Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Thoughts about copying and inspiration

There's been a lot of drama lately in blogland about copying other artists work among people I consider friends. I have been a victim of it and surely guilty of it in the past, and maybe even lately, I don't know. I feel conflicted but thought this was an excellent and insightful post by Amy about this subject at her blog, Pikaland. She also talks about inspiration here. My take has mostly been to just to work harder and to try to paint my own world, althought I have let my feelings of injustice lash out at one person a couple of years ago. I am now trying really hard to take the high road. I feel sad about everyone that has bad feelings about it. I send love and understanding to both sides.

5 comments:

Carrie Joy Byrnes said...

Awww I think we were seperated at birth ... I am right there with you. Keep going with your beautiful art!

Carrie

Unknown said...

Hi Julie( a fellow Julie)I love your thoughts. I always feel if someone copies It will just inspire me to move ahead with something new. And if I cannot then I am not the artist I thought I was. I love to teach and so my students need to copy me. I always tell them go ahead that is how the old masters taught their artist . They would copy stroke for stroke for years . This "copy " thing is part of the artistic process. I have been copied. I have most likely copied and hopefully if anyone puts it out there to sell they will have moved the Coped style a few generations. But Anyway I am glad I found your blog I love your work It is very unique in that it has that wonderful primitive quality yet is very contemporary and illustrative with a tad bit of goth thrown in. love that part. most .. . I am going to send my sister to your site she will love it too and then I am linking you. O.K now I ramble ...julie

Kaili Ittensohn said...

I enjoy your take on it Julie!

Im feeling a bit paranoid about my own art, but I have found that this is helping me to work harder, to push myself creatively.

Im off to check out those links- thankyou!

reagan said...

The whole 'copy' thing is touchy, I agree. But we are visual artists and can either look at it as our artwork inspired someone enough to produce similar work or be upset about it. I choose not to be upset. It is a compliment. I both teach workshops and have had my work published quite a bit, and I personally am flattered when I recieve an email from someone excited to have followed my technique and produced a similar work. I also know that the creative spirit in us all will help them to continue to grow past that as their own inner artist takes it to a new level. I try really hard to focus on teaching technique verses teaching a 'product'.

FAQ said...

This is a great topic/conversation, I think of this often. I try so hard not to "copy" others but sometimes you are so inspired by someone that you just have to try the thing they did. But I think that no matter how hard we try, we always put our own spin and look into our art.