Saturday, July 18, 2009

Why Do You Create?


It's such a broad question..why do you create? No matter what you create, music, art, crafts, writing, etc....WHY do you do it? Does it bring you peace? Does it bring you joy? For monetary gains? Sometimes it is a matter of a combination of all these things and more. For myself it is a combo of them all. I need the extra money with astronomical prices of things and our rising cost of health insurance. But I also enjoy the challenge of learning new things, putting my spin on a pattern or tutorial, and trying new tasks. I enjoy the mediums I work with, collecting the supplies and the accomplishment of a finished product.

But what if you make something everyone else can make? How do you not just feel like a copycat of everyone else?

By making the items YOURS and putting YOUR spin on things. Sure, a bib is a bib. Chances are they will look relatively the same. But you can change it up a little. Use a snap instead of Velcro for a closure. Use funky fabrics. Make it waterproof. Make it a pocket bib. Add a musical button. There are likely a multitude of different variations you can put on an item to make it unique.

And maybe it won't be THAT unique. Maybe someone else makes the EXACT same thing. But unless you are directly stealing a copyrighted, trademarked, patented product, DO NOT SWEAT IT. There are plenty of buyers for handmade artisan work and you should focus on doing what YOU like to do.

Experiment, try new things, branch out of your comfort zone. You may crash and burn and fail horribly. Or you may discover a new genre you never knew you liked. You may develop haters who don't like you making something similar to what they make. Or you may develop a new customer base who appreciates you branching out and finding new items to purchase. You may make friends, you may make enemies. Let it all roll off your back!

Creating handmade work is about YOU and your individuality. It's about your creative outlet, however that may be. If all you want to do is recreate a pattern, do so! (Tweak it ever so slightly or you are indeed creating copyright infringement, at least in the case of commercially sold sewing patterns.)

If it doesn't bring a smile to your face...why are you doing it?



~~Amy

**Photographs Courtesy of: CreativeDC on Flickr

2 comments:

Sean Gill said...

Thanks for the post. It's so easy to forget why you create. Especially when you start sharing and selling to other people. One gets caught up in the idea that if other people don't like it then you must be doing something wrong. I have to sit still every now and then and remind myself that I make music for me and at the end of the day it doesn't matter if anyone else understands what I do.

Leather Made Nice said...

Food for thought. I have been on the other end of creativity and had my items copied. But as I am reminded my by hubby and partner in business. Everything started somewhere and it was most likely not my idea first. Great blog!!

Anne ^i^

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