, sux total. and again you hit the nail about what intentions someone has behind their questions. that makes all the difference in the world!

    perhaps an option for you could be something i've seen a bunch of other entrepreneurial rockin' girls do and that is to make a document answering these kinds of things but it's something peeps need to purchase. a lot of self help gurus do it this way & it is rather like a condensed lesson plan so why not put a price on it. took you mass effort and organization to get where you are, all your precious resources probably took you a heck of a long time to accumulate. i dunno, only a suggestion of a possible alternative to direct people towards when the Q's come fast and furious. at least it's also kinda a scape goat. ♥

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  19. you have a beautiful heart!

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