JPD Mom

Here We Go Again......really?

September 14, 2009.

In just two short months I will have been in business for 7 years, 7 painful , no I mean wonderful years.  I can notbelieve it has been that long - I don't mean that in a bad way.  Some days I actually do little air pump, laugh and giggle and thank my lucky stars I get to do this job....other days, you know tears, stomping and banging my head against the wall and I shake my fist in the sky and scream, "whhhhyyyyy?"

Been Around the Block

What I find so amazing, or shocking I guess is even though things change, laws come into affect, the industry changes, businesses close and others open - yet everything really does stay the same.  Reading that sentence back I realize I sound a bit crazy or new age, what I mean is history repeats itself. 

Not to brag - but I have been around a long time - long enough to remember who started the whole children's art phenom (Kelly Rightsell), the bedding designer that went on to super stardom (Wendy Bellisimo) and of course the one woman who created the original wall hanging (Shelly Kennedy) who has been copied, mimicked and the inspiration to most in the industry today. 

Yep, I sometimes sit back in my rocker, smoke my corn cob pipe and say, "Back in myday this is how it was....".  But, I digress, whether you think I am exaggerating or just plain being cocky - I have been around and seen it all for quite awhile.  No I am not the most successful, or the most talented and no I do not know everything. 

The Nature of the Beast

On that note of copying - I think y'all know how I feel about it.  Though it may be a discussion up for debate - it happens.  No one can deny that artists and designers don't "borrow" or outright copy from other artists.  Some support me when I bitch about it, others have called a baby and to suck it up.   Still it is what it is and it happens and I don't like it.  When you reach a certain amount of success others will copy you.  And I have found those that protest the most - usually are guilty of some form of copying.

It has happened to me, it has happened to friends, foes, competitors - it is a fact.  And it happens in other industries too, but that does not make it right.  I. am. not. a. fan. of. copying.  Never have been - never will.  To quote or mis-quote Ms. Kennedy, "Stay original - imitation is NOT the highest form of flattery."

Copying is One Thing - Being Fake is Just Creepy

So....speaking of Shelly and Drooz and her business AND her blog - she has a stalker.  A real live....no wait not real, sort of fake Negative Nancy or Debbie Downer that leaves her un-constructive comments and says downright mean things AND this commentor is a copy cat.  If you go back through the past year or so you can see that she has someone who likes to leave comments - but hide behind a fake name and fake blog.  I hate fake, and I can say that.  I am all out there - I chose to be out there. 

I also feel that if you are going to attack someone - show your face.  It is always so ironic to me that when I get mean comments or mean emails they come from a fake person - someone I can not reply to.   In this day and age it is very easy to attack behind a mask... I wrote a post about it last year....and I am sure you can guess - I was not happy.

Let It Be

Anyhoo - back to Shelly and her blog.  She took it a step further, and I love that.  She actually called this person out and told her to go away - stop reading her blog.  That takes guts, that takes balls, that takes some serious gumption.  But, Shelly being Shelly she had to throw in that super cute sign she made just to make it "drooz-like" (yep that one above I did not do it - she did).  Again, even when she is being a wee bit nasty and angry - that woman has some style.

So I am hoping a few things come from this post and Shelly's especially:

1. Stop Copying - no really just stop it.  We are all creative and when you see someone already did exactly what you sketched - move on, or do it another way.  Do not stomp your feet and say you came up with the idea first ( I have had this conversation with an artist or two - I swear).  Move on - they came to market first.  Does it suck? Yes. Can you do anything? No.

2. Be Real - it takes a real manwoman to show their face even when they disagree with what someone else wrote.  A coward hides behind a mask and refuses to show their true identity.  I delete comments from Anonymous, and I hope others will do the same.  You can disagree with me - I encourage you, but please show your face or I might make a snazzy fancy Go Away sign too.

3. Try to Love One Another - I want to just blurt out the Rodney King speech about just getting along right now.  Our industry is very small, everyone knows everyone or knows someone who knows someone - play nice.  There are some that have survived this Recession, others that have not and some that are just hanging on by a thread.  I think we can all learn something and just support each other instead of knocking each other down.

4. No Idea is Original- For a short time I tried writing a screenplay, my minor was in Radio Television & Film and I had this crazy story about my college years that I wanted to tell.  I read a lot at that time - and I studied the craft of writing and I learned one thing.  No idea is original - none.  Everyone has either done it once or twice - any artistic idea you or I have I am sure you can find a sketch of it.  Not to say you can not possibly do it better or different this time around - but just know almost everything has been done.

 

More Artistic Than a 5th Grader

November 30, 2008

I am going to go out on a limb here, because I know that NO Copy Cat Artists read my blog - really I doubt they are, because they would know how I feel about copying.   My sweet, sweet gullible Copy Cat Artists would realize I have no tolerance for it. 

On the other hand, I realize some of these artists are familiar, wait VERY familiar with my products, my friends products and some sort of very well known Entrepreneurs in my industry.  I am guessing  they may just be looking at websites and not reading my blog.  If I am so lucky to have one of them accidentally find this blog - I would hope they would take my advice to heart and share this information, because I assume "bird of a feather flock together".   Also, when copying  these little nuggets might make your life easier.*  

*The rest of my regular readers, family (hi Mom!), looky loos, and friends may want to ignore this post.  Psssst....it's all in tongue and cheek, snarky and a bit sarcastic.   I am going to give the Copy Cats some much needed advice on copying.  So the rest can just go about your business, nothing to see her folks,  check back often I will be back to my regular "perky" blogs....

Dearest Copy Cat Artist,

Welcome to "Coping Artwork the Way it Was Intended to Be Copied"!

How are you all?  How have you been?  I see some of you have come out with some new work this Fall and wow - what work it is!  Some of you have taken inspiration a bit too far this time so I thought I would try and give you some tips on how to do it the right way.  Please take this to heart, I am oh so tired of having to repeat myself, but I feel it is my duty to help you and make you a better artist(if that is what you call yourself),  anyways here we go.

When Copying Do it Right!

If you are going to copy an artist, or a product design try be smart about it.  Really go with someone that is not all over the web or someone in the industry for over ten years and is sort of famous, has had tons of press and really well-known.  These artists use the web too, and  know you are looking at their work - heck how else could you copy the art so closely? 

Go for someone a little more on the outskirts, the fringe of our industry if you will.  Or an artist you saw at an Art & Craft show - copy her.  Better yet copy a 5th grader - that would be great, and if I am correct I am guessing you are smarter than the 5th Grader.  I am sure the 5th grader does not have copyrights or even much time on the web - so I would go with the  5th grader - no older though.  You get into junior high artists and they will kick your butt all over cyberspace, or destroy your reputation on My Space.

Own Your "Inspired" Piece of Work

If you must copy someone's work, do change a few things.  Artists are a very smart (and vocal bunch) they do talk, email, oh I don't blog maybe. Most are quite famous and even have their work on products for licensing - now those big companies do not mess around.  To quote Pulp Fiction, "I don't want to have to go all medieval on your ass."

So dearest please change the look of your princess, make her hair curly if the others is straight, give her a cow face, change it some how - use some of that "moxie" you have and own it.  Put the princess castle um in a meadow, instead of on a hill, change a boy turtle to a girl turtle so it has more of a different look - really you can get creative with this one.  Don't just flip flop the bird and the twig and think you own it - anyone can do that in Photoshop.  They will still know where you got the "inspiration" from, most will not be fooled.  You may even fool a few customers into believing it was your art first!  How great is that?

Change it Baby

When copying or imitating another's piece of art - use a different palette. I know this is a big word for you to handle - but let me help you out with simple terms.

Palette: The colors, or color combination used on a piece of work.  The palette may also have a theme (like all shades of blue) or be all over the map with the entire rainbow - doubtful as most are trained artists.  Usually a couple of colors will stand out as the dominating colors of the piece.  Make sure and do NOT use those colors....trust me!

If, for example the other piece of art uses yellows, blues and greens - change it around a bit.  Make your's pink ,monkey puke green and blood red.  Or go with turquoise, purple and silver.  I know this is difficult to do but do try - this way you really can "own" the art.  For example if the birthday plate you want to "imitate" has red,orange, yellow and blue - go with purple, turquoise, pink and maybe green - don't use the same colors silly! 

Better yet be original and go with the whole pink and brown thing - I hear that is huge!  By the way just so you know borrowing a "palette" or color combination from another is NOT copying, so you are okay there.

Someone Asked You to Do It

Oh, how I feel your pain, really I do!  I know this can be hard, since you so want to please the customer, the sales channel - I do too.  And, I can almost guess that sometimes you were asked to do this.  The reason I know this is I have been asked also - to copy you, and your friends, and my friends, and other artists.  However, I say no.  Copying  when a sales channel sends you a JPEG of another artists is wrong.   They don't know any better (or maybe they do) but you could just suggest something else and tell them that is illegal to copy the art.  How hard would that be?

Before I forget I do want to mention one thing, I don't want to alarm you but you may need to know about copyrights.  All artists have them, well the smart ones do.  I have even heard a few  have some fancy/schmancy attorneys too.  They can rally up together if they want to - even in this gosh awful crummy economy.  So be careful, some are not as nice as me  - practically showing you how to copy!

Timing Is Everything

If you are still not convinced my "helpful hints on copying" will help you, do take one thing to heart - release your products a long time after mine.  Don't come out with your piece right after mine - like two weeks later, come on now!  Wait a few months,  so that it is not so obvious to the customer.  This may throw some people off the scent....you can then claim you were soooo busy over the Holiday Rush (uh....maybe don't use that one this year though - stinks of a really bold faced lie)  that you could not release it.  And, if anyone asks you where you got the idea - come up with some detailed story about how it came to you months ago, years ago, in high school maybe - ooh, I know use a child!  Psst....go with that 5th grader again....say they suggestedyou paint or design a product for them!  Yes a 5th Grader!  

Most importantly claim you NEVER, EVER look at your competition - you are way too busy!  And if anyone throws some thing about SEO or Google Analytics at you and claim they know you were on their site  - deny, deny, deny!  If you deny it long enough maybe you will even start to believe yourself.

Play Nice and Be Careful Out There

Lastly, don't trash talk  your competitors.  Do not "claim" on your site that you do this, or that or how you use special art items that we don't.  You do not know the size of my brush, the paint I use, the people I purchase raw materials  from, or who produces my products, or who I have hired.  It really is not necessary to bring down the competition - okay?  Play nice  - I just gave you tons of tips on how to copy me!  Once again - even fifth graders know the whole, "If you do not have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all!"

I hope this helps you in your surfing the web for ideas - really I do!  Have a wonderful holiday season and we will be waiting for your next new design to come out.  Oh - cause Artists use the Internet too (did I mention that already?), they are probably on your site right now.

Sincerely Good luck with your creations and your copying....err "inspirations", trust me you are going to need it.

My Deffinition of Copying & Plagiarism

October 23, 2007.

"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you God?"

"Yes, I do."

"Let the records show what the defendant has brought a large piece of artwork into the court room.  Ladies and gentlemen I give you Exhibit 1 (psst..look right below, to your left sort of)."

"Will the jury please take a long hard look at this piece of artwork to my left?  Do you see the craftsmanship?  Do you see the original style?  If you would please recognize this as an original piece of artwork created by Shelly Kennedy of Drooz studio"

"Now if the court would be so kind as to take a look at exhibit 2 found on an Ebay store(sorry, I hate to beat a dead horse but this one I had to share).

I would like the record to show that this (over there look to your right now, look at it) is copying with a capital "C".  Your honor, this second piece of artwork is uh....oh hell would you LOOK at it!  Need I really rest my case?"

<Gasps from the people sitting in the court room, mass pandamonium, yelling, screaming, crying babies>

"Order in the court!  Order in the court !(banging gavel, of course) ORDER!!  Calm down, or I will find you all in contempt, (or whatever they yell)!"

Anyone that did not, or does not know what I mean by copying, this is EXACTLY what I mean by copying.  This blatant duplication of another's piece of artwork.  I know I am starting to sound like a broken record , I just thought a little visual would help everyone!  There are many us of that work in the children's industry, there are many creative writers, entrepreneurs, artists, designers in many industries- I have had the good pleasure of meeting some of you (some I just read about, like the rest of us).  I believe you are all very creative, I just think we should all try and stay original.

Just for the record (so, I do not get mean emails after the fact) I would like to state the obvious (since I am under oath and all):

1. I did NOT Create ceramic tile
2. I did NOT Create porcelain ornaments
3. I did NOT Create ceramic frames
4. I did NOT Create ceramic plates
5. I did NOT Create ceramic coasters
6. I did NOT Create door hangers
7. I was NOT the first artist to put art on tile
8. I am NOT the first Mompreneur
9. I am NOT the only mom blogger on the Internet (wink, wink, you know what I mean)
10. I am NOT the only "mother" out there raising a family while running a small business

I have been accused of many things my friends - but I am not going to say I was the first or will I be the last to do what I do.  I will try my damnedest (is that a word) to be the best at what I do.  I will not try and hide behind other people's talent.  Most importantly, I will go to bed at night with a clear conscience - knowing I made thebest product and I did not copy anyone (please if you could signal the angels singing, or the national anthem or some self righteous sounding music)

I am very curious if anyone does not see the......exact duplication and total disregard for Ms. Kennedy's copyright?  Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?  Please send me some comments....

Okay, I am off my soap box.....Carry on with your business....nothing left to see here people, go on about your day. 

Another Post on Plagerism

October 21, 2007.

Jessica Seinfeld's new book Deceptively Delicious is the talk of the town, or the talk of playgroups, or well even my sister with no children is talking it up.  She is on every TV show, she has sold tons of copies and well she is the media darling for the minute.  She must have a PR genius behind her....oh and let's not forget her husbands, you may have heard of him.......I think his name is Jerry.

Well, it is interesting to note that I found this post today about her book and it NOT being the most original idea. 

Then on Friday, I got an email from my friend Kelly Anderson of Startup Princess - regarding copying - she had used my post on a similar post for her blog.   

Hmmm, so ironic.  I love what Kelly wrote at the end of her blog:

Copying isn’t cool and it certainly ISN’T a compliment. If anything copying demonstrates lack of creativity and lack of compassion for others, particularly when money is concerned. I hope Startup Princesses take the challenge and always design with integrity and with pure intentions.

I just keep finding these stories, over and over again.  It is like when you want to have a baby and everywhere you turn around - all you see are babies, and pregnant mommies.

So,  these are both not the same thing - sort of a "horse of a different color" if you will.  Still - why can't everyone stay true to themselves and their ideas?  It may a total fluke that Jessica Seinfeld and Missy Chase Lapine had this idea about pureeing veggies for their kids, who knows?  I do know that sometimes the first one out of the gate is not always the winner, some very famous entrepreneurs know this.

A Rally Cry.....and an interview

September 21, 2007.

Well, well, well....I did not realize that this "topic" would cause quite the emotional  reaction that it did...........uh, kidding YA I did!  Anyway - look here, Shelly Kennedy has put her support behind me - and thank you Shelly!  If anyone knows about being plagiarized it is Shelly, from what I can tell she has people (notice I did NOT say artists) post items up on the Internet weekly, if not daily copying her work out right.  I may be opening up a can of worms here.....but really, if you can't be true to yourself who can you be true to?

Anyhoo - if you are not sick to death of me at this point, even I am getting sick of me.  I was interviewed on an interview site Entrepreneur Interviews. He had some very nice things to say about me, my business and my blog...thanks Cristian, greatly appreciated.

Okay and the world it is a changing.....well I am pretty sure that pigs will fly, hell will freeze over and Britney and Lindsay will get sober.....my mother actually read my blog - can you believe that? (well she uh...said she skimmed the blog....still an accomplishment).  She did let me know that the rhyme my grandfather would say goes more like this:

"Copy-cat, dirty-rat, stole your brothers baseball bat....When the bull begins to pee, you will get a cup of tea"

Uh....ewwww?  Gee, thanks for the input Mom!

We're Not Gonna Take it Anymore!

September 18,2007.

Quite a call to arms, that Twisted Sister song from back in (gulp!) 1984.....I think I even owned the album.  Well, I loved the song back in the day - not sure why, but what else was a restless teenage girl to do?  But then again, who did not shake their fists in the air at some middle school dance screaming "WERE NOT GONNA TAKE IT ANYMORE" back in the mid '80's?  Funny thing is back then I had no idea what the song meant....other than being a teenager was SOOOO awesome, and shoulder pads, and acid washed jeans, and pumps, and lip gloss, and Madonna.....oops sorry I digress.

Now that I am quite past the teenage years, hell I am a teenager 3 times over, those years are quite a blur.  Other than the random note or photograph I find from back in the day, or a long forgotten song  that I hear on the radio, I don't spend much time dwelling on those turbulent years.

Today, after finding out some information about a competitor in my industry, the Twisted Sister song immediatley popped into my head - my mantra if you will.  I actually had to go and put it on my i-pod and watch the video on u-tube....I know, I know what a great use of my time at the office....at least I am not banging my head into the keyboard. 

So, I have addressed this copying, imitating, forging - you know the drill, subject many times.  I have touched on, I have ranted on the subject, I have brought up other artists who have been copied, I have even cried about it.  Though, I have not done anything about it, I have basically just sat back, watched, waited - and maybe, uh sort of sulked about it a few times (my husband an attest to this).

I am done I tell you.  I am ready to address this head on - because....."I am mad as hell and I am not gonna take it anymore".  Seriously, the industry I work in copy-cat artists multiply, just like Gremlins (sorry, could not help the other 80's reference).  If it is not a bedding designer, it is an artist, or a new product idea, or a lamp, or a shoe, or a bag - as soon as they reach some form of success, 14 others pop up.  That old saying, 'You haven't made it till someone knocks you off ' must hold true in the Children's Industry.  So, considering what is out there today, and what I know is coming.......whoo hoo I made it America!

So, that being said I will be delving into this subject, with interviews from other entrepreneurs, trail blazers, known and unknown artisans and business owners in my industry.  They will each be giving their opinions, their advice and their stories.  As I stated in a much earlier blog;  My mother would lead me to believe copying is the 'highest form' of a flattery........uh, ya NO it isn't Mom, no it isn't!

Live or Memorex?

April 6, 2006.

Websters Dictionary Definition:

copy v. IMITATE: mimic, ape; REPRODUCE: duplicate,counterfeit, forge, depict, portray

That about sums it up for me.  I hate, hate, hate copying, or plagiarism as I like to call it.  Having been an artist all my life (went to art school, I have the degree to prove it I am not a stay at home crafter mom.....uh, sorry), I have been 'copied' many times over.

Copying as a Kid 

The first time that comes to mind is fourth grade, I entered a drawing contest for the cover of an organization newsletter.  Always needing constant stroking I showed a good friend......so I thought.......she copied it and entered the contest also.  Exact same drawing, I kid you not.  She won the front cover, I won third place, the back cover.  My mother would lead me to believe it is the 'highest form of a compliment........uh, ya no it isn't.

If your company reaches any level of success or you find your products in a highly visible sales channel, you are going to invite imitation.  It is human nature to copy, or to imitate another.  It sucks.  I personally (as I am sure you can tell) have no toleration for it.

Lack of Talent

However, in my humble opinion, someone that blatantly copies your business model, a product, whatever, is not very creative.  Let's face it, it's easy to copy someone else's idea.  What is harder is to guess their next great idea.  While I am on my soap box, I realize I did NOT create ceramic tiles, I only figured out a way to put personalized artwork on them, and sell them. 

When I find myself angry as all hell over a competitors disregard for my original ideas, it inspires me to create more.  I go into serious R & D and it makes me MORE creative.  I am truly inspired to push my product line to the next level.  In a sense they have helped me.  This is a hard lesson learned, but one that is necessary to succeed.

Sadly though, I am also tempted to send the culprit's my new product catalog with a note 'in case you needed some inspiration.