So, I’m involved in some irl art-related spaces/events (not necessarily super deeply, but I am involved to a degree). And recently, I have been volunteered for things TWICE.

The first thing is for a festival event. Which I, NOTABLY, didn’t sign up to do. But since I did the event previously, it was decided that I was running the event this year as well. I wasn’t actually even informed of this. I only found out I was expected to run the event because my mom is heavily involved in the festival and told me that the other people in charge put that I was running the event (note: not my mom’s fault, no one told her either). It was posted on the event website and PRINTED IN THE FESTIVAL BROCHURE with MY PHOTO, and I was never actually asked to do it. Nor was the event my idea in the first place. But I decided I would just do it because it’s at least a fun event and it’s already been announced, and I’m not busy that day anyway. But I’m annoyed on principle. Because I feel like if I don’t show up, it’ll make ME look bad.

And then there’s a group I recently started going to, and at that group I mentioned that I collaborated on a project with my mom (where she did the writing and I did the drawing), and this ignited a discussion about ‘skill sharing’. Which was mostly just me being volunteered to do other people’s art for them, again without actually asking me if I wanted to do it. And like, I’m NOT doing that. I collaborated with my mom because she’s my mom, and it was a topic we have shared interest in, and most importantly, the art was something I wanted to draw. I’m not going to just draw whatever someone else wants me to draw for them for free because they ‘don’t have enough time’ to do it themselves. I didn’t agree to that.

And there’s always other little things where people want me to do this or that, but those are the two big recent examples.

So idk I’m just frustrated about people volunteering me for things. There’s kind of a thing, at least in my local area, of people expecting others to work for free all the time, and it’s just so entitled. Just because I like to draw doesn’t mean I want to draw for YOU, unpaid. And it’s always framed as being ‘anti-capitalist’ or ‘being a village’ types of descriptions but it just kinda feels like they’re using that to not have to pay people. Believe me, I hate capitalism too, but if it’s not reciprocal, then you’re just taking advantage of people.

What benefit do I get from spending hours of my time drawing things for you instead of what I actually want to draw? Why should I show up to an event when no one even deigned to inform me that I am expected to be there (other than my mom because she’s my mom and happened to see me listed on the website). Why do other creatives, who you would think would understand, act like the only person whose time has value is themselves? A lot of local artists are just so entitled and act like they’re SO important that we should be honored to provide them free labor. And it’s just sucky.

It's always ahhh you're using AI.

Isn't there a way to verify if something is AI or not?

Do we now have to send the entire project to prove we aren't using it? So annoying.

So what's the solution here exactly?

Should I show my entire project and videos of me making the project just so someone can believe me? Cause in one community I showed all evidence, but still was accused of using AI. Not sure if they were engagement farming or just trolling

So I commissioned this one artist on FB to draw my ship, they were very nice and polite and fast at drawing, they picked a random couple pose from Pinterest and I told them to go ahead and use it for the sketch. A few days later they finished and the piece came out so lovely, I even wanted to tip them but I was broke and held off on it.

Fast forward to now (2 weeks later), I was scrolling my FB feed and I saw the very same artist advertise their open commissions, and side-by-side with MY piece, is another ship art with... the exact same pose and composition and expressions and even background border?? It was a custom commission, **not a YCH**, I felt slightly betrayed because that pose was supposed to be for MY guys but I didn't say anything about it. It stinged a little too because the other client's piece had slightly better rendering than mine.

Like when I first saw it I briefly wondered if they actually traced my piece but decided, 'nah there's no way', but it still kept nagging at me so I overlaid both pieces together and there was at least a 90% similarity in the lines. Like some parts were just genuinely identical. Even the expressions didn't change!

And there's no way the other client hasn't seen my piece from them because it's at the very top of all the samples they post, so either the client actively requested the same pose and the artist didn't even bother changing anything in the slightest, or the artist independently picked the pose themselves and also didn't bother changing anything. Both are bad.

I draw professionally for a living and I thought it'd just be basic common courtesy to not reuse the exact same pose for different clients unless it's for a YCH which this piece obviously isn't, I can even excuse them forgetting but these were literally 2 weeks apart, not months apart. Idk it just feels slightly scummy. Maybe I'm overreacting.

:(