dimespin:

pinkprogram

I don’t understand the sentiment of denying comparisons.  If you were inspired then you were inspired.  If you never heard of what your work was compared to it gives you the opportunity to check out something new.  I cannot fathom why it would be irritating…

1. It’s always something inescapably popular, so I’m not being introduced to something new 2. The similarity is always so small and vague that the implication I had to be inspired by someone else to think of it is kind of insulting – like, what, you think Arin Hansen invented brown hair with a blond streak? 3. it’s kind of like admitting you were too bored by the artist’s work to engage with it so you started thinking about something you like better 4. even if it is something I hadn’t heard of, about the worst way to introduce someone to something is via implication that this thing is their direct competition and they are the losing party in that head to head match. It’s like introducing someone to another person by being like “hey this is Jane she’s prettier than you”

Much better would be, “this seems like something you’d like” “you make things like this, I bet you’d like it”

Also I mentioned the idea of comparing people to historically important works or asking about inspirations in the very post you reblogged, I’m not denying the idea of inspiration in general I’m just, to be blunt, saying a lot of people suck at identifying inspirations and are doing the equivalent of telling people wow, you wear shoes, did you get that idea from Beyonce – like it’s just incomprehensible and as an artist my options are make fun or be constructive and give information about how to do better. I did both!

Also, it can sound like “your thing looks like this other thing, did you base it off this other thing instead of making it yourself?” even when it’s not intended to.