Piracy in art and working for free

[smb]

Thanks Papadan. It's good to know that my time, efforts, thoughts and money have not been entirely wasted!

[BigEd]

You make a good point. I've come back to creating art after about a decade and a half or more burn out. By the mid 90's it became about the money only. It was no longer fun.   Now I'm back, just checking out other artists work and creating again. Not looking to make money. I agree with RussellChapmen. I don't want somebody else stealing my pieces and making money off of them. (That has happened to me, In a very big way).  If I see them being used for nonprofit purposes "fantastic!" I love it. As smb said; more feathers in the cap but I would like to have my work attributed correctly also. That is only fair. Money will destroy ones love for art.  When a young person asks me for a tip on how they can break into the business, I always say, (my one and only tip): DON'T CALL IT A BUSINESS.

[akoulit]

Fair comment. And I certainly agree that art is more fun when there is no money involved...

 

Some people do of course make a successful living out of art - and I make no secret of the fact that I am rather envious of their privileged position... Me? I'm just doomed to sail the Seven Seas until my dying breath... (Well maybe not... If ever ArtFreaks.com and/or any of my other sites should finally start to become viable businesses. Woops!! Sorry... Let's call them commercial enterprises!)

enterprises

 

enterprises

 

 

By the way... On a different note:

 

I notice that there are now a handful of members who are following this 'thread' (topic.) For some time now, I have noticed that I don't seem to be getting email notifications anymore, whenever a reply is posted to a topic that I am following... 'Just wondering; has anyone else who is following this topic received an email notification, telling them that a new reply has been posted?

[BigEd]

I can appreciate that. I had that privileged position once. The highs were high but the low were deep. Now days I've gotten me a day job.  and we hit the open road when we can, seeing the world from my Harley (if the chain don't break).

[smb]

I'm starting to change my mind on this free art thing.
 
I will always paint for free when my daughter asks me to make her a painting of Demi Lovato - (or whoever happens to be her hero of the time!)
 

 
And needless to say, if I can do a free painting for a good friend - and if that saves me the headache of trying to think of anything else to buy for them, then I will continue to do the odd free painting.
 
But my days of painting on demand just because I enjoy doing it, are fast coming to an end.
 
I read an interesting article on ft.com
With jobs, make sure it pays to play
This bit was particularly instrumental in causing me to adjust my opinion on the subject of painting for free:
 

High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. See our Ts&Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail. Email ftsales.support@ft.com to buy additional rights. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/dec73e56-efb9-11e2-8229-00144feabdc0.html#ixzz2ZkTwatdn
 
If we all did a Clark and refused most unpaid work, I predict it would lead to a rise in happiness-adjusted GNP. There would be far fewer pointless events, which would mean everyone could go to the pub or see their children rather than sit through an evening event on corporate governance. Moreover, the quality of output would rise. Money isn’t perfect, but it is the best way we have of rationing effort. If you are paying someone to do something and it’s no good, then you can tell them to do it better.

 

 

My emphasis on the bit where it say's: "If you are paying someone to do something and it’s no good, then you can tell them to do it better." Words of praise are all very nice but how will I ever know if my art is really any good, until someone at least, is prepared to part with some hard-earned cash for it?!!

 

And my apologies to the Financial Times!

(Anyway, I didn't cut and paste the entire article... 'just quoted the relevant bit.) 

And I quite agree with them, in that high quality global journalism requires investment.

So does my art!

[BigEd]

Ahh... Drawing on demand is quite a different thing. If someone want's a drawing and with me it's usually something graphic. We can talk terms. I convert hard drawings to digital and add water marks and send the files to them electronic. Digital drawings I save the progress of the piece but what I send to them still has a watermark. Watermark is not lifted until I see the green. Still if to court I must go, Than I still have the hard copy or an extensive file to show the Judge. 

Doing art for other people can drain creativity from us. Just because we enjoy it doesn't mean they can have it for free. There are tradesmen out there who absolutely love their jobs. But we would have the gull to ask one of them (such as a plumber or an electrician) to come to or house and do work for free just because they love their jobs.