It might help to edit your title and put in a question mark ^^. "How does it feel when your work gets mistreated?" or even "What are some situations where your work was mistreated?". I had a topic that seemed more like a statement, or a title, as opposed to a question, and it wasn't until I changed it to be more clear that there was more engagement. Sometimes people (including me) only have the time to answer, but not read all of the responses in a thread 
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I'm just really curious what you consider these things? Like ok, copied has an easy enough description and reposting isn't nice. But when I looked at "mistreated" then looked at your example I got really confused. I've read the entire thread and apart from reposting/copying I'm still not sure what you consider mistreating a work? You're example reads like (and this is going to sound harsh, I'm sorry in advance) "I didn't win a competition I felt entitled to win!". Is that mistreatment? We've all lost competitions we thought we were going to win, that's the nature of competition. The internet (and Tapas) are full of people who think their work is better than the stuff getting attention. Is that what this thread is actually about? Because that's a valid subject a lot of use struggle with but I wouldn't call it mistreatment.
I'm sorry, I'm just confused as to what you consider mistreatment here?
There have been incidents off and on throughout my life with my art and my writing, but nothing stayed with me like when I was in 10th grade.
Our school was having a spirit contest for Homecoming week. If you're not American, Homecoming is about football (American football) and really ridiculous, to be honest. During Spirit Week, each classroom had to decorate their door to show support for the school and the football team. No one else in my class wanted to do it, so I volunteered.
I drew this life-sized Trojan soldier for the door. Our mascot was a Trojan soldier. Everyone was impressed and the school superintendent was so impressed, he wanted to use my art to replace the current logo and art on all of their banners, merchandise, etc...
Of course, being fifteen, I was ecstatic! I had never been important to anyone, and now something I created would be official and recognized for future generations. Friends started telling me I would even make money because it was my creation. I had always wanted to be an artist as a career, so this just made me so freaking happy!
Well, when this was brought up in class and mentioned to others in the teaching staff, I was called into the principal's office. He, the superintendent, and the vice principal were all waiting for me. I thought this was going to be a happy moment for me. Instead, I was told that if I believe I was getting paid for my work, I was mistaken. They didn't owe me anything, not even credit. I was a student and anything I created on school grounds and for the school was automatically their property.
I was devastated. They treated me like I was doing something wrong for being happy my art was being appreciated. I tried to play it off and said, "No, it's okay, I'm just happy you like it." They escorted me out and I was so ashamed of being treated that way, I ended up going home with a sick stomach.
I told my dad but he never cared. He said no, they didn't have the legal right to do that but that I had to get used to it because this was the real world.
It was many years ago. The school went way down over the years. The mascot was changed about 10 years or more ago because "Trojan" was "offensive," especially at a Catholic school (LOL). It still sticks with me because how hurt I was and how alone and bullied I felt in that office. A 15 year old girl sitting in a chair surrounded by three large men telling me my work was good enough for them to profit from but I was worthless as a student and a person.
Oh my gosh, the anxiety that gives as a kid. Oo that stresses me out thinking about it.
It is so scummy they'd dare tell a kid that your artwork doesn't even belong to you, literally lying about the law. And it's a CATHOLIC school? Morals and ethics, much!? How backwards!
This is hilarious.
This is a real big problem even at the university level. Really a shame. Students deserve to be compensated.
For me personally, my parents always supported my writing, but it was a "secondary career". Not something I should aspire to, which is fine and understandable from a certain point of view. That's why I'm working on getting IT certifications now. That changed a lot as I got older. My dad doesn't think I should write at all, and believes it contributes to my "mental unwellness". My mother... Once I started writing LGBT+ focused things, that started exploring concepts of difficult relationships with family, she hated it. I can't show them any of my work now because they automatically assume it's about them and start a fight over it, when in reality, messy family situations just make for good stories. My work is no longer appropriate to discuss in front of my younger siblings, even when the characters being LGBT+ has very little to do with the stories themselves. I'm told even by my dad my stuff isn't "marketable", which backs up just about everything I hear, but to me, marketability shouldn't matter so long as I keep my integrity. Marketability is just a set of rules everyone is afraid to break out from, anyways. To a lot of people, it doesn't matter how well I write. All that matters is that I'm writing the right things, and I hear it a lot from just about... everyone. So I just stopped talking about it and telling people the truth. I just get told a lot that my "talent" or whatever is wasted, but whatever. My talent would be wasted writing things I don't want to write, too. Might as well waste it in a meaningful way.
I know I'm going a bit off-topic, too, but I'd just like to add that feelings & behavior aren't the same.
To put myself in their shoes a moment, even if I treated that old friend just like nothing had happened (behavior), something did happen and it changed feelings. She would forever remind me of the insult from the judges. Worse still, perhaps, if she didn't speak to me of that, believed she deserved the prize, then I'd know she, too, didn't value my effort. My perception of her would be altered.
When it comes to relationships, there are some things that, when said or done, cannot ever be completely forgotten or the feelings it brought erased.
That's all I wanted to add. If anyone disagrees, just disagree & dismiss me for an idiot instead of taking the thread further afield than I've done already.
Yep! I learned throughout my life that some of the most twisted people belong to a religion. I prefer to keep humans out of my spirituality now.
*Almost forgot! The principal was arrested the month I left to go to another school because he sexually abused a girl on the dance team. She had said he did it to other girls, too, but none would come forward. Police investigated and she was telling the truth. She had to move to another state to live with other family because the kids at the school harassed her and threatened her life. I always suspected they were threatening her to keep their secret, not to defend the principal even though they claimed they were.
Yes! I read the comments under the website article about it at the time. It was some of the most hilarious stuff I've ever seen. It didn't matter if it was by the outraged parents about "Trojan" or the trolls messing with them. It was awesome!
I did some research over the years. My artwork was done on my time at my house with my supplies. If I had someone to represent me, the school wouldn't have stood a chance. I think these days, students can still be compensated if they do their work on school grounds. I'm not a lawyer, though. I can only hope that's the case.
anything copying, reposting, or using it to as toilet paper, well the focus here is not me not winning, it's how school organise art competition to honour art but it seems like they are going to give it to studious student because school politics,in my school nobody liked participating in competitions cause it was pretty much obvious their purpose was to bring star student to spotlight even if they submit shit, cause school politics, we had elections for club presidents and school presidents post and this was whole a grand scheme, i am pretty surprised to know that it happened only at my school. they even gave the national and international competition winning taekwondo team's fund to the basketball team who used to continuesly shame us in district level. basketball team had two courts, while taekwondo team used to practice wherever there was an open space, and our equipment were old and were brought with our coach's money while basketball guys get a new basketball every month. i remember winning a gold and a best player award at an national opens only to return home to be treated like trash, my history teacher went as far as keeping me stand outside for 10 days cause i didnt do homework cause i was fucking 1000 miles away from school.and i was only invited in cause my father made a complaint and she gave me a stink eye. some shitty school i used to go,
Something similar happened to me too. So there was an art competition in my art class that lasted a week. Keep in mind that the class was for 6-10year-olds. In my opinion- my art was at a very high level- higher than everyone in my class just because I started art at an earlier age and had good control with pencils/pens. My art teacher would also recommend that I go sit and watch the older kids for inspiration.
So, back to the art competition- The theme was winter. I was absent on the first day- so I worked on it the second day, in class. I decided to do a watercolour painting of a girl ice-skating. I wasn't good at drawing people so I would keep it simple and cartoonish. Everyone kept giving me compliments and everything.
Then the day came. My art teacher told us that we could vote for 3 people each. Some people were being bias- ya' know like just picking their friends only. It didn't bother me since, there wasn't even like a prize to win anyway. And if I had friends, I'd probably vote for them too.
I walked around the room and picked a snowflake drawing and a still life of a snowman (I think). I can't remember the highest amount of votes- but I got the second amount (10 votes.) Apparently votes didn't matter. My teacher was picking the winner herself. Saying that she's giving us a score on 5 different things. (I don't remember all of them). Keep in mind that she said that on the first day- when I was absent. I was the only one who actually spent time on it. Then she picked the girl with the least amount of votes (2 votes).
She didn't even acknowledge me because
A year after that, my artwork faded away- and was worth nothing.
(Sorry for the long story)
Yeah, but eventually you get over it. A lot of life goes into 'boxes', and so do people. Parents don't belong in the 'artistic' box. Well, they don't really go in ANY box, except for maybe questions for how to get a white sweater white again.
Perhaps not just to my work, as I haven't really got destructive criticism (yet), but to my person.
I don't want to write down all my trauma here, but in everything I like to do that some people tell me is not worth it, or straight out make fun of, I keep this idea that, before anything else, I'm doing this for myself, and while doing this, I stay true to myself.
On what happened with your friend, I do understand when we move away from people we once loved, but for external and/or internal factors that weren't really on their hands, we can't stand being with them anymore.
Have the time you need, talk with people you trust, and if it is needed, look for help, and try to work things out with her. I regret not doing so with many friendships I pretty much lost because of ideas imposed by third parties.
we were still friends but i just didnt fell the same for her like i used to. and i didnt talk about the incident with her cause she looked happy she transferred to other school because she disliked the methods our school used to get the tittle of the best school in the city. shitty shitty methods
