🎙️ Hey everyone, and welcome to another episode of Monday Break(Through).
Today I want to talk about something that’s been sitting heavy with me this past week.
Jen Wagner, a type designer I admire and follow, recently shared something on her Instagram—a font that was a direct copy of her work. Not “inspired by,” not “similar vibes.” A copy. And as soon as I saw it, I felt that familiar sting, because it’s happened to me too. I’ve come across fonts released recently that look… weirdly similar to my own. From font names to preview images, even the exact same or nearly identical social media presentations. I’ve even stumbled upon fonts that closely resemble the work of designers like Sam Parrett or Tropical Type. And it leaves behind this strange mix of frustration and sadness.
Because when someone copies your work, it’s not flattering. It’s not a compliment. We need to stop living in this imaginary world where people say, “If someone copies your work, it means you’ve made it.” No, it doesn’t. It’s not praise. It’s theft. It’s someone trying to shortcut years of creative exploration, emotional energy, trial and error—and that’s not just unfair, it’s empty. It leads nowhere.
Now, I’m not saying we’re not all influenced by each other. That’s part of being human. We absorb things. We get inspired. We study the work we love, and we naturally integrate elements into our own creative language. And if you see my font, get inspired by it, and then go on to create something better? Kudos to you, brother. But there’s a line between being influenced—and straight up replicating something just to ride the wave of someone else’s success.
And if you’re listening and you’ve ever done that—if you’ve copied someone’s work hoping it would fast-track your own growth—I want you to really hear this:
That’s not the way to succeed.
That’s not how you build a name, or a career, or a body of work you’ll be proud of in five, ten, or twenty years.
Copying might get you a few likes. Maybe a few sales. But it won’t make you feel good. And it definitely won’t make you known. Because deep down, you’ll always know it’s not really yours. And the worst thing, everyone else will know as well.
The creatives I admire—people who’ve built incredible studios, who’ve left lasting marks on design, type, branding—they didn’t get there by copying others. They got there by doing the work. Showing up consistently for years. Putting things out into the world even when they weren’t sure anyone would notice. Trusting their voice. Honing it. Making mistakes. Starting over. That’s the path.
And yeah—it’s the harder path.
But it’s the only one that leads to something real.
We live in a time where it’s so easy to get distracted by what everyone else is doing. Our feeds are filled with other people’s ideas and aesthetics. And sometimes it makes you feel like your voice isn’t enough, or like everything’s already been done. But I promise you—it hasn’t. Your perspective is still valuable. Your story is still worth telling. But you have to tell your story—not mine, not Jen’s, not anyone else’s.
So this is just a quiet reminder, from me to you:
Don’t shortcut the process.
Don’t copy.
Don’t chase someone else’s path.
You don’t need to.
You already have everything you need inside you to build something original.
It just takes time.
A little patience.
And a lot of courage.
So keep going.
Keep showing up.
And most of all—stay true to yourself.
🎙️ I’ll see you here next week.
Until then, stay creative, stay curious, and keep the convo going.