There are days where my professor's voice from college resonates in my head:
"Marsha, I know you really like working with testing glazes, but you need to remember form as well."
I did not realize how much those words would stick with me throughout my life this far…
I will try to remember my "form" as this person I have become and want to remain.
And right now, in my life as an "artist", my life work revolves around making clay pendants for Marsha Neal Studio, LLC - my business. The name I chose to use to make my work "professional" and to be able to deal with all the legal stuff & taxes.
There is so much going on right now in the world with technology at our fingertips…
With these blogs, websites, pages, groups, etc as constant interaction and stimulation.
There is so much to see, so much to be inspired by, so much to learn about.
I am a teacher and scientist at heart.
I love to learn about things, and share those things.
I get excited about stuff, and can't wait to tell someone about it…
I like to figure things out by working with my hands…
I am going to be writing a bunch of blog posts about my lessons I have learned by working as an artist in the current bead industry.
There are things I am confused about.
There are things I am angry about.
There are things that need to be cleared up - even if it is for my own sanity…
I need to get some things off my chest.
They are weighing too heavy upon my head and in my heart...
My heart gets heavy after receiving emails with pictures attached like these…
(Thank You!!! for sending them to me and for getting a piece for me - will be sending to my lawyer!)
My textures - my hand carved textures…
From doodles and drawings in the margins of my notebooks...
My every piece made by hand - here under my vision…
Many designs have been taken and are being reproduced without my knowing it…
Somewhere not like this…
(Below is a piece of scrap drywall where my porcelain clay shards are resting until they are dry enough to go into the kiln for their first firing).
I want to let you know that these posts are not directed at any individual or situation…
Legally I do not want to step on any toes. I do have a copyright lawyer helping me deal with some knock off situations that are currently on the rise.
Please let her deal with things…
I have to keep reminding myself that - that is why I hired her…
If you see anything suspicious while you are out and about, take pictures and send them to me with information such as store, brand name, price, sku, date, etc. And I will pass it on to my lawyer…
These blog posts will be based on my experiences on decisions I have made.
Things I thought about, think about, and things that help me to make better decisions when I am in the studio making work. Things that maybe give me a fighting chance at battling the person or company(s) that are having these made and imported…
Things that maybe you need to hear or pass onto someone that needs a good smack upside the head.
Or someone that you just think needs to read a little about this.
Let's face it:
The bottom line is this…
If you see something and think to yourself or utter to your friend:
"I could make that"
Then proceed to try to remake it - even something remotely similar…
STOP YOURSELF RIGHT THERE!
Really… Think about it…
It's like I hear my husband tell people on phone conversations for work (we both work from home): "Everyone is a genius in hindsight". Meaning you can look at something or situation after it is completed and have all kinds of ideas. But can you come up with something or deal with a situation the right way - the first time, on your own?
You can be inspired by someone's work…
You may even use the same tools & products as someone - there are a lot of things commercially available, and there is often overlap...
But you don't make the same something as someone else - especially not someone's original design!
As I can I will post more about my cases if I am allowed…
Let me say for now, that Marsha Neal Studio, LLC pendants can be found through bead shops listed on my website.
If you see a piece with my design on it, and it's not in my retail price range ($10, $14, $20), then it is either:
1. A discontinued actual item from an online retailer (such as ArtBeads.com, FusionBeads.com, etc)
or
2. A knock off
I want to find out who is having these made...
And yes - I am going to let go of "form" for a moment…
I need to let this out:
Mr. Whomever you are…
You are not only hurting me on an emotional level,
You are destroying a business I have worked SO hard to build up…
And the jewelry designers and bead shops that I have worked hard with since I first started making pieces… you are hurting them by making cheap crap that people can't tell that it is not mine until it is in their hand and they see the inferior quality. Or selling to those that do not know better…
You deflate me and my feelings of self worth…
You are making me fight every bit harder to prove to the people in my life that depend on an income from me that I can in fact can show an income.
You have crossed the line. You have messed with the wrong woman and her lawyer…
And let my situation be a lesson to those of you out there.
Don't rip off other people's designs, no matter how "easy" it may seem to make…
Try your best at making something your own, even if it is using something old or a borrowed technique…
Your style and design will shine through…
If you think your work is looking too much like someone else's then push yourself harder to take it to the next level…
And talk to each other…
Critique each others work…
Ask questions - think about the answers…
Thanks for letting me rant a bit.
I will be posting more about these issues - not related to my specific cases until my lawyer says ok, but to issues that seem to touch on the "gray area" a lot...
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