Imitation is the sincerest form of saying "IMMA STEAL YOUR IDEA!"

"You were born an original. Don't die a copy."
- John Mason

I wonder if humans are all born with the same amount of creativity and originality. And over time, it either gets eroded .. or people just stop believing in themselves so they steal and take from others. Sneaky pricks.

Case in point: fellow Australian blogger Chantelle Ellem from Fat Mum Slim. I first knew of Chantelle when we were featured in THIS article together a few years ago. Her blog is creative, whimsical, original .. just like her. I sighed, when I first clicked over - she is amazing.

In January this year, Chantelle created her own photo-a-day challenge. She did not invent this genre, at all. But she *did* invent the everyday prompts, the hashtag, and her own button using a cool and distinctive style.

So many people around the world joined in ... I got so excited I kept emailing her. On Instagram alone, the #janphotoaday hashtag was used 171,875 times. It went so well that people begged Chantelle to do it again for February, so she did.

The #febphotoaday hashtag was used a whopping 715,024 times. The awesome thing about it was, a lot of people found new people through this. I love seeing what others on the other side of the world are doing, and how they interpret the prompt.

Chantelle thought of these prompts from her own head ... radical, huh?

So one day last week, after I dyed my hair PURPLE (which I didn't end up getting fixed - it'll fade. Thank you for telling me to own my hair, by the way) ... I was mucking around with some completely narcissistic black-and-white self portraits and took this photo:

I simply called the photo "Clean" .. because I like the double meaning of clean from the shower, also clean from all of the crap I have ever polluted my body with over the course of my entire life. I also like this photo because I'm not being my usual middle-aged gang-signing idiot. But my god, MY NOSE. I always forget exactly how cauliflowery it actually is!

Anyway, then I upload it to Instagram, have a browse, and see Chantelle's new March photo a day prompt. (I stopped doing them back in January, because true to form I never finish what I start. Know your limits, people!)

I was struck with how cool that lime colour she used is:

..... but I was HORRIFIED to see that the last day of March said "b & w self portrait." Chantelle would think I copied off her and I didn't! I just did a wanky black and white self-portrait of my accord, I swear. Chantelle then uploaded the new March challenge to her blog - AND IT WASN'T THE LIME GREEN ONE. The above lime green one is a FAKE. This is the real one:

Let's all agree that anybody in the world is allowed to do a photo-a-day challenge. Chantelle didn't invent that. But she DID invent the hashtag, the style, the font of her own. I call bullshit on copycats. So did Chantelle over in her post HERE today. (But in a much nicer way.) She even used this pic which I just stole off her:

Like Sandi says to Danny right before she throws her pom-poms down .. "You're a fake and a phony and I wish I never laid eyes on YOU."

In conclusion: I really want a nose job.

Wait - that's not my conclusion. My conclusion is .... make your own shit. It's not that hard.

For example, I have an awesome idea for a photo-a-day challenge. It can be called PHOTOS OF THE SEAMY UNDERBELLY OF LIFE. My fonts and style will be all swirly and black, with skulls and shadows. Some of my prompts would include things like:

1. Nightmare
2. Failure
3. Pain
4. Something you regret
5. Clothes you look dumb in
6. A junkies coffee table
7. Your last big cry
 ...etc.

I think it would be a hit. The dark things in life have feelings too, you know.

Chantelle, if I can be bothered to get my own idea off the ground instead of lounging around googling noses? You're goin' DOWN.



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