Oops... (and a little rant)

I didn't mean to sound quite so scared! Don't worry, I couldn't change if I wanted to. I just had a momentary blip in confidence.  Doesn't stop me from enjoying a little extra attention though!
But thank you to those of you that commented and emailed to tell me that I'm doing ok just as I am. That's a bit of a relief, because this is all I've got to give you. And I have to agree that keeping it real works for me too.

Anyway, lets leave my little insecurities behind and move on to much more fun things.
I'm still working on my Dungeness inspired range and absolutely loving it. More on that another day, but isn't it interesting how such a desolate place feels so personal to so many?

In other news (hah, I just made myself laugh by typing that! I'm such an easy date!) I signed up for this  swap at the beginning of June, but unfortunately had my last miscarriage 2 days later and in the subsequent blahhness that followed, I completely forgot about it (just to keep my track record for swaps at completely crap!), until a beautifully wrapped parcel arrived from my poor swap partner (I know, there's a few of you out there! And I'm hanging my head in shame).

The parcel was full of beautiful, beautiful gifts and was sent by the talented Christine of Petal Soft.
Unfortunately I'm  a complete idiot and haven't yet taken photo's of the contents! I just tried to upload photo's that don't exist. That keeping it real enough for you?? Tired? Uh huh. Stupid? Hell yeah!
But it's too late in the game to think of a new topic for this post so you'll just have to believe me when I say that as soon as I opened the gifts, not only did my heart lurch at the fact that I had completely forgotten about the swap, but it also started to beat just a little faster when I saw just how lucky I was.
Christine had put real thought in to her side of the swap and had even colour co-ordinated it with the photo's she'd seen of my studio.
I  do promise to take photo's and do it all some real justice in another post but in the meantime why don't you pop over to Christine's blog and have a look around. It's worth it, as my lovely friend Tif has already said.

One thing that I will say though is that Christine received an anonymous email today that was cowardly and unnecessary. I've noticed over the year and a half that I've been blogging that there is an element out there that feels the need to attack certain new bloggers. I've also noticed that these attacks seem to come from people that must be very insecure about their own talent. And not only have I noticed this, but right back in the beginning I experienced it for myself.
I've had a good look at Christine's blog and whilst I can see some very obvious influences there, they are particularly obvious because Christine herself states who she is being heavily influenced by. And she also states that her heavily influenced work is for her own benefit only. She does not intend to sell any of it.
Now I read the email that she received and it did have a positive slant to it, as well as being critical. But it missed the whole point of crafting. It missed the fact that not everyone is out there to make money or seek fame. Some people actually do it for the love and enjoyment. Go figure.
And this person, in a misguided and cowardly way (why do it anonymously if you're so sure you're right and why not give the other person a chance to respond in private?) took some of that fun away, just because they assumed that it was their job to point out that there is such a thing as copyright.
You know, this whole thing annoyed me. I hate the tendency of some bloggers to assume that new bloggers are stupid. To assume that they aren't well read and knowledgeable. This may surprise some people, but an awful lot of people out there managed to be creative long before they started their blog. And some of them have even heard of Intellectual Property and Creative Commons. Crazy huh?

There you see? Whilst I may be sounding a little grumpy (I'm not), I am at least back to my old, 'just don't know how to make friends or influence people' self. Phew!

Comments

[geek+nerd]

Ohhhhh that's too bad that Christine got a nasty e-mail. I'm so with Thumper's mom from Bambi - If you don't have anything nice to say than don't say anything at all. People blog for enjoyment, at least I do! Nobody wants to open up their e-mail to snarky comments. Tut-tut-tut...*commiserating over here*

[Kristy]

You know how I feel about all the protectiveness some bloggers place over 'their' designs.Creativeness is organic and there are really no new ideas just re-interpretations of old ones. It's shameful for someone to inflict their opinions on someone else and remain anonymous.Reactions like that will restrict creativity for everyone in the long run as crafters will be scared of being accused of being copy-cats.

[Jane Weston]

Glad you are feeling back in form...and sorry to here about your friend Christine..I have to agree with the two previous commenters that you shouldn't say something unless it is a nice something...what a shame that someone felt the need to be a party-pooper...and a cowardly one too!

[Hilda May]

Hi Manda, LOVE YOUR STUFF, I have checked out Christine at Dottie Angel and now LOVE HER STUFF TOO!! Thanks to you loads more people will be checking her out and seeing her lovely stuff. The nasty email has had a posititive effect. Ha! TAKE THAT NASTY EMAILER PERSON!
Rachel x

[bigbucketgirl]

For me, I think that creativeness in which ever form it takes always takes influence from something around us. Seeing how someone makes a dolls arm or binds a quilt, re-hashing notes to make a new song etc. can all creep into the next new idea.
I'll await the cowardly commenters when broadband comes next week and I can post my photos! Off to see Christine now then with my breakfast bagel.
( Glad I didn't send you underground with my singing.)

[Tracy]

why are people so nasty????
if they are so worried about the chance of inspiring other talented folk with there work, then they should keep all their ideas to themselves and sit in a lonely dark room looking miserable!
i,m off with my cup of tea to Christine,s to give her a big hug and a friendly smile x

by the way - loving your new work manda x
tracy x

[Tif]

i am so upset to hear this Manda, having just featured the lovely Christine on my blog this makes me very saddened...i do not believe there is a single crafter out there that can put there hand up and truely say they have never been influenced by someone or somebody around them at sometime with there work (maybe i'm wrong but that's what i think, after all we are visual people)...Christine always states if this is so, which is more than a lot of crafters...plus what we should be looking at and what i felt drew me to her work is her incredible skill and talent...i'm actually really saddened by this. and you are quite right anonymous comments are just cowardly...but they hurt anyway...

[Sam]

Crikey. I was thinking of starting my own blog after being inspired by this amazing community but I didn't consider the possibiity of people responding with harsh criticism until now. What a shame that people react in this way. On the positive side, your highlighting of this issue in your blog will send people (like me) over to Christine's blog and they (like me) will discover what a great place it is!

[Nora]

I'm so glad you wrote this. I hope the people it's directed at actually read it. And, more importantly, understand it.

[Mama Urchin]

I'm quite confident that none of us were the first to create a doll, a quilt, a collage, etc. Plus who made this anonymous person the copyright police? I think if they were actually concerned, instead of just being a bit rude, they would have contacted the "copied" artist and let them decide.

[Liz]

Good rant, but more importantly, thank you for introducing those of us who had not found her yet, to Christine. She is a trully talented lady.

[Katherine]

Manda I love you, I had a look at Christine's blog, more out of pure nosiness, and discovered it was Christine I used to work with back in Sheffield, I loved it when she brought her work in to show us. And now I can see loads more of it having not seen her for a few years. Thank you!

[Toni]

There is nothing new under sun. Just new twists. Everything we all make is bound to look similar in some degree, to "something" out there in the world. How is one to keep up with it all? Not possible. Christine does beautiful work. I'm glad you brought her up so I could find her!

I'm afraid it's not only new bloggers that get mean comments. I got 2 a while back, both from the same person. It is so clear that they have a problem I sometimes feel sorry for them! I chose to ingnore them (even though they did leave an email) because it wasn't even worth my time to address them. They were just being nasty and wanted to pick a fight. I don't mind saying so, but I am so above that.

[Jude]

That's a shame! If you look at art history similar movements evolved spontaneously all the time. What's not to say that happens in craft too? Aren't we all a little at the mercy of the shops? I will go leave a nice comment!!! Good for you Manda - and show us what was in the parcel!

[Grainne]

I love the way you did the hair on your new topsy turvy doll. Very nice!
I'm going to look at Christine's blog now and leave a nice comment.

[Kate]

I have been so inspired by blogs (including yours), I agree there is no really new ideas, but you can put your own slant on things to make them your own. I have often worried about posting pictures as they might look like something else someone else has made. Thanks for introducing me to Christine and in a funny coincidence to this post I have been trying to work out some how to do 'scrappy cloth dolls hair' which was looking kind of similar to your top dolls.

[Elizabeth]

I'm with Liz up above. I'm glad to now have booked marked Christine's blog. People really are a piece of work aren't they!!

[Sue]

Oh Manda, I cant believe there are still people out there who think that other people are stealing their ideas. How many billion people are in this world, and how many of them think similar things! Everyone is allowed their creative right, and if credit is given, then the original person should take it as a compliment. I am sure there are a few nasties out there who do try to "cash in" and take credit for other people's ideas but for the most part I think bloggers are very honest and do give credit to the deserving party if that is where the inspiration was inspired from. By the way I love your new doll, too cute as always.

[Lilbird]

Manda - you blog continues to amaze me and hold my interest. You are a true talent.

There is something weird out there in blogland lately. Poor Nora over on BDK is also being harrassed.....I'm never sure where this comes from or what's wrong with people. I guess this is just life, but sometimes it stinks.