Ownership and Giving Credit


Home from a good day of teaching at The Art Bar. A technique was brought up and Student #1 said she had learned it from so and so. Another student piped in that she also had been taught the technique but by another instructor. I jumped in saying that I was also familiar with said technique but that So and So had popularized it but I would be willing to bet that So and So also had learned it elsewhere. All of this led me to think about bringing up this subject on my blog today. 

In the world, we're constantly learning and exploring new ideas. We try new things, if we are passionate about these ideas we take them, push them and make them our own. We make them our own by placing our own unique thumb print on our work. We are not laying claim to the technique but to our own individual sense of style that we have learned and developed through trial, error *and* the support and encouragement of those around us. 

Now you might say, "I've never taken a class from so and so. I've never read any of the popular books or magazines." Yet at the same time, we are all (whether we are aware of it or not) influenced by everyone and everything we see around us. 

You can claim ownership on your artwork and your own signature style but you are not the first person to collage, pull prints, bind a book, etc... Am I saying that you shouldn't give credit where it is due? Of course not. Giving acknowledgment to our teachers and fellow artists should be something we do without hesitation.

Maybe what I'm trying to say is be open to acknowledging art for art's sake. That we learn from, share with and inspire others. Even when we aren't aware of it. Instead of jumping to take the credit, give it. Pass it on and see how we can broaden our community and better ourselves not as artists but also as human beings.

Comments

Maria said…
Well said Kelly. I teach art and craft classes too and work in the same store as a retail assistant. Occasionally I make display items based on ideas of people I admire and I always give credit. For example on a card I made(not for a class)I've put a sticker on the back saying "inspired by XYZ". It's just good karma.
Jolene said…
Right On, Kelly!
Whenever I am in a conversation with anyone about art journals or art journaling and they ask how I came to be interested in it YOU are the first person I mention! I LOVE letting people know that you inspired and encouraged me...without ever meeting face-to-face or taking a class! There is room enough for all of us -- we don't have to be secretive or act as if we are the ONLY ONE doing something. I like to think that the majority of ARTISTS are peaceful, loving, and giving people. Maybe I am just too much of a hippie at heart -- but I will always hold on to that belief (even when some prove me wrong! HA HA!).
Dlee said…
I agree with you about laying claim to a certain style. We all learn from each other and share with each other,at least one would hope. Some people are just better at teaching what they have learned and created their own style.
Anonymous said…
Hello, Yes I agree with all of the above comments and Kelly's post. Also we soak up a lot without realising and sometimes we forget this also, it is impossible not to be influenced by everything around us, Karenxx
Susie said…
I couldn't agree more Kelly, I think the only difference between how our ancestors created and every living artist out there right now and how we create are that we have access to so much information and so many different mediums, tools and equipment, unless someone has lived in a cave their entire life, we are going to be influenced by what we see, when an artist honestly digs deep, when what we are using becomes extensions of ourselves and our life, when the tools become extensions of our hands, when our soul leaks out, it's ours, but how we do it, that magic and the ability to do it is something we glean from those who've gone before us, I'm not sure any technique can be truly new anymore, not with the web, youtube and the virtual classroom, how we create, is a universal commodity, I'm not sure that there is much new ground to break when it comes to techniques, not unless there is some new tool or medium involved but then that technique is generally just a new twist on an old idea, I believe one should always give credit to those who've inspired them along the way, who they've learned from. I couldn't do what I do without having learned from every single artist who has come before me, who I've taken classes from; including you. Giving them credit honors them, honors their gifts and preserves their legacy and that is just as important as the art they create.
Unknown said…
You have put your point so succinctly and I totally agree with you 100%

The comments re-iterate that too.

Very thought provoking

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