Stationer's Ettiquette: How to Protect, Respect & Grow

Handling Conflict, Creativity, and Community with Grace

In a creative industry like ours, where inspiration is everywhere and ideas can naturally overlap, it’s important to lead with professionalism, empathy, and clear communication.

Don’t get me wrong — copyright infringement is a serious offence. Protecting your work matters, and no one wants to see their designs or ideas taken without credit. But just as important is how we respond when we feel our work has been copied or misunderstood.

As stationers, we are often navigating the fine line between originality and trend, influence and imitation. But when conflicts arise, whether it’s similarities in design or navigating shared aesthetics, how we handle those situations reflects the kind of industry we want to build.

I decided to write this blog post as a reminder of the etiquette we should uphold as creatives: how to address concerns respectfully, how to support each other through growth, and how to create a community that encourages, rather than intimidates.

Let’s build better boundaries, kinder connections, and more confident, creative practices, together.

Disclaimer: This blog is not sponsored, and like all my blog posts, it is only for guidance or reference. The opinions, tips and recommendations I share are personal experiences which will differ from everyone else.

1. If You Feel Copied, Start with a Conversation

Reach out directly. Be respectful. Give the benefit of the doubt. Often, what feels like a copy is just a coincidence, especially when working within trends like bows, pressed flowers, neutral palettes, or deckled edges.

✨ Not everything that looks familiar is a copy. Sometimes, it’s simply shared taste.

Instead of jumping to conclusions or making social media posts, ask questions. Share your concerns directly with the person you feel may be copying your work. Protect your work, yes, but not at the cost of someone else’s dignity.

There are several ways to get in touch: 

• Email – This is the best way to get in touch, shows professionalism and formality. 
• Website Support Chat – If you can't reach them by email, try contacting them on their online chat if it's available. 
• Etsy Direct Messaging – If another seller is on Etsy, you could reach out to them on the platform.
• Instagram / Tiktok Direct Messaging – Social media could be the easiest way to get in touch, however, this should not be your first option.

2. What Not to Do

Let’s be honest: call-out culture can feel powerful. But in creative industries, it can also be harmful and toxic, especially when utilising social media with an upper hand.

You should always avoid: 

• Publicly naming and shaming without proof

  Calling someone out on social media platforms without showing direct evidence or giving them a chance to respond privately is not accountability. It’s humiliation.
  
  Many people forget that creative work is subjective. What looks like copying to one person might be a coincidence or a shared trend. Public accusations, especially when vague or one-sided, can ruin someone’s confidence, business, and mental health.
  
  ✨ Kindness costs nothing, so start with a private message before a broadcast.
  
  

• Sending followers to confront or troll someone

  Rallying your audience (or even unintentional) to comment, report, or “keep an eye on” another creative is a form of digital intimidation. Even if it’s subtle, this creates a mob-like environment that’s hostile and unprofessional.

  When followers take sides, the original creator may not even have control over their actions, but the damage is already done.
  
  ✨ It's one thing to be hurt. It's another to weaponise your community. 
  

  
  

• Claiming “ownership” of common trends or materials

  Silk ribbons. Fine twine. Pressed flowers. Vellum wraps. Hot foiling. Embossing. Deckled edges. Wax seals. These elements are tools, not trademarks.
  
  Unless you have created an original and unique process, product, or design that is protected by copyright or trademark, you cannot “own” a trend or an idea. Style is an ever-changing, evolving, collaborative thing, and multiple artists will arrive at similar ideas naturally.
  
  ✨ Feeling inspired or even having overlapping aesthetics is not the same as theft. 
  
  

• Using fear or intimidation to control someone’s work

  Telling someone that you and your friends are watching them. Following accounts just to monitor them. Direct messages that say insight intimidation or fear. These are not professional boundaries, they are scare tactics.

  Even if someone makes a mistake, they deserve the chance to grow without fear.
  
  ✨ You cannot mentor and intimidate someone at the same time.
  
  

• Acting as gatekeepers in an industry that thrives on new voices

  This industry doesn’t belong to anyone. Everyone's experiences deserve respect. Just remember the courage it takes to start.

  We have all been beginners. We all know how scary it feels to "go for it". We have all had to find our aesthetic, refine our process, and figure out who we are creatively. If you're in a position of influence, your job is not to gatekeep, it is to encourage, uplift, and educate when you can.
  
  ✨ There’s enough space for all of us to thrive, especially when we build with integrity, not ego.
  
  

Harassment isn’t brand protection. It’s bullying, and it creates more fear than respect. Yes, copyright infringement is a serious offence, but so is targeting someone under the guise of “inspiration theft” without clear context or communication.

3. Support Others When You See Injustice

This is quite personal to me since I went through a similar experience in 2021. I wish I had someone to speak to or someone reaching out to me. When we are starting in the beginning, it's a small and isolating place to be. 

If you see someone being publicly accused, harassed, or treated unfairly, speak up. Quietly unfollowing someone who behaves badly is a start, but your silence can also be interpreted as support. Don't be afraid to reach out to the person affected by the harassment and lend a hand through this difficult time. 

Stand up for what’s right, even if it’s uncomfortable. Especially when someone has a smaller platform or is just getting started. 

4. If You're Feeling Harassed or Accused

Here’s what I wish someone told me:

• You are not alone.
• Do not take it personally.
• You don’t need to explain yourself publicly.
• Keep screenshots, records of any kind and stay calm.
• Reach out to someone supportive, even if it’s just one person.
• Know that inspiration, similarity, and growth are part of the journey.
• You deserve to create and grow without fear.

If it's a case of harassment, intimidation, or falsifying information on the legalities of their work, you can absolutely report it to the platform the accuser has contacted you on. Before you do, take a moment and ask yourself if reporting would serve any greater purpose than muting or blocking the individual. 

It's easy to say, "Oh, ignore them and move on". When you're put under a spotlight, especially when the accuser has been in the industry longer, anxiety and fear are normal. However, when you have done nothing wrong, do not fear and do not respond publicly if you can avoid it. 

5. Before You Jump Into Conclusion

Before you begin pointing fingers, pause and reflect. Not every similarity is theft; again, sometimes, it’s coincidence, trend overlap, or shared inspiration. Take a moment and ask yourself:

• Do I fully understand what qualifies as copyright infringement?
  Familiarise yourself with the legal definitions before making assumptions.

• If I compare both designs side by side, are they truly identical?
  Try overlaying them in Illustrator or Photoshop with reduced opacity, a visual proof speaks louder than feelings.

• Are there similar designs circulating on Etsy, Pinterest, Instagram, TikTok, or other marketplaces?
  Trends often influence multiple creatives at the same time. Inspiration can be unintentional and widely shared.

• Is the design a direct copy — word for word, illustration for illustration, material for material?
  Or are you seeing shared elements that exist in many places?

• Is it just the style or aesthetic that’s similar, while everything else is different?
  It’s natural for creatives in the same niche to have overlapping styles, especially when following the same trends.

Breathe, take a moment and check your facts. If you still feel concerned, then start with a respectful, private conversation.

6. My Hope for This Industry

We are a small but mighty community. It's no small feat when you are working for yourself and running everything behind the scenes by yourself. There’s room for all of us to shine as long as we build that space with respect, clarity, and kindness.

So let’s:

• Encourage mentorship over mockery
• Prioritise growth over ego
• Assume good intentions over bad motives
• Teach, guide, and support each other, not tear down

If you’re a stationer who may be struggling with confidence, originality, or feeling isolated in your business, I offer 1:1 Mentorship Calls to help you build with clarity and direction.

✨ You don’t need to figure this out alone. I am here for support, however that may be.

Read more about my Mentorship here.

Final thoughts...

Alexander McQueen famously said, "Everything has been done before, it's just the way you do it."

In an industry built on beauty, creativity, and craftsmanship, it’s easy to feel protective of our work, and rightly so. But protection should never come at the cost of kindness, clarity, or community.

Originality doesn’t mean isolation. It means taking what inspires us and turning it into something uniquely ours, with respect, integrity, and a willingness to grow. Mistakes will happen. Misunderstandings too. What matters most is how we choose to respond.

Let’s lead with grace. Let’s ask before we accuse. Let’s support before we shame. There’s room for all of us, and how we treat each other shapes the kind of industry we get to grow in.

Do you have a video I can refer to?

Not this time! It's only a blog post for now. I do hope this was helpful. Bookmark this blog so you can always come back to it. Please share it with a friend or tag me on Instagram. 

Much love, Keth ♡

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If you follow me on Instagram or Tiktok, you would be familiar with the videos I share. Don't hesitate to get in touch or say hello!