I want to write about the experience of the first time my work was used without credit or compensation — the first experience of art theft — and what I learned from handling it.

The incident: a relatively large social media account reposted one of my illustrations without credit. I saw it in my notifications — someone had tagged me in a comment on the repost.

My response: a polite public comment asking for credit and a direct message with the same request. The account added credit within a few hours. No confrontation.

What I learned: most uncredited use is casual thoughtlessness rather than deliberate theft. A polite, direct request for credit resolves most cases without drama. The aggressive confrontation approach I've seen from other artists often produces less satisfying results and more community drama.

For actual commercial use without permission or compensation: that's a different situation requiring a more formal approach. I've had one instance of this. A cease-and-desist letter from me directly resolved it without requiring legal help.