As artists, bloggers, authors, publishers, and generally creative people, we often turn to stock images — at sites like Shutterstock, DepositPhotos.com, FreeImages.com, MorgueFile.com (not what it sounds like), and a bazillion others — for art, photos, and inspiration. We also use things like the Creative Commons search engine, to find hidden gems for our work….
Category: Business & Career
How to earn money – or even a living – from your artistic talents: Selling art, teaching art, and more.
Stage Fright, Perfection, Flow, Teaching, and Art
Stage fright has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. It’s very selective. I’m fine in front of a crowd of thousands, especially in halls where the lights are on me and I can’t see the faces of anyone past the first row or two… and even they are too…
Art, Matthew Diffee, and Mother Sea Turtles
Are you a mother sea turtle? If you’re a creative person, maybe you should be. That’s the advice of Matthew Diffee, and I think he’s right. Matthew Diffee Interview Human Demo: New Yorker Cartoonist Matthew Diffee Shows How To Be Creative – Forbes vianews.google.com … Among Diffee’s pieces of advice for aspiring creative people is…
Art and the Economics of Giving
Are your usual fans in a temporary financial jam? In recent years, that’s been sadly commonplace. The fact is, as of 2011, Half of Americans don’t have $2000 for a rainy day. In an emergency, even with 30 days to come up with $2000, only 25% of Americans are sure they could beg, borrow or…
Copyright, Flickr and Google Images
Well, my recents posts on the topic of copyright — especially related to Flickr and Google Images — seem to have opened a can of worms. I did a little more research so I could refer people to the best resources & opinions I could find. Here they are: Flickr photos and images are not…
While I’m Talking About Public Domain…
Never underestimate the value of the U.S. government when it comes to surreal and absurd images, many of which are in the public domain. I mean it. And, if you’re easily offended, or if the subject of VD bothers you, avert your eyes. Seriously, this poster (at right) appears to be in the public domain. …
Copyright and Free, Royalty-Free Resources… again!
Many people — perhaps most people online today — don’t know how copyright laws work. I know no one who deliberately breaks copyright laws. But yes… some people believe that anything online is okay to borrow, at least for personal or one-time use. After all, everyone else is doing that, so it must be legal……
Art Journals v. Artist’s Journals
I wrote the first draft of this article in 2006, when the arts community was still deciding if we were “art journaling” or creating “artists’ journals.” Then, I expanded the article in 2011, weighing in on the continuing debate. (Today, the phrase “art journaling” seems preferred, so I’ve updated the article… but only a little.)…
Why Art?
Why art? Really, why would anyone take the time to create art, unless he or she is a full-time artist? The answers are clear to anyone who’s independently created art of any kind. Even if it’s a scribble or a graphic note in the margin of your class notes, if you’ve ever expressed yourself visually,…
In Business? Who Are You Reading?
Are you a professional artist, or launching an art career? Whether you’re a gallery veteran or simply considering selling your art, it’s vital to remain current about the art field as well as business trends in general. So… who are you reading, to stay current? One of the most important recent books is Seth Godin’s…