It is hard to put yourself forward as an artist. It can be an emotional and ego busting experience. You are displaying something that is often intensly personal and you don’t know how it will be perceived. Will it be appreciated, criticized or ignored?
But that is not the only risk in our newly minted uber connected world. Information flows quickly on the internet, copyright has very little meaning and appropriation is the order of the day. As an artist it can be disheartening to see your work end up in the wrong place with no attribution. Another all too real risk is the overly enthusiastic fan or even worse the outright thief.
What do you do if you are the Jedi with a Padawan walking too closely in your footsteps? I was reading through “Steal Like an Artist” (again) and came across a great quote that in my mind deals with this beautifully:
Complain about the way other people make software by making software.
Andre Torrez
In short…get busy. The truly creative artists who have the perseverance to stay in the game for the long haul will always be one step ahead of the Padawans. There is really no reason to dwell on what can’t be changed, the Padawans will always be there. But how you move forward with your own work will separate you as the true Jedi.
