Blog / 2014 / Understanding Fear
June 5, 2014
The images below are how you can be sure that I know what I’m talking about in this video. A few months ago I discovered that Adrienne Lewis, someone who was a few years behind me in college, was copying my style. When I wrote positively about her imitation, she denied that she had been looking at my art and the many tutorials on my blog.
Even though her copying is not a violation of copyright law, it’s adjacent to it, and her lie caused me to experience all three kinds of fears that I describe in my vlog today. There are few things so demoralizing as interacting with a person who doesn’t tell the truth.
While I’d love for Lewis to show me how her style evolved if it wasn’t by copying me, all I can do is trace the source of my fears and focus on getting over them. I can accept the compliment that it is to be imitated, and I can concentrate on building better relationships with an ever larger audience. I can educate artists about how to know when you’ve copied too much, and I can work on my self-confidence.
UPDATE
November 17, 2014
I have come to a kind of peace with Lewis’ imitation of my style. This video explains how.
Art is the love of other humans made tangible across space and time. When a person can’t get a hug from a friend, art is there to make them feel seen and understood. Please share my work with your favorite people!
Maybe this post made you think of something you want to tell me? I’d love to hear from you.
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