@Dyslexic - Hey man I am really happy there is some love for the keythulhus, and even more happy you are able to own one of my caps. Please do not take what I'm about to say as a personal attack, but I want you to understand that people make markets out of art because markets exist. Because of the society we live in the act of creating and the ethics behind it are based in supply and demand. There is an outcry for respect to be given to artists because at the end of the day their art is undervalued because... well, everyone's an artist man. What makes your crappy hand movements more valuable than mine? It's all subjective right?
There is something that is lost to most folks that I've had to live with my whole life. In my time I produce what others consider to be art, I want it to be art, and it is still a use of my time where I've learned to put my heart into this work. Nobody can quantify how much I love a piece, and I can't put a price on it. One in my position learns to price things so they don't starve doing what they love.
The last part I mentioned is selling out. I've been told a 'true' artist doesn't do it for money. I find that to be a crock of ****. That's a way that people create internal value so they can keep doing what they love and become immune to the 'everyone else' whom often say that anyone can make that with the right set of skills.
I see it as a way an artist respects their effort and work if the work is exchanged for goods/services/cash. It is proof that the work is life-blood and precious time. In this world of supply and demand the artist is taking something precious, slapping value on it, and now the world sees it through the filter of supply and demand.
This is not how the artist FEELS about the issue. When someone letter for letter knows what makes your product work, what makes it valuable, and how to make you less successful there is an attack on the supply and demand (value) and the feelings of the artist. Outwardly stating one intends to undervalue their own time in order to bring down the oppressive corrupt crafters is a load of horse ****. They just want people to give them money for a candy corn colored key. It doesn't matter how much people want it there is not the love, feeling, or concept that birthed the piece on the first place.
Imagine there is someone who had a great idea, and later someone wants to have been the person who designed that great idea. One person has feelings, positive ones, which caused them to persist create the design in the first place, and then there is the other who either doesn't care and likes candy corn colors on a key or truly wants to be recognized for their 'achievement' in reproducing that effect. That sort of relationship is hard to quantify but one thing is certain... the originator had market presence, and the other person used them as a vehicle to gain market presence.
Being used is a bit of a *****. I feel as though my words are twisted about in a sick game of whisper down the lane when it has come to my thoughts on crafting and being an artist. It's taken YEARS to feel like I have real reasons for staying with this emotionally sordid and splendid hobby (being an artist). I believe I can sort out the folks who would rather be recognized for their own efforts and those who more often seek to be recognized for the efforts they best mimic. There's a third kind of individual and that is the person 'filling market demand'.
Filling market demand has no roots in the artists community, but trust me when I've heard the words, "If you compete and succeed as an artist, you can count on baseline market competition." It's hard for me to try and determine who is more deserving of the fumes, stains, and time in a day spent making keys when there are people entitled to filling market demand and on the other hand people who found something that makes them happy. Why should I even feel like my efforts are strong enough to fight this lack of respect for artists' work by people who deserve to eat? I don't really know for sure what words or actions could justify any of my feelings with regard to fairness, but I can say for certain that I abhor any action from crafter, customer, or the market which emotionally compromises the artist and their work. My disgust is not confined to copycaps but to a lesser extent carries out to aftermarket sale of keycaps marked up from retail. If you feel the art you bought doesn't suit you... then sell it at the right price so someone can enjoy the piece or even better, trade it.
Forgive me for rambling and forgive me for singling you out. I feel as though you got to own something I created which humbles me and empowers me to find passion in this work. If someone else made a key specifically to prevent me from being the source of keythulhus I would be devastated. You understand this to some extent, and so some of my words will reach you. This is the best I can do as someone with greater ability to sculpt, draw, and work with my hands than to write to speak about how I believe folks with similar passions feel and how it affects the beautiful things that eventually make it to you.