Have you thought of partnering with a cause? Have your ideas run dry on how to make the world a better place? When considering partnering with a cause, remember it’s a balance of altruism and profitability.
I’ve seen small agencies list 200 charities on their rooster and it’s my opinion that this is just ridiculous. Personally, choose one or two charities that really fit your passion. I believe when you follow your passion (specially when you have a reason -a story to back it up) you’ll have a more rewarding experience with your supporting efforts.
Examples could be:
My family is plagued with colon cancer, so I want to support this research.
I grew up with abused pets, so I want to educate kids on the privilege of pet ownership.
The children in my rural farm life didn’t have a library, so I want to start a bookmobile.
Recently, I just found a great business model when considering partnering with a cause: buy one, donate one. The video below shows the working business model Timbooktwo has cultivated to donate one video to a charity for each video sold. Brilliant!
While this group uses videos as their buy one, donate one, this match could be anything.
Books for libraries
Collars for cats
Blankets for Babies
Anything!
Publish your Idea, Get Good Karma
What would be your charity and what would your offer to buy one, donate one? I would love to see your ideas even if you don’t support the charity, it may give someone else a great idea.
Up until now, I was not going to get riled about copyright violation hype on Pinterest. However, things have changed. The prevasive problem of repinning work is now becoming an epidemic among those of us who like shiny objects. The fun and games being hosted on Pinterest are just that until someone gets hurt. The vague terms paired with a potentially life-threatening legal suit has me scratching my head about the platform upon which Pinterest is built.
Currently, there are a few articles written by attorneys floating about the Interwebs and they’re quite kludgy and long-winded. They are written by attorneys after all, not that there’s anything wrong with that. The last couple of years I thought of returning to law school to become an IP attorney -but I’m a poor test taker. However, after reading and re-reading Pinterest’s terms of use (TOU) and their copyright outline and comparing that against the Twitter discussions and these recent articles, I’m beginning to reconsider. I’m an entrepreneur with aspirational goals and I don’t want those ripped out from under me all because I pinned an artist’s gorgeous wall hanging.
As a communicator with a graphic design background, I like clear and concise means to impart information -I guess this is why I’m in love with quick reference cards (QRCs) and InfoGraphics- but I digress. Having said that, I just read a great Q&A interview by Kevin Lincoln on BusinessInsider that outlines why Pinterest Might the Copyright Theft Enabler.
I’m going to assume for a moment that you have heard of Pinterest and in some form, have engaged in the nectar of sweet frothy image collection. For me, two major things come to mind:
1. How can I legally pin something if I can’t repin someone else’s work or my own?
2. Why am I held accountable for copyright violation if I’m not repurposing a photograph for monetary gain?
The crux of the current event is that Pinterest is providing a double-standard vehicle that none of us can really wrap our heads around. An interactive collage that gets ‘liked’ and ‘re-pinned’ by followers. We’re in effect, creating our tastemaking machine. I get high pinning all of those gorgeous photographs of dreamy places and delicious food. Seems harmless enough, right? Much akin to tearing pages out of magazines and posting them on our fridge -except this fridge is public.
I know you’re busy, so let me cut to the chase. The difference between Google and Pinterest involves a word called: Transformative. Transformative is the creation of a thumbnail pulled from a Web site and stored on public servers. Transformative is good -we like this.
For instance, when you’re looking for an image of a cat on Google, you get a collage of all types of images/photos tagged cat. The images (on Google) are reformatted approximately to a size of 200 x 200 pixels wide and enlarge just a bit when you hover over them.
The pivotal point is that you must go to the Web site hosting the image to see the image in full. The transformative part is the link that takes you there. The link is the road to the Web site -we like this. When my images come up from my Web site, they should be linked to my site. Unless someone has stolen my image and placed it on their site for sale (notice I didn’t say ‘to revere and blog about’), it’s all good.
An example of transformative session (ethical & good)
Let’s say you like the cat with the lime helmet above and you want to learn more about it. You click the image and it takes you to the photographers site. You might find that the photographer has decided to sell that image in the form of a greeting card. Awesome! You buy the greeting card from the photographer and this is the way great commerce works. Everybody wins.
An example of non-transformative session (unethical & bad)
The opportunity of blindly re-pinning is infectious. It’s so easy to just re-pin that beautifully whimsy cake below to your own collage board. No one is getting hurt -yet. The prevailing problem is when the cake is shown in its entirety (no cropping) and loses its link back to its owner. How is the baker of said cake supposed to get any traffic back to her site? She hasn’t even put a watermark on it to define it as her property.
Pinterest should be intercepting the unethical nature of the shown photo and telling the Pinner (could be me) that they’re in violation (like YouTube), and removing the photo until the Pinner can provide accurate records that they own the copyright. Pinterest should also write code that maintains those links because humans are lazy and don’t want to chase down links. It’s true. We all do it.
When we share a video from YouTube, it maintains the history of that link. I always know that I can return to the original source of that video and leave a comment or engage in services from that video owner. Pinterest is claiming that it is a search tool (like Google) driving traffic back to the source, but this is not the case. Grabbing the entire copyrighted work is unethical and in clear violation (much like Napster) and has decided to hold us accountable. Yes, hold us accountable.
As I said earlier, I’m an entrepreneur with aspirational goals. I want to be free to build my empire without the fear of being the moth to flame. Shame on you, Pinterest.
So, the big question is: Should I remove all of my 82 boards that I’ve invested so much time to cultivate?
My intent was to help share the work of other artists and creatives on this destination tool. As a champion and bull dog of copyright, I want to do the right thing. If I don’t, it’s shame on me.
I know that once search engines were built that it was imperative to place my watermark on each and every image I place on the interwebs. It’s not a matter of if my image gets lifted, but when. In the event my image gets placed on Pinterest (and it has), I can sleep at night knowing that my watermark includes my URL and my image will find its way home. It’s like my image has a name tag among the sea of other lifted images just having a party. ”Hi, my name is lisa-stewart.com. What’s yours? Oh, you don’t have a name? Are you an orphan?”
Yikes, I think I just started a conspiracy theory.
Until Pinterest can iron out its TOU and come to terms with its own vague copyright terms, these waters are going to get rough. I can’t wait to see how this all plays out.
If there is one word that had been acting like a burr under my saddle for the past 10 years, it’s the word ‘Yummy.’
Major eyeball rolling happens whenever I hear or read, “We have yummy yarn!” and I just shut down. I don’t eat yarn thank you very much. Or, “This soap is just yummy!” Really? I don’t include soap in my diet either.
How about “She is a yummy mummy,” or “Their skin looks yummy,” or “Paul is so hot in his black Suit #yummy!”
Really? It sounds as though we’re a bunch of two year olds talking about sex. Does that sound appropriate to you? (more…)
Rejoice! You can now shop with your glass of bubbly and look like you’ve sweat over her/his gift. Here are a few terrific last minute holiday gifts that you can give the creative on your list.
Photography
Lytro Camera – Get this folks, this is truly FM (freaking magic) for the photo geeks in your life. Best invention of 2011, headaches of focusing each shot has disappeared. A few highlights:
With light traveling in every direction in every point in space, you can Capture the entire light field. Imagine capturing Dr. Who in your own little virtual TARDIS!
Captures Living Pictures with the press of a single button. By instantly capturing complete light field data, the Lytro gives you capabilities you’ve never had in a regular camera. This is moving in the direction of the Daily Prophet! How cool is this?
Allows you or anyone to Focus After the Fact. This will allow you to experience the first major light field capability Focus and re-focus, anywhere in the picture. You can refocus your pictures at anytime, after the fact. Could be terrific for spies like us to review crime scenes.
Spoiler: If you want to know the secret to the magic, is because there isn’t an auto-focus motor. No auto-focus motor means no shutter delay. So, capture the moment you meant to capture not the one a shutter-delayed camera captured for you.
Play with it now! Hover over the image and click anywhere you want to focus your eye. A small square bottom right will appear to let you know that the image is live.
Isn’t this just wicked? After this, you can add another level of argument to the age old question: Is photography an art or science?
Many publishers are going the route of electronic publications -and it’s about time. Now that they [the publishers] have figured out how to monetize their new business model, a digital subscription to any magazine is a great gift. Did I mention instant?
I know that I’m simply overwhelmed with years of CommArts & Print magazines stored under my desk and there will be more to follow. So what’s an artist to do?
Go digital. If your loved one is plagued with periodicals floating around the studio and they’re eating precious real estate, a digital subscription may be the way to go. The trees will thank you for it.
Many folks, and I’m going to name ages here, folks who are a generation older than myself (boomers) still like the feel of paper between their fingers. But here’s where I really love sorting history of periodicals: the online search feature. Instead of swimming thru a mess of magazines on the floor to find that certain how-to-guide, I can just search for it online thru my new digital magazine or compendium. I can print out the article if I want, but chances are I won’t need to. Many digital resources and platforms (ie iPad) will bookmark your spot. Who doesn’t love bookmarks?
Some digital magazines subscriptions may or may not include a print edition. They may even be more expensive because they’re including lots of amenities like bonus materials, videos, online forums and such. Just take a good look at the price and be your own judge.
Spa-cation
The quickest way to a creative’s heart is through her hands. If there is one thing we creatives know, it’s that we love to build and construct, but we never take the time for ourselves -even an hour. A creative’s hands are never pretty. Quick gifts could include a manicure and pedicure to reward her (or him) for those long hours in the studio.
Manicures aren’t just for fashionistas, they have internal benefits, too. Did you know that manicures include a hand and arm massage? Plus, they help moisten cuticles and strengthen nails that prevent them from splitting during the dry months and make her (or him) look professional during the major selling seaon. Also, pedicures include a foot and calf massage and that would be so perfect for after a 3-day show!
Depending on your region, manicures usually run about $25. This includes polish but I always opt out because I’ll chip that polish in a New York minutes. Plus, this grants me a longer massage! If you buy a combo package, you can probably get a great deal.
So, Ms/Mr Procrastinator, enjoy your bubbly and thank me later for introducing you to this no sweat, no drama gift giving list.
Have a great holiday and remember to recharge your own batteries.
Law School for Visual Artists: NYC http://www.vlany.org/lawschool_about.php#law_school
Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts has initiated a course for contemporary visual artists that will make legalese comprehensible and manageable, while giving visual artists an introduction to legal issues necessary to protect themselves and their art projects. This 5-week lecture series will cover intellectual property (copyright and trademarks); contracts, consignment agreements, and licensing agreements; basic business models (non-profit and for-profit corporations, LLC’s); employment issues with studio and gallery assistants; artist websites; as well as issues in public art and commissioning agreements.
Twice a year Visual Art Exchange presents its Business of Being an Artist (BOBAA) series of lectures to educate visual artists and provide them with the tools to become successful. For the first time in April 2011, VAE changed the BOBAA format to a one, all day series of lectures. The lectures are free for VAE members and college students. The lectures are $15 for non-members.
Upcoming BOBAA: Next: October 2011, date is TBA
If you have any lectures or workshops that you’d like to post that are happening now thru the end of the year, post them here.
Have you thought of partnering with a cause? Have your ideas run dry on how to make the world a better place? When considering partnering with a cause, remember it’s a balance of altruism and profitability.
Up until now, I was not going to get riled about copyright violation hype on 
