We all heard this quote once in while, that imitation was the sincerest form of flattery, but to what extent could it be taken as a compliment? I have experienced a social media copycat, since the creation of Lovely Brunette. My oh my, I never thought that such things could actually happen.
I do grasp the idea that social media is a vast world of sharing posts, liking pictures, re-posting and saving images. How can one actually feel when confronting a copycat? Thanks to my bestie, she showed me what was actually happening. At first, I was like, oh well.. she is just reposting and using the same hashtags. Nothing to be taken seriously as it didn’t upset me. But the thing with copycats, is that they seem to feed on everything that you do. Your style, your individuality, what makes you unique. Like a cocktail shaker, I had a medley of mixed feelings: anger, frustration, annoyance and discontent all stirred up together. A hell of a cocktail!
Today there are no similarities, it is bluntly the same visuals, quotes, hashtags and even the word that I live by, tattooed on my wrist, that has been reused. Trust me, you feel bad about it. When you give so much of yourself in your work, you obviously take it as a personal threat. Here are some tips on how to overcome those feelings and actually deal with copycats.
1. Breathe.
Yes, take a deep breath. You cannot let yourself go because of an unknown individual. This is not about them, it is about you. Do not let anyone obscure the light that shines within, it is there for a reason, and this is your duty to make it shine brighter.
2. Confront them.
If that situation persists, confront them. Do not be aggressive as you may not know the real intention of your copycat, they could merely be an admirer of your work. Let them understand how you feel about it and explain to them why it is wrong to do so. ”Do not raise your voice, improve your argument”.
3. Let it go.
As Oprah says: You gotta step up your game, step up your game without worrying about the other one, because you do not have any control on the other one. It is like a race, the energy you take to look behind and see where the others are, feeds on your energy. Look straight, run that race, give it all you got, every time, FOR YOURSELF.”
Have you dealt with copycats before? Share your story with us and tips how you’ve been able to overcome it!
This Post Has 7 Comments
It's a shame this happened to you :/ Your tips to dealing with it are on point though! They can copy your content but your creativity, originality and imagination are yours only and that, no one can copy ^^
Thank you for your lovely feedback Soudha, highly appreciate it 🙂 It is an everyday struggle, but at the end what is the point? It took time to recover from that copycat but eventually you just become stronger. We should always stay true to ourselves.
Definitely agree..unfortunately I had to face the same situation. At first I was also angry and felt that the person was stealing my personality. Like you said it takes time to recover from it, they can copy what you do but they will never be you!!
Keep up the good work! Your blog is awesome! 🙂
Hello Aurelie, glad you left your feedback on this post and thanks for your support 🙂 Am sorry that you had to face this kind of situation too. Have you confronted the copycat or did you let it go?
OMG, I never knew that copying someone could go to that extent.
But we are all individuals and nobody can actually steal our personalities. 😉
And as Emile Benveniste has shown, the language is based on the subjectivity of the speaker! Thus, her work will always remain only a copy of yours!
I let it go!!the person was doing it deliberately! I did not want to waste my time with this kind of person!!not worth it!I stopped worrying about the person and continued to do my thing.
Hello Mevina, yes we do not actually realise that those things could happen. What is important is to do a little research from time to time. I use Google Images to see if my images are being reproduced, just to keep things on track. It is your responsability also as a blogger to be sure your content isn't ripped off! xoxo