What’s with all the DIY drama in the maximalist TikTok world?

Is imitation the sincerest form of flattery? According to one DIY TikTok influencer, the answer is firmly “no.”

In a now-deleted video, a DIY creator, Taylor (@TayBeepBoop), took to TikTok to accuse her fellow DIYer Kaarin (@KaarinJoy) of stealing her ideas and designs — which are shared freely online, often with tutorials, so that viewers can make the projects themselves at home.

That sparked a social media-wide conversation about who truly owns DIY ideas, and what constitutes “stealing” in the influencer world.

Who is KaarinJoy?

Kaarin Staalsen (@KaarinJoy) is a fiber artist, interior decorator and DIYer.

She’s best known for such projects as her DIY cereal bowl wall and her ice cream sandwich bench, and her bold, whimsical designs have become a favorite in the maximalist design world.

With over 2.1 million followers on TikTok and 332,000 followers on Instagram (and more since this drama first unfolded), Kaarin has amassed a loyal online following.

Who is TayBeepBoop?

Taylor (@TayBeepBoop) describes herself as a “DIY queen.”

She has over 1.9 million followers on TikTok and nearly 900,000 followers on Instagram — although the numbers have fallen since she leveled accusations of theft against Kaarin.

Her work has been featured in such publications as Apartment Therapy, JoySauce, Daily Dot and Business Insider.

What is maximalism?

Katherine McLaughlin, writing in Architectural Digest, defines maximalism as the antithesis of minimalism. “Maximalist interiors embrace bold use of color, pattern, and layering to create a space that honors and celebrates excess,” she notes.

If the TikTok hashtag #maximalism is any indication of the design movement’s popularity — and it currently boasts over 1.5 billion views — it’s safe to say that minimalism is on the way out.

TayBeepBoop’s accusations against KaarinJoy

In a video that Taylor herself referred to as “petty,” the DIY influencer said the situation was “getting out of hand,” given how closely she felt Kaarin’s projects resembled her own.

Taylor even took issue with Kaarin’s wallpaper, which was purchased from Taylor’s now-discontinued wallpaper line with Otto Studio.

While Taylor later deleted the video, TikTokers were quick to re-upload it for posterity.

KaarinJoy’s response to TayBeepBoop’s accusations

Because Taylor had blocked Kaarin on TikTok, Kaarin was not able to watch the accusatory video herself — but followers had informed her of its content in DMs and messages.

“I’m getting a lot of hateful comments and messages now,” Kaarin said in her response. “I’m not gonna come on here and cry, and be like, ‘Feel sorry for me.’ I’m just really disappointed, because I really, genuinely like this creator. She was one of the person people that I followed on [TikTok] that I was really, like, ‘Wow, this decor style is so cool. It is so colorful and so fun.’ And [it] just really encouraged me to express myself.”

Kaarin went on to say that she and Taylor had spoken privately via DMs in the past, and that Taylor had asked her not to do any of her DIYs — “which I totally understood,” said Kaarin. “I was like, ‘That’s totally fine. I really do get it.’ It was a really pleasant interaction.”

She continued by saying, “I just think it’s so crazy to say that no one else can decorate [in similar colors] … If you’re branding yourself as a DIY channel, ‘Do this yourself, here’s how I did it, here’s the links for the supplies.’ … And then to say that no one can be inspired off of you is just wrong. … There are going to be people that continue to grow on this app with that same style, with my same style. … Our whole platform is encouraging other people to do the same thing.”

TikTokers react to the drama

After watching Kaarin’s video, many TikTokers were quick to take her side.

Taylor’s former roommate, @adelinascozylife, took to the app and came to Kaarin’s defense.

Another TikToker, @brookeschofield1, pointed out the irony of Taylor’s getting upset that Kaarin had supported her small business by purchasing her wallpaper.

“God forbid influencers influence people,” she says in her video.

Other TikTokers and longtime followers of Kaarin, like @descent_into_madness, came with the receipts to pull apart Taylor’s accusations.

The DIY debate even inspired a “Please copy me” trend, in which TikTokers like @chelseazeferina asked followers to recreate her DIY projects.

TayBeepBoop addresses the backlash

In response, Taylor posted a TikTok gallery with a typed-out message.

“I posted a video today that I should have continued to handle privately,” the video read. “This isn’t what I want my page to be about so I removed it! I’m passionate about giving credit to designers and creators, and I wish that could have been the case here when it was first addressed.”

However, that video was also later deleted — although, just as with her original accusation video, viewers were quick to record and upload it again.

Later, Taylor took to the app again to address the drama — this time, sitting down in front of the camera to record a spoken apology.

“My behavior has been wild and inappropriate, and I apologize it’s taken me so long to realize that,” she said in the video. “Everyone draws inspiration from somewhere, and the fact that I went after someone who has been nothing but nice to me, and has done nothing to deserve what I did, just proves how much I got this wrong.”

Many viewers, however, felt that Taylor had only decided to apologize after Otto Studio severed ties with her and discontinued her wallpaper line — something the brand addressed in its own now-deleted TikTok video.

“As a small business, we strive to support and uplift artists, creators, and DIYers,” its video read.

“We are disappointed in and do not stand behind the video that was posted by Tay BeepBoop regarding Kaarin Joy earlier this week. It goes against our values and the ethos of the DIY community.”

Who really owns art?

In The Know by Yahoo spoke to Ally Mataj, co-founder of Bonheur Jewelry, to gain insight on the age-old debate of influence versus imitation.

“The Picasso aphorism — ‘Good artists copy, great artists steal’ — encapsulates a nuanced view,” Mataj stated. “When artists steal, they aren’t copying directly. Instead, they take an idea, process it through their unique perspective, and make it their own.”

She continued, “The internet, and platforms like TikTok, have accelerated the spread of ideas and styles. Influence can spread virally, leading to the rapid proliferation of a particular style or trend. With DIY influencers, a particular style or method can be disseminated quickly.”

Mataj concluded, “However, just like in the art world, there’s a difference between directly replicating someone’s work and using it as inspiration for one’s own original content.”

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The post What’s with all the DIY drama in the maximalist TikTok world? appeared first on In The Know.

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