To quote Nick Douglas in his article -
An Artist Explains What "Great Artists Steal" Really Means

'“A good composer does not imitate; he steals,” Igor Stravinsky supposedly said. Faulkner allegedly phrased it as “Immature artists copy, great artists steal.” Steve Jobs put it most simply: “Good artists copy, great artists steal.” The saying regularly inspires artists, thinkers, and dorm-room poster designers. But in practical terms, what does it mean?

There are some definitely wrong interpretations. “Steal” here doesn’t mean “plagiarize;” that doesn’t turn anyone into a great artist. It explicitly doesn’t mean “copy.” So what’s left? Plenty.'

In Nick's article he explores various options...

Make the idea yours...
Follow the pattern...
Be ethical...

Read his article for further info - click on his heading for the link...

So whilst this is an age-old problem, I recently had an artist contacting me off instagram asking me if she could copy my most recent painting for commercial gain... When I expressed that I would rather she not, she sent me some links on another artist who is flagrantly copying my work - with the comment that 'that' artist hadn't asked permission, whilst she had... Whilst I respect that she did contact me, it doesn't grant a passage of right... We all know that copyright laws are notoriously expensive to fight...

We left it that she would copy me but would express to her buyer that she hadn't received my permission...

“We are so accustomed to the comforts of "I cannot", "I do not want to" and "it is too difficult" that we forget to realize when we stop doing things for ourselves and expect others to dance around us, we are not achieving greatness. We have made ourselves weak.”
― Pandora Poikilos

So I went to Splashy Fenn... And did the sky fall in... No, said Chicken Licken...

I was scared - and maybe that's an understatement... I was shitfuckinganxiously scared...

I had hurdles to overcome...
Three days of sleeping in a car (I'm a seasoned camper - but hey I was a car virgin).
And where were the portaloos when you needed them (did I say portaloos...?)
Hot Showers - hell no (maybe there were a few - but the queue was over an hour long and the water ran out occasionally) - I mean, how do you time your shower so that the queues were manageable and the people had buggered off and not taken the bloody water with them...?
The people - all 8000 of them...!!!
The noise (the drunken people stumbling about, shrieking loudly into the wee hours of the morning)...
The drugs (marijuana has just been legalised so why wouldn't people go apeshit?)
Even the music...

And where was my safe space...?

Who knew the car would be warm and comfy (and even quiet), that the toilets weren't fuck-far - and were also clean.  Who needs showers when you can have a lovely warm bucket bath in a camping shower (that doubles up as a dressing room) - 15 minutes and you're clean and shiny and bright..
And the people were awesome... No hugely pissed people (except maybe me one night - but that's another story) and no drugged up zombies... Just normal happy families and friends out to enjoy themselves...

I made a decision a few years ago that I was going to say "YES" to every opportunity that didn't compromise my integrity and value systems....   Its always been easy for me to say no - to stay safe...  But my time has come...

Yes, I'm wearing a garbage bag...
Yes, I'm drinking a mix of gin, beer and granadilla...
No, maybe I won't be drinking it again...