As I was going through one of my recent submissions and credting the wonderful artists whose stocks I had used I noticed a journal that struck a chord with me.

The subject was regarding the recent random deletions of submissions and/or whole galleries due to "Art Theft".
I read the journal full and the comments at the end of it and also added my support - this has happened to me also and I was completely crushed by it.

I had had some complete stranger go through my gallery and tell me that everything I had uploaded (not just my photoshop manipulation work, but everything) was ripped off.
This to me was nearly soul destroying. I, like many others here put in a lot of time and effort into my work - my photography is something so personal and a hobby that I enjoy so much that to have someone tell me that none of it is my work is just abhorrent to me.

Of course a lot of my work was removed by the DA Staff (which obviously is understandable if they think that someone is breaching copyright HOWEVER as always I had credited where everything I used had come from IF it was not my own work) and I logged after being absent for a while due to being unwell to find half my gallery had been taken out in one fell swoop.

What on earth is going on here?
Is this site not a community for people to share their work, gain feedback to become even better at what they do and also get support from like minded people??

I thought so, but apparently its a site that allows what seems to be petty jealousy and childish "tattle-tale" behaviours to ruin what is, for many people, an enjoyable hobby and to some their chosen career.

The point of this somewhat rambling journal is to ask those of you that read this that have had this happen to you to band together to support each other and to maybe at least find out why this is happening and to hopefully put an end to it.

I am aware that the voices of few may not be heard, but I wanted to at least show my support to those others that have had their work removed for so-called "art theft" and who, perhaps like me were considering leaving DA for another site because of the actions of a few nasty, negative minded people.

It is at this point that I would like to remind everyone and anyone reading this that art is subjective - everyone at some point borrows something from another artist...Whether it is a stock to use in a manipulation or an idea or a style.
So if you pathetic small-minded jealousy-ridden people want to destroy the collections and the work of others; please bear in mind that you are also quite possibly guitly of doing exactly what you blame others for.
Oh - and what goes around comes around...I would hate for the same thing to happen to you.

Thank you for reading and keep doing whatever it is that you do - your art matters and it makes the world a brighter place to be in. Don't let someone take that away from you.

Mab Winterborne.