I came across the whole “copyright” issue of sorts (blog-style), which is a real hot button for me. I am constantly producing ideas that turn into making stuff. I usually draw the idea in my sketchbook, or go backwards in my years of sketchbooks to discover an underutilized idea. I’ve already lamented the insulated life of a shop owner a bit – not getting out much. My “excursions” mostly take the form of books (text and pictures), magazines, the prints on fabrics and notion catalogs. Now blogging. Even in isolation, creative people are bombarded with things that inspire and generate work. Being open to what is outside ourselves grows ideas. Being creative also demands a public life of sorts. Putting our work out there is part of the process. We are at risk as copiers and copied.
I don’t want to be scared to look for fear of being a “copier.” On the other hand, how is a truly “original” idea defined?
I look at the creative work I do as a commodity, especially now that I am trying to make a living with it. I also represent a lot of creative people in that I sell their work, their cloth and patterns. I am constantly defending someone’s copyright and the labor that gave it to us.
I came across liesl’s blog “disdressed” last night, purely by accident. I know Liesl because I buy her patterns for the store, because she’s a talented designer who is trying to make a living too. I read her frustration and the mixed comments – pro and con, with no easy answer. In this visual world, there is no safe place to divert the eyes. Create honestly.