Just venting

Imitation is the best form of flattery but sometimes it is just plain annoying.

I am also a designer, an artist and not just a businesswoman. I guess my humble business, although relatively small is something very, very close to my heart because it takes a long creative process, a personal process.
I source in the materials from its rawest form to create beautiful things. Its not just about the money. I take pride with stuff I make.

Although I take inspirations from other designers, I make my own stuff with my own raw materials. So when you order designs from me, pieces that I make with beads and stones, I personally choose and source in, then remake them yourself makes me feel somewhat offended. If you want to be a "hobbyist" go buy your materials somewhere else.

It's like that annoying co-worker who steals ideas from you and claims it as his own creative eureka moment and thinks nothing is wrong with that since he was able to "develop" the idea anyway (as if he would be able to think of it on his own in the first place).

It's like getting another work of a photographer, "tweaking" it and putting your own effects and claiming it as your own work (Go take your own picture).

My only take is, there is really nothing much we can do with copying, I think its part of the business. But there is much to say for people who buys or gets a finished product, all the elements complete already then re-tweak it and claim it as his very own creation.
I feel like somehow I have been artistically plagiarized.