Copyright only rarely enters into the business of art for most creatives, and this video explains why by talking about how artists actually make a living.
The artist’s business model from Gwenn Seemel on Vimeo.
For more about the use of free and special formats of your art, check out this vlog which talks about the sorts of people who don’t pay for art as well as also the ones who do.
I do appreciate what Gwenn Seemel is saying. She brings up valid commonalities for artists. Perspectives I had not considered. So, thank you!
For myself, as a photographer/artist, copyright is essential…at least the way I look at it it is. While I have posted images to social media and state that my work can be freely used on social media (with my photo credit intact and staying with my work stating that for any other use they need to contact me first), there are times when I see my work used on social media to promote a person or event or venue and these images have been copied off my WEBSITE, not social media, and still show a portion of the large ghosted copyright symbol that is intended to deter someone doing that. I do not give anything off my website for social media use unless it is paid for and there is a Use agreement. I do give plenty of work to share from the images I post to social media. However, I think/hope that with a combination of education (for people that think because they are in a photograph or just know someone in a photograph then it is “theirs” or just because they “love it so much” or other artists that want to do a painting from my work…and they think they can just take it) along with firm (not ugly) follow through regarding what copyright is, that the public will realize that what they are doing hurts artists. And, they decide to respect us instead…This helps us all.