Originality

 Hi Friends,

I wanna chat about something that's been on my mind recently. Most of what we do someone else has done before. It's true. Does that mean if I have an idea, only to later find out someone else has had that same idea, I can't do anything with it?

Ninety nine percent of the time I have an idea for a tutorial to share with you guys or a new product for my shop, I search the web and find at least one {and sometimes dozens} of other people have used that same basic concept.

My point is that I think it's really important for us to remember that just because I/we/you make or do or use something that we came up with all on our own doesn't mean someone else wont have a similar idea. I've noticed several other bloggers getting all up in arms about plagiarism and copyright issues; and sometimes they have every right to be upset. There are many cases where directly copying someone else is very wrong and hurtful. Not to mention illegal.

However, I'm sure in most cases we don't mean each other any harm. I think if we deal with situations like these with gentility, grace and love we can avoid quite a bit of hostility. There is nothing wrong with approaching someone else about a creative rights issue you may have with them. But there is a wrong way to go about doing it. Before you approach someone else with an issue like this, please consider if the idea is basic enough that it makes sense someone else would have thought of it also or the fact that they may feel just as much pride and ownership over the idea as you do.

Lets all act like the polite gown-ups we should be.

A final note to people who are maliciously stealing ideas that rightfully belong to someone else::: STOP IT.

xoxo
Janee