Advice on people copying me?

Hey guys, so I'm really frustrated with things going on around me lately and have no idea how to feel better about it or what to think about me. Can you guys help me? It might seem like small things but there is so many of them that I can't understand how to deal with it.

Well last semester there was a girl in my ceramics class who sat next to me. She copied the design of one of my pieces, and actually stole the piece itself, then started copying the way I dressed. She was crazy.

This semester a girl in my textile design class who sits across from me put the same colors in her hair that I dyed mine, and wears nothing but these colors now, along with black. A girl that sits next to me in this same class painted her nails these colors and wears accessories of the colors as well. Someone else in the class also painted their nails the same color. The first girl started copying my last project the last class that we had but stopped after another girl was making it a little awkward for her by whispering to me.

A girl in another class came into class when I was there early (only me and one or two other people there) and literally screamed, "I'M HEREEEEE!!!!!!!!!!" Before she had screamed, I glanced up because someone came in the door and noticed he hair looked a little familiar and immediately dismissed it and chose not to deal with it. But she continued on in such a loud boisterous voice saying "YEAH, I WAS PLANNING ON DOING THIS ANYWAY." Her saying that just confirms the fact that she has the same hair as me....I looked later when she was turned the other way and she, also, dyed her hair the same colors as mine, and had pretty much stated before, that I did something she had come up with first, four months before I ever saw her face? I don't get people. Also in this same class, one of the girls made one of her projects the colors of my hair, and additionally wore matching hair extensions.

In another one of my classes, a girl wears all of one of the colors of my hair, including hair extensions, and then has recently added the other color to her hair. And in the class, a person that sits at my table has dyed her hair the same spot that I have dyed mine.

Now in my photo class, there is a girl that copied my handwriting. Aside from that, I did a series of pictures about my view of feminism, and I had a picture of the back of my hair and I was surrounded by hair products and I was holding a brush in one hand and hair that I had cut off after high school in the other. I explained to the class that I had been dreading my hair since last April and a little of what I dealt with hair wise in the past. So I noticed last photo class while I was separating my hair, this one girl was staring at me. Later we were standing up to look at someone's pictures and the same girl, that I have been in class with for years, has stopped brushing their hair. If she wanted to dread her hair, she would've already done it, not use the decision I made for my hair and apply it to hers. There is no one else in the art building that is dreading their hair or has dreads and maybe one person that backcombed their hair a year or two ago that I haven't seen in the longest time.

I'm so frustrated, I feel like I can't be my own person, and everyone has to take my life decisions and apply it to their own body and work. I feel like they are mental terrorists and I don't feel comfortable being myself anymore. People always say you're supposed to be flattered when people are inspired by you, but I can't be, because these people are unstable, not being inspired but blatenly copying everything I do and they stare at me and watch me, and these people are so abnormal and it's so awkward. I don't understand how they aren't embarrassed, because I'm so embarrassed for them. I could never imagine sitting next to someone copying their exact hair color or style. I can't even make eye contact with these people and I want to run away and never see them again. I want to shave my hair off into a mohawk so people will just stop.

updated by @j3ssah-r0s3: 02/15/15 08:31:30AM

How old are you? That could make all the difference in how strange this actually is. If you are in high then this is completely normal. That's how trends start.

Anyway...

Sadly, the cliches are true. You are inspiration. You are allowing them to test their boundaries by giving them permission by simply existing as you are.

And ultimately, no one is 100% unique. In the sum of our parts we are but every individual action we do, thought we have, decision we make, has been done by someone else, somewhere else, sometime else. It's unavoidable.

The only thing you can do about this situation is decide how you feel and react. If you want to be upset about not being unique then you are going to be upset but if you choose to look at it in a positive way then you can do that too.

Try complimenting the girls. You say they're unstable. Could be they have low self esteem and could use the boost. If they can actually raise their self esteem maybe they will find their own creativity.

As for the girls stealing your work. That shit is wrong. Very wrong. I suggest public shaming.

I'd dye my hair a completely different colour and see if they followed me.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery

dye your hair your natural color

wear hemp\

patchwork

just doint care about your style and let em imitate that,,

--
My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

Imitation is the highest form of flattery.

When I was in art school somebody stole my entire print making final project. All my prints gone. Luckily my prof saw the prints and watched as I made the project so she gave me an A anyway.

Dont worry at all about it. The people who copy you will more than likely be sitting at some desk for some company for the rest of their unoriginal, unimaginative lives.

Take this experience as a great omen! Your ideas and styles are popular. Try not to think so much about what others are doing, even though they are thinking about you

I am 22 working towards my second degree.

Tied up in knots said:

How old are you? That could make all the difference in how strange this actually is. If you are in high then this is completely normal. That's how trends start.

Anyway...

Sadly, the cliches are true. You are inspiration. You are allowing them to test their boundaries by giving them permission by simply existing as you are.

And ultimately, no one is 100% unique. In the sum of our parts we are but every individual action we do, thought we have, decision we make, has been done by someone else, somewhere else, sometime else. It's unavoidable.

The only thing you can do about this situation is decide how you feel and react. If you want to be upset about not being unique then you are going to be upset but if you choose to look at it in a positive way then you can do that too.

Try complimenting the girls. You say they're unstable. Could be they have low self esteem and could use the boost. If they can actually raise their self esteem maybe they will find their own creativity.

As for the girls stealing your work. That shit is wrong. Very wrong. I suggest public shaming.

Are these girls the same age? Generally speaking by your early twenties most people want to be themselves and not other people.I'm feeling kind of sad for these girls. they must not be having an easy time finding themselves and their confidence. they must be getting pretty good at figuring out who they're not though.At least you can use them as proof of your awesomeness. If you were lame they wouldn't want to be you!

I can imagine the constant copying must be annoying, but if it was me I'd do my best to ignore it. You're an inspiration to these girls who are desperately searching for a 'look.' One day they'll grow up and realize what they are doing. Then they might say something like 'You encouraged me to be different and express myself.' Laugh to yourself at the irony! Celebrities also continually have people trying to imitate them. Copying your art work is another thing, though. All artistic work is covered by copyright. You have the right to speak up.

You must be an influenctial and inspiring person! Try to embrace the flattery!

ive had this happen to me a lot... its annoying.