Lt-Abdelhak 2023-02-17 14:46:02

you are 100% right!

Syrupmasterz 2023-02-17 15:04:00

A lot of interpretations for sure when people start trying to compare stuff.

At it's most innocent, when someone says 'Hey! Your thing reminds me of XYZ, which I love too!" , then it's less dragging down and more someone stating that they dig the theme of the art.

But yeah, when someone actually slags someone for not being 100% original just for drawing a giant robot, which was first done decades and decades ago, then it's just someone looking for a reason to complain.

We all get inspired by different stuff, so having similarities (without outright plagiarizing, which would be a real issue) or inspirations is what art is all about. Making something cool so someone else feels like making something cool.

Number one thing to do is just not be a jerk on the internet, which we can all manage if we try hard enough. haha

BecomeTheFridge 2023-02-17 20:43:43

I've felt that worry over originality in the past. But now, I'm pretty proud of the things I'm influenced by, and I love learning what other artists are inspired by.
One of my favorites, Hirohiko Araki, is basically the textbook example, as he wears his influences on his sleeves.

It's generally easy to tell when someone is ripping off another piece of art disingenuously versus drawing inspiration from it to create their work.

In my view, how many people conceptualize "originality" is much like how they conceptualize "talent." Most folk don't have an accurate idea of what either means.
Original works are rarely if ever, created in a vacuum.
Talent is just a fancy word for intuitive skill-- some people can start running, but everyone eventually has to learn the proper form (or, say fuck proper form, in the case of avant-garde, punk-inspired, surrealist, or abstract works).

jthrash 2023-02-17 22:38:06

Your first mistake was expecting intelligent, good-faith discussions on art on Twitter. Otherwise, this is a good thing to remind oneself from time to time—there is nothing new under the sun, so as long as it’s not wholesale plagiarism it’s okay to wear your inspirations on your sleeve and create your own take.

DocDiegO 2023-02-18 08:08:19

After all, Doom's concept of a first person view in a videogame was not even original and without imitation the FPS genre would never have existed.

These standards are ridiculous, you don't need to re-invent the wheel, just make a functional and durable wheel.

OnixDark 2023-02-18 13:14:40

Thanks for making that post. We sometimes need to be reminded of those things.

MetalDoom 2023-02-22 01:08:49

I could have used a message like this some nights ago because I know I was really stressing when I realized one of my OCs was vaguely similar to someone else's. Thought people might get the idea I ripped them off when I honestly had no intention of doing so. I was already pretty over it, but seeing this definitely helps quash any remaining fears I had.

I think it's best to remember that many beloved franchises and characters have their own inspirations. Nothing is created in a vacuum.

I talked about this in a newspost of my own, but one of the most prominent examples I can think of is TMNT. That original comic is a loving homage to Frank Miller's Daredevil and it doesn't really try to hide it either. Yet, it took those ideas, did something fresh with them, and became a huge success in the process.

Good post, glad I stumbled upon it.