PeterLily

So, a while ago I made this disneybound outfit. All and all, the reception has been pretty nice, but there’s an issue I’ve been trying to swallow for about a year now and I just can’t be quiet anymore. I’ve asked in pretty plain terms that people please not steal the concept or try to recreate it, but there have been multiple occasions where that’s been entirely disregarded. Needless to say, as someone who worked hard on my own ideas and with my own hands to put it together, it’s a little disconcerting. I just need to get this off my chest and out into the open.

Creating (art, making stuff, all that goodness) is where I find a lot of my fulfillment in life, so it’s really validating when people give something I do recognition. I spent a long time thinking up and slowly bringing the pieces of this together. This all stems from my passion for Peter Pan and his story and styles I personally relate to. I did what I felt made sense for Peter and what felt natural for me to wear. I was glad it showed since people seemed to like it.

What I wasn’t so thrilled with was when I saw comments or received asks upon asks of this nature (and this is just a handful):

I try to be polite, I answer these things privately if not brush them off.  I never wanted to evoke the forces of social justice, so I never called anyone out despite how much seeing people steal the idea upset me. It’s not that I wish I would have put anyone on blast, but I’d be lying if I said I don’t regret not trying harder to address these people. Why? Because then I received this: 

I really appreciated this tumblr user for giving the heads up, but it was pretty disheartening to hear the news. What happens mere hours after?

Hmm… Coming to me because you know someone called you out on it and then apologizing after the fact you did something totally makes it okay. By the way, I checked out their page, and of the pics I saw they had up there, I saw not so much as a mention of them being inspired by anyone, much less a link back or anything like that. This was just one of many to follow. 

Just going into the tag “punk Peter Pan” or “Peter Pan cosplay” reveals more cases the longer you scroll. Most others I’ve either seen on Peter Pan blogs I follow. None of these people (ones that are blatant copies, that is) asked permission, or if they did, they completely ignored that I asked that they please don’t try to remake what I did. As you can see, people like to use the line “I’ll give credit!” Like that softens the blow. I don’t know about anyone else, but I don’t see one mention of me or the PeterLily account on any of the photos anyone’s uploaded. On a few occasions, I contacted some of the people who did this, asking that at the very least they could link back, make mention of their inspiration, something. Not one replied.

But it’s flattery that someone should want to remake your design! Not to me. Flattery would be a nice compliment, or some art, making a skin on Animal Crossing (someone did that and it was adorable). I don’t know, but things of that nature. To me, recreating the outfit for some convention isn’t about complimenting me, it’s about other people complimenting you as though you came up with it yourself. So, uh, this argument isn’t doing anything to convince me.

I don’t want people attacking those who’ve done this, just for everyone who has or would to know what it is they’re doing through their actions of blatant disregard. It’s insulting, hurtful and makes people not want to put anything up. Think of this as art theft.

It doesn’t matter if you feel entitled to something (something someone else made for themselves, not for you) or if you think someone is being defensive in ways you don’t understand. If the artist makes their wishes clear, you should respect them.

This outfit is just one case that happens more often than anything else. Both myself and Venia have seen several occasions where an attempt to take one idea or another was made. The small stuff we try not to sweat, but when it keeps happening, I think we’re within our rights to defend ourselves. We don’t own characters or themes, we didn’t invent existing styles, but for all the articles and accessories we made ourselves, those are ours. You can do a punk inspired Peter Pan outfit! By all means, have fun, but don’t rip off the one I designed. Taking the same elements and maybe changing what a patch says or something like that does not make it okay. 

There’s a level of trust people put into strangers on the internet when they post their art, whatever form it may be. It’s exciting to create, and you naturally want to share it with others. However, it’s meant to be enjoyed within the parameters of respect. Just because someone puts something of theirs up because they wanted to share what they made with the world, does NOT mean you are entitled to take it as your own.

I try to be polite when I reply, but I don't think it's very polite when people obviously know I'm not cool with people taking the design and then try to cover their tracks. This is one of many, I have enough messages like these to fill a thesis paper page requirement, and it's pretty discouraging. I reiterate: