Yah..that's your art over there..
Last week I found one of my images on a foreign language blog. The blog author took the image and wrote positive things about it and linked to my website....without letting me know.
I'm not angry about this.
Because my image was watermarked, I feel confident that even if the article did not link to my site, readers would be able to find me if they cared to... but this brings two important things to discuss to mind:
1. Our community. This image was taken several months ago by someone I have never heard of. I wish (I can wish, right?) that the blog author would have been a regular visitor to my site, and that I would have recognized her from leaving some comments and opening dialogue with me. (Afterall, why am I writing this? It's to be a part of a community and spark dialogue, among other things.) So, without stopping to talk here, the author just felt entitled to be able to take that image and make herself a pretty blog post. Whatever...
2. Entitlement. I am not sure what's happening for sure, but it seems to me that this rampant problem is ok with a lot of people, blog authors in particular, who with the avenues of things like Tumblr and Pinterest, feel that it is acceptable to gain popularity and readership by posting images of things that are not their own. Right?
My framed originals getting ready for the show.
Your images are out there too. Even if you are not a member of Pinterest, you will probably find yourself there. And if you're blogging in hopes of sparking a comment or conversation with someone, well.... I don't know....seems it is much easier to click on something and add it to a board rather than stop by and exchange pleasantries with an artist or craftsperson.
I watermark everything with hopes that someone might make it back here so that I know that I am not alone....how about you?
Things in the art community are not all doughnuts and roses...and I am here to hopefully have a discussion about the topics that a lot of people (maybe everyone...) brush under the mat in HOPES of making a difference and resurrecting a culture that seems to be dying... talk to me...and better yet...if someone is in your reader, talk to them too!
