The race for originalty

A couple weeks ago I posted a lovli day—a fresh idea I can relate to. Today as I was doing my etsy prowl, I came across Bleu de toi's new etsy shop (opened February 22, 2010). I was kind of taken aback to find they too have a wedding tree. Their take on the idea is slightly different. Each tree is hand drawn upon request. They can be for weddings, or family trees. The style is completely different but the idea is exactly the same.

I know in the science world, it is not uncommon for a scientist in one country to come up with the same discovery another scientist has come up with on the other side of the planet. I am hoping that this is a similar case in the etsy laboratory of art-making. Both etsy shops are doing extremely well from what I can tell, and it is not clear to me who hit the ground running first. I have to say, I really like both takes on this great idea.

Wherever the idea came from, it has caught on. As scientists of creativity, we are all running the same marathon with originality and success just across the finish line. Let's hope there is room in the marketplace for more than one winner for every good idea!

Your artwork needs protection

I have started looking into art licensing and this post got my attention:
What's your copyright worth if it's not registered prior to someone stealing your work?
It was submitted by Cheryl Hodgson. There are many sites that help you create and organize your portfolio, prepare marketing materials, learn about social networking etc, but few that prepare you for the first time your artwork is stolen. Cheryl’s article is worth a read.