Dar Intarnet: Recognition comes at a price

Once your Work is online, somebody will want to copy or 'liberate' it by presenting your research, creations, intellectual property or art as their own. Art - wise, copying has been part of art, ornament and adornment ever since people began drawing on cave walls. The fact many will happily volunteer this information, unbidden, to the original artist is a reminder they speak from a place of goodness and innocence, or at the worst, thoughtlessness... 

                        Flaming baseball image courtesy ipadwallpaper.net            

...Although, a casual online acquaintance once emailed stating my design 'look' was now her New Look, and did so bluntly in an 'in - your - face' sort of way. She lives on another continent and we've neither met personally nor spoken to one another. The statement reminded me of high school baseball. Catchers  sometimes trash - talk under their breath, trying to rattle the batter's concentration and confidence when they step up to the plate. I thought it an odd thing to write and briefly wondered if she'd been drunk at the time she sent the email. Later, I found out why she told me this.

Individuals trying to recreate another's gestalt have good intentions, and might be trying to teach themselves in the process.  This is a historically documented, world wide method for students and apprentices in the arts and fine craft professions to learn new skills.  Soon, most of them are making changes, tweaking, and morphing the work into their own vision.



Others may be talented enough to copy and manufacture, but lack design skill, the courage to experiment, or self discipline required for true creative work. So they take the work of other people. Not much we can do about that, realistically speaking. We live in a litigious society, but in most cases the offending individuals have so little, and court costs are so high and time consuming, its just not realistic or emotionally healthy to go after every offender. Also, you'll have to prove damages and document with tax returns and spread sheets exactly how much money this copycat has cost your income. QuickBooks anyone?   

Most people encountered in this business are perfectly normal, pleasant, and have their own business to tend to. These are good people with integrity. They'll exchange a few pleasantries, ask a question or two, and that's that. In this blog, I'm not talking about customers or acquaintance/peer relationships with whom positive, professional information and emails are exchanged.

Sometimes a good belly laugh is the best attitude 

 A fringe minority try to cultivate a sort of peer - relationship, going through the motions of networking. The sources and advice they share are obvious, common knowledge. You think; 'Hmmm. He means well, even if his information is pretty basic', but now there might be a nagging sense of moral obligation. After 'sharing',  this type is soon enqiring about your sources, processes, palette. Even if you seldom communicate with them, time passes and eventually they're using the same colors, elements, patterns, designs, subject matter, ways of photographing and presentation as yourself.  Similar titles and descriptions, even stalking your facebook page and blogs to find new customers - and contacting them!  These people have an agenda: they want to be us. They want something they think we have. Could be passion, joy, intelligence, a happy family, nice appearance,  health, creativity, money, whatever. And they wish us ill.

The Gift of Fear  by Gavin De Becker, addresses the importance of listening to instinct. Every woman should read this, because women (generally speaking) tend to stay in potentially harmful and negative situations despite instinctual misgiving, for fear of  giving offense. We don't want to come across as rude or ignorant, nor alienate potential clients and customers and tolerate invasive,m offensive behaviors far longer than male counterparts, all because we don't want to misjudge, exhibit any sort of bias, or god forbid, insult the person who is harassing us.  De Becker is discussing physical violence and con artists, but his basic research holds true for strangers approaching us via email or on social networks.  In some industries, like the arts & design, the predators don't want to hurt us physically, but they're after something they imagine we have.

Envy and obsessive fixation can make some individuals invasive and passive aggressive. If a casual online peer/acquaintance seems to know a little too much about you or where you purchase your supplies, they  might be stalking your online presence. If interaction leaves you wondering afterward what he/she meant by an odd remark, or feeling negative in some way, be vigilant.

A final note about the information that's  available online to your competition, scammers, stalkers, nosy acquaintances, and people with far to much time on their hands.

Change your *Ebay and Paypal accounts to different alias, and don't tell anyone what it is.  The person stalking my ebay account must have noticed that something she'd wanted had showed up in one of my necklaces. She'd have then checked the 'sold' listing to discover the auction winner/buyer, then compared  some of my other Ebay purchases with elements used in necklaces I sell on Etsy.  As a seller, she's privy to details in my history such as watched items, bids, what I was bidding on, the items, vendors, purchases and the amounts spent. When I began selling some beads on Ebay, a friend explained how this worked. The transparency is allowed by Ebay in an effort to deter repeat scamming. My friend explained how this woman ( who lives in the EU) was getting into my accounts, and we compared it with her own purchase history, now visible to me because I was a seller also.

Sure enough, withing a week or so of my purchase, the same purchase from the same vendor was showing up in her accounts. Within a few weeks, designs closely approximating my own, and radically different from her normal creative stream, began appearing on Etsy and Ebay.  The entire episode felt invasive and more than a little creepy.

By changing an alias periodically, a stalker can't follow your purchases and use the information as a trail back to you or your accounts. Every detail of your purchase and selling history is openly available to sellers on Ebay. Even if you use a service like ESnipe, that bids anonymously on your behalf by a predetermined set of perimeters. After the auction is over, the item shows up as sold, with your Ebay alias listed as buyer/winner. I'm in the process of closing down my Ebay account for this reason - they have a 180 day waiting period before the entire account is officially closed.

I use opportunities like the above as ongoing education.  Human nature doesn't change, and sooner or later we all run into the Trickster archetype. I hope what I share here will serve as a few more arrows in your quiver. A warrior observes. She learns the lay of the land, surveys the horizon, avoids traps and wandering troupes of bandits and brigands. She chooses her battles wisely.

*( ebay , for reasons of full transparency, allows sellers to access buyer's purchase records and feedback. Anybody knowing your buying account name can get into your account and see what you are bidding on, all purchases, the amount paid and vendor. Even if you use a company like E-Snipe, should you win the auction, that information is now in your permanent and publicly accessible Ebay account.

Newest Turkoman inspired Baby

Here are some photos of a new commission piece I've just finished!  My client wanted the old Turkoman double asyk pendant to be the focal point, so the goal was devising a subtle motif that would direct the eye downward toward the pendant. We wanted the beads to be old vintage or antique, and desired they suit the mood of this grand old piece. The country or culture of origin wasn't as important as the color, shape and patina. 

Above, you see the double asyk suspended from triple strands of Kazak bicones and old vintage carnelians. The effect is one of opulence and abundance. The innermost necklace, created as a companion piece, can add warmth and drama when desired, without stealing the asyk's thunder.  I bought 8 full strands of vintage and antique carnelians sourced in Africa but probably originating in India generations ago, some as far back as the late 1800's.  I sorted them according to shape, size, color, and overall quality. After cherry picking the best pieces, I arranged them to have a subtle hombre effect, dark red to pale beige. There's one Kazak bicone on the strand, matching those in the asyk necklace, but its behind the mannequin's neck in these photos. 

Above is the triple strand necklace without the nested strand of carnelian. The first impression is one of simplicity rather than                                abundance.   I used old tribal silver beads with a similar ratio of silver to that use where ever possible and was lucky to have a nice little stash of silver elements that picked up motifs used in the asyk. They look like little flowers and are located down where the strands join at the pendant's corners. That little 4 petal flower shape echos the 3 curved metal motifs running across the top of the asyk.

 I couldn't resist going over the top in this photo and adding some old vintage Turkoman hair tassels to the ensemble.  These lightweight, colorful ornaments add festive color and flash. Tassels and drops like these have been used by Turkoman women for centuries as hair ornaments, usually tied to a thick braid and dangling down the back.  The coat is Turkoman, made from wild silk and lined with retro Russian calico in deep magenta with gaudy pink roses and leaves. These are usually used as a sort of mantle or veil, and worn up over the head, the sleeves tied together with embroidered cord or small tassels. I clipped the cord holding these sleeves together so I can wear it the usual way.

Creativity

Continued, part II

Sometimes a series of events will unfold, events unusual enough to stand apart from what would normally be considered ordinary coincidence.

In a previous blog I wrote about using breathing exercises and Tibetan meditation too work with pain and the uncertainty of living with the unknown factor of whether my bone and bone marrow had become infected.  During this time I met a hospital tech person who turned out to be Tibetan - we'd been discussing pain reduction techniques. She told me about a new Tibetan community center  several hours away from where I live, but close enough to attend weekend services. They even have rustic cabins for people wanting to spend a 2 or 3 days on retreat.

Then, 2 friends sent me two works of art: One is a beautiful vintage thangka. Some time before the operation, I'd mentioned liking it and hoping that I'd sell enough to be able to purchase it ( and was hoping it would still be available) The other was a beautiful gallery print of the World Circle, which is currently being framed.


I was so surprised when they arrived, and seeing the imagery right there in front of me was a profound moment, and having these gifts arrive from an unexpected direction, at this time was uncanny and deeply touching. To these two women I offer heartfelt thanks and gratitude and in an upcoming blog Ill share the photos of both works in their new home.

Finally, I was waiting to see the doctor and turned on my Kindle, expecting my 'last page read' to come up. Instead, one of Pema Chodron's books appeared.  Pema's writing speaks to me: There's none of that warm & fuzzy,  metaphysical marketing - nonsense in Chodron's books.  She's direct, intelligent, has a sense of humor and focuses on doctrine and practice rather than dogma, rules and regs.  Her writing is gritty and honest without frills.

You can read more about it here, at Shambhala .

Sometimes a sense of humor - albeit a dark humor, relieves some of the mental weight I experience when thinking too much about the past or worrying about the future. As I typed "When Things Fall Apart"  I couldn't help but think this was so appropriate at a time when the condition I have really is resulting in my body 'falling apart'...the bones literally crumbling away.  All one can do is laugh... Maybe subconsciously the title is what enticed me to open the book and start reading!

With my reawakened interest in the inherent wisdom path of Tibetan Buddhism, I took a look at Chodron's website, HERE .

Bottom line is the health issues are proving cathartic in many ways, but if I'd taken better care of my health and heeded the warnings things wouldn't have progressed so far.

During my recovery, my son and husband provided DVDs for my viewing pleasure.  I'd provided a list to pick up at the library - Jane Austin and Charlotte Bronte films, British & American detective and mystery series, and a few foreign films. My husband was nice enough to check them out for me, and set up a mini player, my son brought over a selection of his own top favorites.


 So the 3 week film festival was a melange of yin and yang films. While my son's choices were all good entertainment and some are considered classics, the carnage in films like Brave Heart and Casino was a bit much. Digital technology allows for bypassing unpleasant scenes, so some films, like Kagemusha, were considerably shorter than if I'd watched the entire film.


                                                        Lady Hawke - a vintage classic


So along with the BBC periods films and series, I watched ( In no particular order):
                                                                   
                                                                   Kagemusha
Ran
The Last Samurai
Fight Club
Grand Torino
Million Dollar Baby
The Big Lewboski
Cool Hand Luke
The Fighter
All 3 Jim Chee mystery films (Based on the novels by Tony Hillerman)
Lord of the Rings Trilogy
All the Star Trek Films
Harry Potter Films

I've had enough films for awhile and am glad to be more mobile.
I'm now officially in the therapy boot and use crutches on and off, as needed. So I can sit at my desk with the foot elevated, and even work for an hour or so at a time. Photographing is the easiest task so I'm re shooting images I wasn't pleased with.   

Next week, the stitches will probably be removed and Ill be in physical therapy.

Sometimes, a physical set back provides a portal for creative and spiritual growth.

My recent physical set back has proven cathartic in reassessing and redefining my life.

Creative intelligence encompasses more than one facet of an artist's life, for the truly innovative channel creativity into life practices. The manifestation of health concerns has a way of drop kicking us into devising a new approach to life, and restructuring the way we do things. All things must change, it is the nature of the universe.

When what feels comfortable no longer works, creatives look at the big picture, deciding what needs to be tweaked, abandoned, retained or kicked up a notch. For me, this experience provides impetus for returning to a basic practice that was once habitual and rewarding, but gradually abandoned as my business grew and I took on more commissions and private label clients. While income has increased steadily, meditation time gradually vanished. The painful bone problems and crumbling feet resulted in shorter and shorter walks until I wasn't walking at all. Because I love creating and designing, it was easy to fill in the resulting 'free' time with working on necklaces, paintings, or other aspects of my business.  

Image and article courtesy of Environmental Graffiti

This experience has helped me to comprehend what the women of old China must have experienced as they underwent foot binding. 

The discomfort/pain and decreased mobility hampers independence and increases dependence on others for just about everything.

Image courtesy Origins of Tibetan Buddhism

I spent many days with my foot elevated and packed in ice, dosed with an antibiotic cocktail, because inside the incision, my foot had a massive clot along the bones and implants, which had then become infected. To deal with the pain I used breathing exercises and pain control meditation.

Meditation and breathing exercises brought my old meditation regimen, based on Tibetan Buddhist practice, to mind.

At this point a number of interesting coincidences occurred, as if validating the importance of this realization.


To Be continued.....

What I've Been Up To

NOTE: Please overlook typos and mispells, Im using my husbands laptop and am typing in a lying down position, so editing is difficult and hurts the wrists from this position. 'What the hell is she doing', you wonder....read on

I've been on medical leave for the past 2 weeks due to surgery and an unexpected complication.

For years Ive continued working despite a serious bone disease and advanced osteo arthritis that often accompanies it. The osteoporosis in my body is aggressive, so at age 55 my bones are those of an 80 year old woman. Toes, wrists and neck are disintergrating, with spurs and chips.  Bone on bone grinding cused by no cartiledge, and exposed marrow. Severe migrains triggered by nerve problems and hairline fractures in the upper vertabrae. The problems in my neck, wrists & right arm were aggravated by years of painting and beading - sitting immobilized for hours, totally in the creative zone and forgetting the passage of time.

This pain grows slowly, starting with seemingly unrelated symptoms sourced in nerve damage and the fracturing and crumbling bone. So, one grows accustomed to living with pain. I addressed the symptoms by every possible common sense approach one can imagine. I spoke with personal trainers and people who walk or jog long distances. I read, spoke with my GP, tried wholistic approaches, different types of shoes - everything.

Tried myotherapy: a disaster and excruciatingly painful, the mythotherapist assuring me that happy thoughts and eliminating dairy would remove my problems. She hurt me so bad during the session that I was unable to speak or signal her to stop. When she noticed tears streaming from my eyes she stopped and asked what was wrong, only then could I say she was a bit overly enthusiastic and practically paralyzing me with pain! She damaged my neck and left deep, dark bruises, but with a gentle smile and soft, condescending voice said pain was a normal and necessary for treatment, hinting that maybe I had a low pain threshhold or was overly sensitive due to suppressing stress or 'emotional issues..' I didn't return for subsequent torture sessions.

Took the well meant advice of some individuals (friends and family) who chuckled knowingly, insisting that I was 'soft' and either unwilling to endure mild discomfort or doing something wrong. They urged more work - outs rather than less, and insisted pain is normal and healthy when a person is really exercising.

When it became incredibly painful to walk more than a block, only my cowboy boots and old clogs could fit over my feet without intense pain, and the spasms in my feet and neck kept me up late night after night I finally caved and talked to the Dr. I decided the problem must be due to bunions and went in to get a referral. One thing led to another and here we are. That pain was caused by the absence of collegen between the joints, and bone eroding to the point marrow was exposed.

I'm having the damaged arthritic bone, bone bits and non functional joints removed, and replaced with implants. 

The bottom line lesson to this story is this:

I didn't value myself enough to seek serious medical evaluation.  When something hurts physically or emotionally, a voice inside says the pain is a test, or that I deserve it, or both, and can't let it beat me by caving and running to a doctor. Always, pain is a foe to be wrestled with and vanquished using breathing techniques or other methods to access and eradicate the source. I bought into an old family mythology stating chronic pain is largly imaginary or rooted in some form of hysteria, that a strong person doesn't complain. Only people who craved attention or lazy , largly invisible pain issues.  I stopped talking about it. Today, the doctors said they didnt see how I could have managed to walk at all. The long bones in my feet have deformed, going from straight bones to modified curves like this )))because I'd been walking more on the outer sides of me feet, and to accomodate the damage on the inner portions. Oddly, standing for long periods wasn't a problem because my weight was always resting on my heels.

The Transformative Nature of Creating

 One of the wonderful aspects of creativity is an ability to channel events and impressions into our work. I do this often in my paintings, and sometimes when designing necklaces meant to serve as amulets or talismans. 

While drawing upon the great archetypes, global myth, and world cultures, I sometimes devise personalized symbols not obvious to most viewers unless I supply some background information.

Being truly creative is about: Not only finding inspiration in the world around us and the works by others, but processing, refining, and redefining that inspiration into something unique. 

What follows is an atypical example of process and using unusual, potentially unpleasant events as Prima Materia for inspiring new creative endeavors and expressing responses in a visual language via symbol and archetype.

At left is one of my designs inspired by copper, bronze and iron age artifacts found in Europe, created after realizing somebody was/is stalking my Ebay purchase history (sellers can research what you purchased, the final price, and the seller's shop on Ebay).  

Sometimes competition stoops to this in a desperate effort to discover your sources and either beat you to the punch by coming out with the idea first, or to mimic your look.

Or, they are terribly bored with nothing better to do then spy on those they envy or find intriguing.  

When strangers do this its mildly creepy, but to do so after posing as a friend points to a different kind of disorder: a person fallen out of harmony within. 

After the surprise wore off, my lasting response has been mild distaste.

What to do when trust and respect is betrayed? Move on and...Create! Working with materials that (on a personal level) represent both strong warrior energy and integrity,  we can and will transform the sobering sensation of having been violated into a source of power.  

Energy is neutral. Used wisely the energy of anger, hurt or grief will become the artist's version of creative jet fuel. Don't strike out, take that pain and channel it directly into your work.
An example is demonstrated below, in the description of a necklace made after the experience I described above.

"Wear this when your mood is ( or you want it to be)  BRING IT ON.   A  mental state of healthy, aggressive competition and confidence in your own ability to unbalance, disarm, and leave the  foe eating your dust, shaking their little pea heads and wondering what hit em! Warrior Women accomplish their feats with style and grace. We possess integrity, talent, ability, and strive toward personal excellence. We don't cheat, steal, spy on or employ underhanded tactics because simply stated, we're above that. 

This is a frequently traveled route for me. Beautiful eh?

In peace time, foe will usually attack indirectly, preferring manipulative, subversive & passive aggressive behaviors. Foe can also be something within ourselves, a response or reaction to something out of our control.   Examples of 'foe' may include betrayal in business, friendship, love, or annoying and dysfunctional work associates. Addressing potentially damaging or fatal health issues. Even a drive home on winter -  Chicago area highways. 

The word 'foe' also represents anything we need to confront, address, and wrestle with.  Foe can be the uncomfortable, disquieting reactions inside ourselves, ego - generated issues, that we'd rather not deal with.

Amulets and talismans have served, historically, as tangible symbols reminding wearers of abstract principles and qualities like abundance, bravery, creativity, fertility, health, love, patience, religious or spiritual truths, and more. For this reason I've included the following:

1. Pyrite ( iron oxide) for strength in terms of bravery, fortitude, wisdom and generosity. Pyrite is an iron oxide mineral - I associate iron with strength and being grounded.

2. A type of *ammonite made of pyrite, and embodying multifaceted interpretations in many cultures, all rooted in the universal truths, healing, balance, the inward/outward journey and life.Pyrite is also a 'replacement mineral' in some types of fossils, for example the ammonites  in this necklace. *In the ancient world ammonites were associated with rams . Rams are symbol of strength, solidity, and the zodiac sign, Capricorn. In ancient, Bronze, Dark Ages and medieval Europe fossilize ammonites were called serpent stones, because people believed them to be petrified snakes. As the Christian era continued, they were believed evidence of the actions of saints. and associated with healing.

3. The tip of an antler is associated with the Noble Stag of Celtic, Christian, and Native American metaphor. A single antler tine, buffed and smooth, represents ( for me) living life clean and sharp: self sufficient, self disciplined, unencumbered by greed and with no time for games. Say what you mean, mean what you say ( tempered with compassion and judgement) and rock on.

FUN FACTS FOR THE PROCESS ORIENTED & DETAIL FIXATED at the end of this blog...

*From Wikipedia:
...The name "ammonite", from which the scientific term is derived, was inspired by the spiral shape of their fossilized shells, which somewhat resemble tightly coiled rams' horns. Pliny the Elder (d. 79 AD near Pompeii) called fossils of these animals ammonis cornua ("horns of Ammon") because the Egyptian god Ammon (Amun) was typically depicted wearing ram's horns.[1] Often the name of an ammonite genus ends in -ceras, which is Greek (κέρας) for "horn"...

...In medieval Europe, fossilized ammonites were thought to be petrified coiled snakes, and were called "snakestones" or, more commonly in medieval England, "serpent stones". They were considered to be evidence for the actions of saints, such as Hilda of Whitby, a myth referenced in Sir Walter Scott's Marmion,[13] and Saint Patrick, and were held to have healing or oracular powers. Traders would occasionally carve the head of a snake onto the empty, wide end of the ammonite fossil, and then sell them to the public. In other cases, the snake's head would be simply painted on.[14] Ammonites from the Gandaki river in Nepal are known as saligrams, and are believed by Hindus to be a concrete manifestation of God or Vishnu.[15]...