While I was at SURTEX, I got to talking to some fellow artists about inspiration. What inspires us in our life and in our art. Some tip-toe through the tulip fields and others love the flowers in their own back yard. Some the ocean, some the mountains, some their children. Sometimes ideas simply “come” – you have a theme you need to work on so you come up with a color scheme and some ideas and begin to create.
Going to trade shows and looking at manufacturer catalogs can be a great source of inspiration as well. I am in awe of the creativity and talent in our industry. However, it is important to remember to be an original and not be tempted to do something really close to another artists work just because it is successful. It is successful for them – it will become a legal nightmare for you and you might find yourself falling victim to a good industry shunning.
The art licensing industry may seem vast when you are just getting into it but when you’ve been around a while, you will discover that it isn’t as big as you think.
And the artists come to know and like each other. Not only do they network but they also watch each other’s back. The internet and social media makes it that much easier to get the word out when anyone sees infringement beginning…
Some will say I’m being a bit dramatic. Obviously no one has the market on daisies, for example. But if one artist paints a vase of daisies with 4 daisies and greenery organized a certain way – that becomes their images composition. The chances of another artist getting the same number of daisies and arranging them with the same type of greenery, in the same way – but in a different shaped vase – are pretty much beyond the scope of probable. That artist more likely studied the first artist’s work, decided it was selling so they would do “their own version”. Well, that would be called copyright infringement.
Sue Zipkin was kind enough to provide a great example. Here is an example of her coffee pattern and one of my coffee patterns.
Here is a “new” piece of art that some might think was inspired by the above and is now new, but we respectfully disagree. This would be violating both of our copyrights. See how that works?
Unfortunately, copyright issues seem to happen time and again. Overall, this industry is awesome and full of amazingly original and talented artists. Every so often, someone decides the best way to break into the industry is to knock-off the successful artists in it. Not cool. Not cool and we will spread the word, so my advice? If you even think about this way of starting your business, stop at the thought and go be your amazingly creative self.
This is one of the reasons I decided to join GOOD – The Guild of Original Designers. I hope that there is strength in numbers and that artists begin to educate and put others on alert that they know about copyright law and are prepared to speak up. Learn more about it at www.GOODesigners.com or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/GOODesigners
Go get inspired! Inspiration is all around us and readily available between your ears… just be careful of being overly inspired by your peers, okay?
Thank you for indulging me in my little rant – here’s to your creatively ORIGINAL success!
– Tara Reed
Please, Tara, rant away! We need more rants like these. Thanks for telling us about this organization. I’m looking into it!
Thanks Kathy! It is important! Hope you had a great show – I saw you a few times but didn’t get to chat!
Excellent post Tara!!
Tara, thanks for telling us about the GOODesigners – there’s a great need for that!
I’ve written quite a bit about this topic. There are some artists out there that feel it’s okay to to take, then sell, the work of another, and call it their own. Must have been bad upbringing!
There is a distinct difference between having your art influenced by another’s work and downright copying another’s work and selling it, without permission.
I wrote an article on a similar topic called “Is it okay to copy and sell another’s work? Plagiarism and the Golden Rule” http://bit.ly/ihLnSg
Though every artist I know would be upset to find their art was knocked-off, there are some that still argue that it’s okay to do it under “appropriation” – which I feel is a bunch o’ bull!
PS: There’s a trending tweet right now about Urban Outfitters stealing the design of an artist and selling it – you can read about that here: http://bit.ly/kvbMdt
Thanks for the tip on GOODesigners, Tara.
Every time I finish a piece of art I get so tempted to share it online (Facebook, my blog, Twitter). I love what I’m creating, I’m having fun with it, and I want to share it with people who like to see what I’m up to.
Then my protectiveness kicks in and I save it for the catalog. It’s a little sad, because I want to share my art with the world while I’m on that Supreme Awesomeness High. But I’ve seen enough evidence to know logically that I need to save it for the art buyers.
As I prep for the Licensing Expo, this is a small concern. I know there will be artists walking the show and I want to be open, helpful, and encouraging to them. At the same time I feel a twinge of protectiveness about my art. It’s a weird place to be.
Great Post! Thanks for sharing the link to Good Designers. Love your site will check out some of your other posts and such.
Hi:
I am in agreement with a previous poster who said he wants to posts his works but has a fear. I am trying to introduce myself and my work. I found a style of my hat on a website being sold. Can I prove it no. Can I afford not to show my work no. If I post it on my website,or other site to sell it is there to be seen and can be copied. There really is no protection unless you can afford lawyers etc.
This is why many artists in licensing only show some art on their website and rarely their newest work. It is also we many have password protected areas of their website. Show enough to give a manufacturer a feel for your style and let them know you have more to share by email or on a private website.
It’s an unfortunate reality…
OMG TARA, That was like copy and paste…I am in shock! I know this happens all the time but i try not to let that bother me. I put everything out there and sometimes I am afraid (my sons are always concerned about this) I will find a copy, but if people don’t see my work, how are they going to buy it?. I know people (in jewelry) that does this all the time and it is a shame. Thanks for the advise! Great Post!
ELizabeth – the art sample on this post was an intentional copy and paste, done by Sue Zipkin and I, to illustrate the point. Don’t worry, this wasn’t an actual infringement but we’ve seen some that are just as blatant!
Also artists are being asked by manufacturers to look at something and come up with their own, so newer artists may feel like they have the green light if the manufacturer said so. I have had many manufacturers ask me to look at something and do it like that…I just won’t do it.
“Be my visual waitress/waiter, but steal the food from someone else’s kitchen and bring it to me.”
Manufacturers usually have detail in their contract with an artists protecting themselves in the event of a lawsuit, and the artist ends up being responsible. Some simply build infringement lawsuits into their bottom line, but do artists?
It bears repeating from my Ask call with Tara: “Bring your best original self, and bring it with a lot of energy.”
A few years ago I had a huge legal debacle where in several artists were given my work by a sticky client of mine I’d parted ways with. There was a lot of derivative art created and in some cases sketch comps I had done were stuck on a light box and traced by artists who were willing to sell themselves down the river for a quick profit.
The awesome thing about it is that the internet freaked out about it. I was so overly supported that in the end it was an easy fix. I fear that if I had been too cautious in sharing my work I wouldn’t have had the community of support I had when things went bad. I had emails coming in from Japan and Australia to let me know what was going on! I understand people’s fear when it comes to sharing things online, but I find that it really helps my creative energy and that in the end, people totally have my back.
I absolutely loved Jill’s point in her Ask Call, the energy in your art is vital! I truly think that there is no way to create that energy unless you’re drawing from your artist’s soul. People can tell when you’re putting forth your original self and in the end that’s what sells.
This is such a fabby post, Tara!
Tara, thank you so much for doing this!!! I AM THE ARTIST WHOSE WORK HAS BEEN INFRINGED IN THIS BRAZEN MANNER! The sheer volume of images that this person (I won’t even dignify him by calling him an artist because nothing he seems to do is creatively his own), is unbelievable! I appreciate the support more than you can know and reading all of the supportive comments here and on my own blog have given me the push to keep going on this until ALL of the offending images are REMOVED from this person’s agent’s site as well.
I am now extremely hesitant to post any artwork on my bog again and that is just not right, as I have faithful followers on both my blog and in the manufacturing community and getting my designs out there is important to me for my bread and butter. It’s not there for someone else to take and put bread and butter on their table as a result of my efforts.
Again…THANK YOU!!!
Diane