Copy cats...(could be hot button fair warning)

Baby Talk
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I understand that there has always been and will always be creatives who are greatly inspired by other creatives, nothing is brand new. We are basically taking all the same stuff and rearranging it to create more cool stuff.

We are all painting the same couple hundred sculpts. We are all using the same supplies. We all mostly have access to the same choices in styling babies (clothes, hats, Paci’s, blankets etc.)

Still there are artists you can pick out, I can say “Oh I know whose baby that is” or “I love the way she styles her babies”. I have taken two workshops from two artists here who I adore. I learned from them but I also tweaked it, gave it my own spin. Mostly because that is the way my brain works. It isn’t that I think I can do better but I just have my own way, I like my own colors, have my own mental and creative bunny trails.

No one paints like Cierra @specialmoments, that woman knows how to paint a baby. This is an artist that inspires me.

That being said…how do you feel about people copying you?

I am terrified of clowns, I mean, I really will walk a mile in another direction to avoid one at kids party, or at a parade or festival. I love me some shriners raising money for kids but I don’t want to look at them driving little cars, don’t give me a paper flower.

Still here I am making circus babies. I found a way to make them so that they didn’t scare me, I give them a story in my head, and damn babies are just adorable no matter what, you can’t not like a baby even if they have crazy hair and make up. Ok, the ones with the pointy teeth and scary faces give me nightmares but only because it is meant to be scary.

I am working on another baby that is inspired by a doll that terrified me as a kid. Same thing I am trying to see if I can create a shade of that baby that changes how I feel.

It is expensive therapy but I love it.

Two fantasy artists that inspired me here are Jodi Lombardi, if you have not seen her clown babies, my gawd she is a genius, check them out. Bean from the twisted beanstalk (who doesn’t know who she is right?) not only is she super sweet and hilarious but she does her thing with no apology, she makes her art and if you dig it cool, if you don’t, cool. She just lives her life out loud and she is super creative. I don’t like horror but she is the queen of alternative and fantasy reborns.

Inspiration is a feeling you get. It “inspires” you to try something different, more, it elevates you a bit.

I give these two artists credit for helping me step outside my comfort zone, but in a way that is me, not them.

The win is I am less afraid to use color or to take a detour where I may have not before.

I received several messages this month from dolly friends showing me photos of someone who is “copying me” on Reborns.com, it bothered me, and gawd that is so third grade of me to kinda get upset about it. I mean I am inspired by someone right?

There is a difference between inspiration and copying.

My son is a musician and he was asked to do some covers professionally. The right to do them was paid for and legal. He doesn’t like doing covers, he is a singer and songwriter. He struggled with it. I asked him why and he said because that s someone else’s work. " If I do it, I have to try to do it better, I have to take what I have and make it my own in a way or I am just imitating, I am my own artist" Not sure if he got that from me or he just kinda gets it.

This is just dolly making and it shouldn’t be that big a deal but I am curious what other people think.

I kinda wanted to message her but I can’t imagine it wouldn’t hurt her feelings no matter how careful I was. Not sure it’s my job to try and “teach” anyone anything. Collectors know the difference, she is trying to figure herself out, maybe that is enough.

Here is my kid taking someone else’s song and making it his (he was 17 at the time), for those of you were here for this part of his journey, he is doing great, still making music, has a new album he is working on. He does a lot of producing and composing behind the scenes. He made a music video last summer with some film friends out at our old boat, he let someone he knew write and direct it, it was a lot of fun, he is going to release it this year with the album. He is 23 now!!!

Turn up the volume, rock out,

and have a great day

G

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Only 5.9 months on reborns s, and even copying colors. Lets be original and make every baby monster, clown, regular baby, whatever your imagination conjured up our own work.They say :footprints: :baby:it is flattery but it may hurt others feelings because it was in their minds eye to create these special little ones. No one makes a clown like you Gina, you’re the best!

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First of all, Noah ~ I am a fan and enjoyed his time on The Voice so thank you for sharing the link. Great to see him and hear him sing again!

Second, that “artist” has a loooong way to go if she thinks she’s copying you :joy: She’s not even on the same playing field! She’s doing the equivalent of a poor knock off of your work. She won’t get far in the reborn world pulling a stunt like this. We take care of our own :heart:

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I was inspired by one of the forum member and painted a baby similar to hers. Did I painted exactly the same? No. But it’s a ‘character’ baby, so it wear similar clothes.
Do I feel bad about painting that baby - No. I am grateful to that artist for her inspiration.

Same with avatars. My Avatar babies have a distinct patterns on their foreheads, but basically almost all Avatars are blue with stripes and dots. Should I not paint it because someone else painted them?

I don’t like clowns, especially those scary ones. But I am inspired by you to paint a clown because yours are adorable. If it will have red noise, pink circles on the cheeks, and white shading, would you say that I copied you?

Nothing in this word is original. Somewhere, someone already done it at some point, IMO.
People create tutorials and classes.
I don’t want to hurt your feelings, just expressing my thoughts.
With all that said I’ll go to Reborns and try to find the clown that you are talking about.

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I think it depends on what people are doing specifically! I see lots of people doing clowns but in my opinion yours use a lot of soft colors and designs, so if she’s specifically doing that, then I would be really frustrated, but if she’s doing pop art or some other style, then I’d try to grin and bear it.

Reborning is rough because you can’t copyright a certain style, and there will always be people trying to imitate success(you in this situation :heart:)

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@Gabriell Is this is the one that people reported to you? I see similarities in the style, but I couldn’t find exactly the same one in your nursery, unless they are not all posted there.

I think here is another can of worms. People who are reporting other people should find something better to do (unless they are reporting scammers).

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I also found one that very similar to Lombardo style, but this is what prototypes are for - to be inspired.
And I think you should do prototypes.

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I haven’t dealt with it in the reborning world, but I’ve dealt with it in school and social life for sure. I try to not let things like that affect me but sometimes it’s hard to ignore it. There’s always going to be people out there who will try to snake ideas from others, especially working in a creative field. Thankfully my job has good people, and those who have been working in the industry for a long time are able to spot copycats. I’ll never understand people who don’t credit others for inspiration and just blatantly copy other artists.

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You are nice, I would give the Oscar or the (baby) to Jodi, she is pretty amazing.

It kinda irked me but for a lot of reasons not just ego.

Hope snow is melting where you are and spring is bringing all kinds of goodness.

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I don’t want to hurt her or her feelings, some people just don’t know. It is a missed opportunity to shine for her though. I think if it was me I would have made that baby but kept it, or given it away and then let my creativity flow and see what I could do. She might have skills that are untapped. Thank you for having my back you and @Shera1 you ladies are OG, and pretty awesome.

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It doesn’t hurt my feelings at all, it is a personal thing, the question is would you think, “Hmmmm is this me or is this her” and be ok with what ever the answer is. I personally like to crank it up a little, risk ruining a doll, making a funny looking baby, just to see where I can go. That is my own self. I respect your reply. Not trying to out the person just wondering how other people feel.

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Very true. It isn’t my job to police anyones creativity but when it hits a little close to home you have feelings…it hasn’t ruined my day, I am not mad, just curious what my peers think and feel.

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I would say that if this particular baby was one in question I would say that is a little too close to not be copying. There are plenty of opportunities there to make it your own.

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I would call this copying honestly.

If you are going to do it, do it better.

Hope that doesn’t sound mean.

It is just how I feel.

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They say imitation is the most sincere form of flattery and that’s probably true BUT if it were me, I would have mentioned “clown inspired by the amazing work of artist Gina Gabriell” ~ better that than risk ruining her reputation before she even gets started. I’m not the reborn police, of course, and everyone is entitled to their opinion. I stand by what I said: no way she is actually copying your work. She can’t. No one can. I can’t even copy my own work, let alone anyone else’s :joy:

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You have created your own style, it took years of painting outside of reborning, and painting reborns before there were supplies to do it. You put in the work. I think that work inspired people, helped them out, you are always generous with information, you have helped me out several times when I first started. When I could I was as generous as I could be, made videos showing people how to do it (maybe not well but…) We all give back in our own way. I feel people should take the info and run with it, do their own thing, make some magic.

I like this thread though, it is giving me a lot of perspective. I hope I don’t sound like a mean girl, or a petty person. I am ok with her doing it, just hope she finds her own way.

I remember when I made the little dots on the fairy face, it felt a little too close to one of beans babies, and I emailed her and let her know that I hoped it was ok.

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I’d be a tad annoyed…if it was so obvious someone was trying to flat out copy. kind of like when I have found pictures of my dolls on scam sites. At first annoyed and at the same time kind of flattered that someone even wanted to pretend they had my doll (if that makes any sense) I have seen some dolls by different artists and immediately thought I recognized who painted it because it would look so similar to another artist’s style. I get why some say it could be flattery because someone obviously likes your style so much that they want badly to replicate that…but it’s also kind of upsetting because most people aren’t going to come right out and say “I painted this after so and so’s style because I’m a fan”
I have seen so many beautifully painted and rooted dolls and painted hair, that I have actually screenshot them for inspiration and definitely tried to take a lesson on how the artist did it. But I would not want to copy them to a T. If that’s what this person is doing it might be intentional but she might also be tone deaf. You do paint beautiful babies, Gina. Actually, the first reborn I coveted so badly was Cloud, painted by you (realborn Jaxon) And because I couldn’t afford one like him I got into reborning!! Lol then I tried my hand at painting that same baby in hopes he could look kind of like yours and I would keep him LOL let’s just say mine was HIDEOUS😂

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If she used the same kit, paint the same way with the same colors at the same places and very similar clothes, that’s copying and I would be mad, I would be a little bit hurt.
If it’s a different kit, or different colors, or different patterns, than it’s inspiration and that’s totally fine.
Clowns (or vampires or zombies or whatever) kind all looks similar after a while and it’s normal, even regular babies are very similar as it’s not the majority of artists who can achieve a very specific style.
It’s like sewing or crochet, after a while, a shirt is a shirt and stiches are limited so yes, unless they use exactly the same fabric/yarn in the same color in the exact same way, it’s not copying.

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I bet that baby is precious, you made him and there will never be another baby exactly like it. Sometimes the outcome isn’t as important as just leaping even if you think you can’t do something or afraid. Just ordering the sculpt and sitting down with a paintbrush, that is winning! Are you still painting?

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True.

Designers all over the world have to brave up when Target brings out its new lines.