Hi all,

Something that has been on my mind lately since I'm a great believer in the need for creative people being compensated.
The reason for this post is that I'm at the point where I can pretty much figure out how to make anything just from seeing a picture of it. I probably don't make it exactly the way the creator did but it comes out the same.
My question is do you think I have the right to make the thing, provided I cite the creator as the inspiration. I'm talking about things that are not on YouTube or other free sites, just a pic posted somewhere that I liked and eventually figured out how to make.
Money is tight for me right now or I'd buy everything. Things being what they are I find my money going towards balloons and new magic tricks, that being the area I'm focusing on now that I have a following for my twisting. Frankly the pay is MUCH better for a magic+balloon show than just a balloon gig alone. For instance my rate for an hour and a half for a combo show is 125 more than the same amount of time twisting or face painting alone.
The compromise I've come to is that I would only post a photo of something I reverse engineered if I made the piece myself and I cited the inspiring party. When I make the same thing busking I'll often name the inspiration, even though it means nothing to them. (You should see the blank expressions =O )
I know I'm leaving myself open to getting blasted as a hypocrite. It's just something that I think of and was wondering about what other people thought.

My .02
only post photos of things you made
citing sources only comes into play if you are lecturing or selling instructional content and then it's considered good manners to obtain permission to use another person's design regardless of if you bought the instructions from them or "figgered it out yerself"
citing sources for line work or in shows is meaningless to the audience.

the muddy waters are that, unless it's an original technique, designs are commonplace and multiple people have published instructions for similar designs. if you saw my frog, and it was different from the other frogs you've seen, you might assume it's my design but it might not be. if you credit me, then the person I got it from would be upset.

IMO, the vast majority of balloon designs are adaptations of designs and techniques originated long ago.