Handmade Ethics « oh my! handmade goodness

Handmade Ethics

Ethical Pinning: The Golden Rules of Pinterest

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Editor’s note: I invited Katrina Zepp of Salt City Spice to come and share her thoughts on pinning original works as DIY projects on Pinterest after reading her post-there are many differing opinions on this topic and I hope we can meet up in the comments to share our thoughts and ideas. See you there!

{Pinterest logo via here}

A few years ago, my husband and I were in the middle of renovating our entire house from top to bottom and I was stuffed full of ideas. I made notes, cut out photos from magazines, and collected paint chips, fabric swatches, and other odds & ends to help remind me of the mood I wanted in each room. I kept these little bits of inspiration in a special binder dedicated to our projects and referred to it constantly. Back in the olden days (i.e., 2008), this was probably pretty standard.

Now? As I start to generate ideas for the kitchen overhaul we hope to complete next year, I wouldn’t even think of using a clunky binder, because there’s a much better way – Pinterest. In case you aren’t familiar, Pinterest allows you to visually bookmark images from nearly any website and arrange your finds onto virtual style boards, sharing your “pins” with others along the way. It’s an endless stream of pretty, and really, who couldn’t use a little Pinspiration?

As with any type of media that encourages users to openly share ideas and content in a public forum, however, there’s also the question of ethics. The issue?

Etsy sellers are finding their handmade works pinned as “DIY” where the pinners clearly intend to make a replica of the original item themselves.

To be clear, the DIY pins in question are not links to tutorials and there isn’t a note that the pinner will be reinventing the item to create something new. In fact, in some instances, the pinner is explicitly clear that they intend to copy the item exactly. This isn’t inspiration; it’s a very public notice that someone intends to replicate an original idea or design. Regardless of the legality, is it ethical to link to a handmade item available for sale and publicly announce you’re going to make yourself?

To me, ethical pinning means generating responsible content that takes into account the original source along with the intent of the idea or item in question. Lately, before pinning, I’ve been following what I like to think of as The Golden Rules of Pinterest:

I won’t pin, tag, or imply that original works by Etsy sellers are DIY projects.
I check sources (by clicking the photo until it takes me back to the host site) – I won’t repin potential DIYs from others without first fully investigating the original source.

This is undoubtedly a sticky subject and a correlation to the ongoing discussion about inspiration versus synchronicity versus copying and the idea that nothing is ever really new… except maybe the methods we use to organize and share our ideas.

So where do you stand? Have you ever found your handmade item pinned as a DIY project? Do you check the original source of your pins? Will you take the Pinterest Pledge by pinning the above image to one or more of your Pinterest boards? I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts in the comments!

Katrina Zepp is the owner and creative force behind Salt City Spice, specializing in eclectic home decor. She’s a food enthusiast and enjoys sharing her latest culinary creations with her husband and toddling daughter.

Shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/saltcityspice
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/saltcityspice
Blog: http://saltcityspice.blogspot.com/

The Illusion of Originality: Plagiarism vs. Synchronicity & How to Cope with Both

Friday, August 5, 2011

{little sketch from a 2001 journal reflecting on the ups and downs of living-notice the quote!}

One day, out of the blue, you have an idea. A brilliant, ohmyhandmadegoodnessiamsosmart sort of an idea.
So you start making the dream real-maybe you are writing, designing, sewing, sketching, painting, felting, dancing, composing music-whatever it is…you stay up way too late, pouring your heart and soul and creativity into your work. Everything about it feels amazing.

Finally when it is all done, you sit back and think: “I have created something new”

Putting it out into the world you wait to see what people think-some people love it (YAY!), some people hate it (BOO!), both cause equal parts ouch and awesome.

But what happens when that piece of your heart gets called out publicly as a fake? Worse yet-an intentional copy? Or what if you see that someone else has duplicated it stitch for stitch or word for word? It is a horrible feeling.

I’ve been there and seen many others struggle with the same feelings. Two recent situations (one of them involving my work!) made me realize its time to talk about them here. This is what I think:

There are very few new ideas.

But old ideas can be made new again.

I talked about this a bit before when I quoted Picasso in my copying post: good artists copy, great artists steal.

Ideas are recycled across time, we create from our experience, even children (who I think are a well of creativity), draw from what they have seen/heard/tasted/smelled/touched, mixing bits and pieces into something new. Our dreams are even a combination of everything we see with our waking eyes-the lines blurred with sleep. Saying that we own an idea or a technique is actually pretty arrogant if you think about it. Where is the acknowledgement of everyone else who has influenced us on our journey to create that one design? The recognition of our handmade heritage?

What makes us unique is not a singular item, not ONE piece, but the whole. How we write about our work, how we present it & ourselves, our style, our brand, our history-this is what sets us apart. The culmination of all our creativity and the people/artists we are and are becoming.

True originality is recognizing your inspirations and combining them in new or unexpected ways. Let’s take art class as a perfect example-I have taken a number of life drawing classes, we all draw the same model but the outcome is slightly different for each person. Are we copying each other? Or interpreting the same subject in multiple ways?

This is not the same as a direct copy where the copy was obviously not only based or inspired by the original but is a replica. We talked about that here.

As creatives these are issues that will come up from time to time. So how do we deal with the ugly emotions that rear their heads when we are accused or confronted with what we feel is a direct copy of our babies or an unfair accusation?

I love policies and procedure, I used to write them for a living! Sure they were for non-profits dealing with sensitive issues and vulnerable people but artists/creatives need policies too. These are based on my 7 life principles but please add your suggestions in the comments!

My policies & procedures for dealing with the icky/sticky situations:

1. Take a step back and breathe, or cry, yell, eat a cupcake-whatever helps you get grounded and focused.

2. Get a second, third, fourth (or more) opinion on the situation. Talk to friends, vent your frustrations-hear their perspectives. Don’t try to understand the mess all on your own.

3. Do your research and gather your facts. Do you have images & sketches or a timeline, can you prove that you created your idea independently? Also be humble- ask yourself is the idea generic enough that it is easily going to have been also created by others? A flower is a flower-there isn’t too much room for newness there!

4. Approach the other person, with kindness, respect and integrity, whether they are the accuser or the alleged copier. Share your concerns and open the door for the other person to reply. Be thoughtful, rational and open to their side of the story.

5. Don’t get angry. What really defines you in these moments is your dignity-anyone can be decent in a good situation, but when we are tested by difficulty our true ethics have a chance to shine. Welcome the opportunity even though it isn’t a happy one. An angry person/response is a defensive one, you can condemn yourself-even if you have done nothing wrong with your reaction.

6. Find solutions. Always offer a solution to a problem-is there an outcome you would like to see? A post removed, wording changed, credit given? What would resolve the situation for you?

7. Protect your rights and community but not at the expense of attacking another artist-remember we are all in this together and what you put out can come back to haunt you in the future. Even if you are being attacked don’t respond in kind-sometimes if you just speak from the heart you can reach others despite their anger.

8. Step carefully-don’t write an angry reactionary post/tweets, you will only create conflict. Share the facts and let people draw their own conclusions. Be very careful about spreading stories that can be considered slander or libel unless you have the finances to deal with a potential lawsuit.

9. Let it go. While I am all for accountability, holding onto negative situations will only hurt your creativity. You have a million ideas just waiting to happen, sure they might not all be “original” but they are YOURS, that is enough.

Case Study in Originality:

Yesterday I received an email & my first ever negative comment from two readers (to be clear-not the artist themselves!) suggesting my feather illustration was too close to this design to possibly be mine.

The thing is, I have been drawing these geometric style feathers since the late 90′s in the margins of books and in many old journals. I have a wee obsession with feathers and flight so they are recurring themes. It is 100% MY illustration and I had never seen the above picture, but they are quite close so I can see how the conclusion may have been drawn (i heart puns).

So I put on my detective hat and set the timer for ½ an hour. Here is what I found in under half an hour of searching Etsy and Pinterest looking only for prints/illustrations: this, this, and this. All of these illustrations are original in their own way and no one copied the designs. There are other examples, especially once you expand the search to include other art forms. Like I said-there are few NEW ideas, but what I created is mine and that is enough for me.

Of course I still had a little panic attack when I saw the message, was sad the idea wasn’t wholly mine, and of course replied to the comments/emails and wrote to the designer of the other image with the hopes of clearing the air and letting them know my story. But then I let it go, because if we waited to create until we have an idea we can prove is “original” we’ll be waiting until the end of time.

Here is where we open the door to finding more solutions-share your experiences dealing with accusations/originality/plagiarism and how you dealt (or didn’t deal!) with them in the comments. What worked/didn’t work, what would have worked better? Together we are a creative think tank, if we pool our resources and knowledge I know we can find ways to better deal with these sticky situations in the future!

Pricing Talent: Valuing Creativity, Inspiration & Technique

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

by Zoe Rooney of A Quick Study

In the world of creative entrepreneurs, solo businesses, and income-through-crafting (or attempted-income-through-crafting, as the case may be), the conversation about worth, value, and pricing is having a big moment.

People are coming to realize that there’s actually quite a bit that goes into what you pay for an item and what an item is really worth (note that those two things are often not equivalent).

Jess and I have tried to contribute to the value conversation through our grand experiment Worthsy, but beyond the numbers game of pricing, discounts, and value, I think there’s a whole element about personal worth that hasn’t been discussed as thoroughly.

When you ARE your business, when your products come directly from your brain and your hands, it feels like putting a price point on your products means putting a price point on yourself.

I paint as a hobby (in fact, my art degree was actually focused on painting). If I were to put up a painting for sale, I would be pricing not on the cost of the canvas nor on the number of hours it took to complete the painting. Of course, I’d consider those things as a starting point. But if I were to sell a painting, what I’d really be pricing is the creativity, inspiration, and technique, and how all those things (and likely more) come together in a final product.

In a society where we make fun of too much self-confidence, it’s incredibly hard to place value on our own strengths and talents.

It often feels awkward and socially unacceptable to put a high price on our skills and talents.

The thing is, by lowering the price point, by undervaluing our work, and by underselling ourselves, what we’re really communicating is that our creativity or inspiration or technique isn’t valuable.

If that’s true, like for certain processes and media where technique isn’t central to the outcome, that’s fine.

But when we get down to the pieces and products that are truly wrought from our hands, that take attention to technique, and that take extensive development and creativity, it’s downright dangerous.

Dangerous because it risks lowering the value of handmade across our community to the point where it isn’t sustainable for makers and artists to keep making and creating art, and where the only thing that can be maintained is mass-production or a low quality of life for the makers.

Putting a price on intangibles that go into your work is hard.

But a world without sustainable small businesses built around handmade products? Hard doesn’t even come close.

Meeting the Makers & Discovering the Worth of Handmade with Worthsy

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

by Jessika Hepburn, Editor

It’s a new month and time to start a new theme! In June we’ll be Meeting the Makers, featuring stories about running a business and the creative entrepreneurs behind the brands + practical ways you can bring personality to your business. Tutorials, interviews, studio tours and so much other goodness is waiting for you this month but first it’s time for a big announcement!

I care about creatives and their incomes-in a perfect world artists & makers would be well paid but we still are living in a culture of cheap where discounts make sales. I think that is changing the more we value handmade and talk about it’s worth and I’m honored to be a part of that movement.

I’ve also got questions about money. Specifically how much money we spend on handmade work and the artists who create it. When I first heard of Heartsy my own heart did a sad little bumpthumpthump-handmade at Walmart prices? It feels wrong to me. I feel handmade should be coveted and cherished, scrimped and saved for if needed. It is more than just a thing to be owned at the cheapest possible price, it represents the creative spirit of the makers, who pour their talent and love into each unique piece. I want that to be valued. But how much is it worth?

So I thought, wouldn’t it be awesome if there was a way to auction off handmade items to the highest bidder instead of the lowest. I tossed the idea out on Twitter and Zoe of A Quick Study caught it. Together we threw the concept back and forth, Zoe used her design skills to create a site and design and Worthsy was born.

Worthsy was created as a balance to discount handmade sites that promote lowering the price of our work and to find answers to big questions for makers of handmade. What is a fair retail value for handmade? How much will people pay for one of a kind pieces? How can we price reasonably & still make a profit? Are deep discounts worthwhile for handmade businesses? Does educating about the time & value of handmade change how much we can charge? Will we pay more for more?

Sites like Heartsy can be great advertising and might get shops customers, absolutely. But at what cost? What is handmade really worth? And do you think it lowers the value of all our work to sell handmade at a discount regularly? We’ve got questions & bet you do too.

So here’s the idea:

Let’s find out how much people will actually pay for handmade while building a culture of paying more to get more. More kindness, creativity, originality, prosperity, joy-just more. Not more for the sake of having more stuff or paying inflated prices, but more in the items we do choose to buy. More connection to each other in our buying and selling & more sustainability for the economy we are creating together. Plus show off how talented the handmade community is in the process, make friends and start conversations about the value of handmade.

We are going to do it by…..

Auctioning a carefully chosen, handmade item from a featured artist each Wednesday on Worthsy. The 48 artists showcased in our first year will be chosen to reflect the amazing scope of handmade. We’ll be promoting everyone’s work and each auction high and low.

The bidding will start at wholesale price- since we think creatives should be pricing for profit on wholesale sales too. In order to show people how much time and effort goes into a one of a kind or custom piece, the listings include a breakdown of how much time and $ in materials went into each auction item.

Visitors will have one week to outbid each other & win the auction. They will also have the opportunity to share why they love and want to own the item. Because art deserves affirmation right? That has its own value!

At the end of the auction, the winning amount will be paid directly to the seller (via PayPal), along with separate shipping costs. No fees, freebies, crazy discounts, or coupons – just handmade and all it’s cheerleaders. If all goes well sellers will make more then intended, get a better idea of what their market will pay for handmade + get more exposure (& hopefully a warm fuzzy feeling).

We also have a resource page (please feel free to submit something we missed or write a post to be included) to encourage the handmade community and our visitors to think about pricing & profit.

Want to join in?

Submit your handmade fabulousness by visiting our Suggest a Seller page. We hope you’ll join in the fun! Or if you know someone who should be charging more or just deserves to get paid more for the amazing things they create, encourage them to submit their work. We want Worthsy to showcase the incredible talent, diversity and value of handmade artists and encourage people to pay more for it. But this is definitely a social experiment, we aren’t making any money-we’re just curious and concerned! So we’ll be looking to you to be part of the conversation and help spread the word. Let’s have a real discussion about what handmade is worth.

I’m kicking off our launch by auctioning the item (pictured in the screenshots) that made me seriously rethink selling handmade. My shop is still closed so if you want to get your hands on something I have made, just for you, now is your chance-go on over and make a bid! I’d love to know what you think is a fair retail value for handmade and the chance to stitch up something special. You can also sign up to learn more about upcoming auctions or follow us on Twitter @worthsy

As always, please leave your thoughts & ideas in the comments, tell me what you think of Worthsy and if you think it’s all worth it!

The Ripple Effect: 7 Principles for Navigating Crisis, Tsunamis & Twitter Storms

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

by Jessika Hepburn, Editor

My mother taught me about ethics and social change when I was a little girl with a simple lesson. Sometimes when I would skip stones on the beach she would talk about the ripple effect. How making decisions is like dropping stones and the consequences are ripples outward. We can’t stop the ripples once we put them into motion but we can choose whether we create a positive momentum.

What do ripples & plagiarism + the latest Twitter storm have in common? Strong emotions are contagious, for good and bad. They ignite something in us that can cause us to take action and often brilliant things happen. But just as easily we can be motivated by outrage which is pretty close to anger. With social media connecting us we can spread ideas in the blink of an eye. Every tweet is a ripple that could potentially be a tsunami. So it’s a good idea to know how you want to respond to crisis or conflict.

I have 7 basic principles I try to always apply to life, crisis, business (including what I buy & where) + parenting that relate to the ripple effect and I want to share them with you. Then we’ll play detective again and take a look at two recent stories that made serious waves in the handmade world this week.

7 Basic Principles for Life & Business:

1. Get informed.

Before you leave a comment, form opinions or act- do some research. Find out what other people think of the topic, seek reliable & credible sources and then make choices based on what feels right for you. Read carefully and extensively, but still allow your heart and personal experiences to guide you. It used to drive me nuts in university when the students would listen to a lecture then spout it word for word as if it was the truth. I would head home and do some reading! Sure it’s more work but knowledge is definitely power and worth taking the time.

2. Act, don’t react.

This goes hand in hand with number one. Sometimes in life we are forced into situations or moved by our emotions to react strongly. Taking a step back and focusing on what we really want to do or communicate is a must. You’ll still be emotional and have deep feelings but you’ll be better able to respond (and get informed), whatever the situation. A positive action is so much more effective then a negative reaction.

3. Give respect.

I really dislike the phrase “respect is earned”. Respect is given. It doesn’t matter if you are talking to a small child or your elders or someone you are furious with. Be respectful and nine times out of ten respect will be given back to you. I’m not saying to stop being angry, everybody gets angry, but I do think we can always be respectful (even on the internet). Respect also encompasses a pretty huge range of ethics including honesty and integrity. It’s not respectful to steal or lie, right?

4. Listen to and learn from others.

We are so diverse and each of us has different ways of viewing the world. I love disagreements, each one is an opportunity to learn how someone else sees an issue so I can think about how I really feel. A disagreement does not have to be an argument. Plato was all about discussion & debate as a learning tool, how can you be sure you believe something if it is never questioned? Allow yourself to question and be questioned and you will become more confident about your own beliefs while getting insight into a new way of seeing.

5. Take accountability.

Who has ever messed up? Me!!!! Oh yes. Many times. We all have, when you make a mistake owning up to it is powerful medicine. I’m not talking about apologizing, I think saying sorry isn’t worth much. Taking accountability means recognizing you’ve done a wrong and taking steps to resolve it and change a negative situation into a positive one. Defensiveness or deflection is the opposite of accountability, and usually means the person has something to hide or feel guilty about. This is the perfect opportunity to:

6. Find solutions.

Stating problems is easy, finding solutions is way harder but so much more valuable. Don’t just complain or get angry about an issue find some way to contribute or use your creativity & knowledge to find an answer (or a bunch of them!). When you offer a solution to a problem other people will often come on board and then the real ripples get started. You don’t have to have all the answers but if you’re being respectful and listening to others anything can happen.

7. Be Creative

If you are creative & original in your thinking you will be able to turn any difficulty into a chance to find the positive. That positive can be taking your own experiences and channeling them into your art or becoming motivated to find creative solutions to problems you face or that concern you.

Alright! We’re armed with some pretty fine tools and ready to go truth-seeking. Grab your magnifying glass-there have been some interesting goings on in the handmade community and now that the hype has died down we’re going to investigate just like in my earlier post on Copyrights & Copycats.

By now I am sure you have read all about the Urban Outfitters (UO) copying fiasco, if you haven’t then you probably crossed off a lot more to-do’s this weekend then I did! I followed the story with fascination and have read so many posts & comments my head is still spinning. Lots of excellent pieces have been written on this incident with UO and the rallying of the online community. I have rounded them up in order so you can do your own fact finding & opinion gathering (if I missed one you think should be included please list it in the comments).

Now here’s where things got really interesting-at the same time this conversation is going on about UO and big business copying indie designers there was a whole other discussion happening at The Long Thread and here on papernstitch about the total flip side. The Long Thread was doing a DIY knock off week called handMAYed is better & papernstitch created a DIY version of an Anthropologie necklace for it. The big debate happening here was if it’s not okay for big biz to copy small biz then isn’t the reverse true? Go get lost in the comments & the incredible number of opinions.

I think Earl of Poppytalk said it best in his post when he talks about Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). I see that as giving respect, listening to others, taking accountability, finding solutions and being creative. Isn’t that what this whole handmade economy, new marketing/economy, whatever you call it, is all about? Whether you’re a micro business or a giant corporation isn’t important, don’t follow, lead-make things better, be original and ethical. Not because it’s the law or because someone told you to, but because you feel it is the right thing to do and it will create trust and community. I think both Ellen and Brittni did this so gracefully in how they responded to the conflict on their blogs. They listened to readers opinions and then made a decision/found a solution. Some big businesses could learn a thing or two there.

What do you think?

I invite you to share your opinions, solutions and ideas. How can we apply my rules to these two situations? What did you gather in your fact finding mission? Have you ever faced negative feedback, publicity or business crisis? How did you handle it? Let’s talk it out in the comments. I’ll be doing a follow up post to this one with some solutions for turning bad press into good press next month and would love to share your answers. Feel free to write your own riff on this theme and link to it here, what would you do if you were Urban Outfitters or accused of plagiarism, how would you react if your design was taken?

This is a big topic so we’ll be continuing this conversation on Twitter for our #omhg twitter chat this Thursday, June 2nd from 1-2 EST. We will also have a guest post from the Guild of Original Designers (GOOD) in June and hear how they are working to protect originality and designers rights.

I’m looking forward to finding some answers with you!

60 Ways to Build Community, Save Your Sanity & Change The World

Saturday, May 21, 2011

by Jessika Hepburn, Editor

It’s become such a cliched phrase-something we say and recognize to be true but don’t often act on:

“It takes a village to raise a child.”

What does that even mean?

In the comments, at our Twitter parties, in conversations with other mothers, I am asked all the time- “How can I possibly do it all?”

The hard truth is you can’t.

You can’t be everything to everyone all the time. You can’t be the only one responsible for raising your children, running your business, managing your life. You CANNOT do it all alone. And you don’t have to. You shouldn’t even try!

The superwoman myth is so dangerous to our motherhood. It causes us to not ask for or allow ourselves to receive help and to deny when we feel vulnerable, needy, or afraid. It also puts up walls and barriers that keep us from reaching out to others and building a community that knows us for who we really are. We present what we want the world to see, the very best parts of who we think we are, but beneath it all:

{Quote by Jean Vanier, Becoming Human }

And to me that is what is most beautiful about us. What unites us all no matter how diverse we might seem to be, is that we all need to belong, we all need support. Why deny that? Embrace it, that is where our humanity lives and where compassion comes from. Our brokenness is our biggest strength.

Jean Vanier is the leader of the L’Arche movement, a powerful community model that brings diverse people together to support people with disabilities in loving environments. His words are a call for all of us to live more compassionate and humane lives. He is also one of my personal heros and I am going to tell you why.

My mother was a young, visibly ethnic, single mama who had no family support while I was growing up. My nana was a brilliant artist but a truly awful mother, she was abusive, had serious baggage and offered my mother no support or encouragement. So it was little wonder that my mother felt called to help people who were suffering, to give them what she didn’t have. She worked in mental health and community development for people with disabilities and I often came to work with her. I have so many wonderful memories of visiting the group homes my mother worked in and spending time with people of every ability. This is such a huge part of who I am and how I see the world, but there was a price paid. My mother spent her days helping others and then came home to cater to my needs. No one was there to support her. She really did do it all alone and it took it’s toll on her physical and mental health. My childhood was beautiful but also incredibly hard, filled with loss and struggle.

When I moved out I was drawn to the same work but specifically with women, youth, and children. I have always wanted to offer people the support we never had when I was a child. No one should have to suffer alone or in fear. How I do that work has changed over the years but even here on OMHG it’s the same fundamental mission. To share love, be loved, spread love. Through handmade, yes. But mostly through connecting people with others and making them feel less alone and more empowered. This is the root of Jean Vanier’s philosophy:

If you are feeling like you just can’t do it all and you’re all alone-reach out! Open up. Creating community is the biggest investment you will ever make for yourself and of course for your business. Build both your local and online communities, connect with other people whose stories you care about, who you can be honest with, and who will be there for you when you are struggling. Be there for them. Stop trying to do it all alone, you will always feel like you are missing something and falling short. So whether you are a single mother struggling to fill the role of both mama and papa, or you have a large extended family, or a ton of supportive friends- it doesn’t matter. Your community is right there, waiting for you to lend a hand or ask for someone to hold yours. Both are wonderful, both are needed.

It is just as important to accept help as to offer it, community building is about reciprocity. A give and take. So if you are in a position of strength offer help, if you see someone struggling stop and see if they will accept support, just be there for each other. Sometimes when we give help we actually get the help that we need. It’s amazing that way.

I only have one caution-only offer what you are really able to give. Don’t offer because you think you should but don’t really want to do. Never give out of obligation or guilt. I don’t give because I want to feel good about myself, I give because I DO feel good about myself, because giving is it’s own reward and always teaches me something new. But also because I want our children to have a village and it’s up to us to make that happen.

Here is a printable list of 60 ways I have built/am building community, just click here to download your own. Please add your own ideas in the comments starting with #61! Can we get to 100? How about 200? 1000? If we get enough I’ll collect them all into a download to share on OMHG.

All Oh My! Handmade Goodness printables and free downloads are for non-commercial, personal use only please. Copyright is owned by the designer unless otherwise stated. If you have a commercial inquiry please contact the designer or email the editor. Please don’t host the PDF on your own site, we love sharing but link to the original post for the download, thanks!

From Passion to Profit

Sunday, May 15, 2011

by Laura Simms of Create As Folk

from passion to profit, laura simms, create as folk

There is something, at least one something, that you have an undeniable gift for. And somewhere in the back of your head, a little bug keeps telling you that you could be making money doing it. Or maybe you’re already doing it, but really “going pro” seems elusive. Almost every creative entrepreneur starts this way.

One of the exciting parts of starting your own biz is that there is no one right way to do it. That also makes it frustrating! Wouldn’t it be nice if a benevolent deity handed you fire? A fool-proof blueprint?

Alas. How about if 8 mortals give you some matches and dry sticks?

Enter From Passion to Profit.

Ok, so last month I asked 7 other working creatives to weigh in the journey from passion to profit. And the insight and strategies they shared have really been speaking to people. Maybe you’ll recognize some of the contributors. We got:

Rebecca Leigh of Smart Fresh Writing

Thom Chamber of In Treehouses

Michelle Ward of When I Grow Up

Tara Gentile of Scoutie Girl

Alexandra Franzen of Unicorns for Socialism

Dennis Baker of dennisbaker.net

Lisa Sonora Beam of The Creative Entrepreneur

and me, Laura Simms of Create as Folk

I strongly believe that one of the keys to becoming a successful entrepreneur is learning to think like one. And a good way to do that is by surrounding yourself with thriving kindred spirits. So soak it up!

Some highlights from the series are:

how fear affects your language
the truth about buckling down to produce
debunking some nasty myths
using your intuition to know when you’re on the right track
why earning is generous
makin’ out with boys. in the grass. on a tuesday afternoon.
freelancing tips
a visual guide to finding the sweet spot between passion & profit

I’ve put all this goodness into a free ebook for you. You can download it here.

What is your biggest obstacle on the road from passion to profit?

How do you plan to overcome it?

About Laura Simms & Create As Folk:

I help creatives design the life & work they want. Life coaching collides with creative business coaching. Pow! I encourage, inspire, and agitate you (hey, whatever it takes!) to go from big idea to big finish. Find me on twitter @laurasimms, and learn how to work with me one-on-one.

Taking the Icky Out of Image Sourcing

Thursday, March 31, 2011

by Mayi Carles from heartmade

I’m not the image police, nor do I intend to be. As a matter of fact, not so long ago I was convicted of a felony for mistakenly using an image. So there you have it, I’m not perfect! But due to my recent “shame” with image sourcing, man have I studied this case thoroughly. Because who likes tripping over the same stone twice, know what I mean? Plus, if I can save you the pain + embarrassment of going through it yourself, then I will have paid my dues to society + probably won a few steps to heaven too.

Let me start by saying I’m a very visually oriented person. So when conceiving my blog heartmade I knew I wanted to use lots + lots of images + well-designed layouts + beautiful collage + breath-taking graphics to tell my stories + share my ideas + celebrate creativity + post inspirations. So you can see why the issue of image sourcing, particularly when it comes to blogging, is so crucial for me to nail.

After months of research – asking around the blogosphere + inquiring artists in my community who I trust + making a few mistakes along the way too – I’ve come to accept that there is no such thing as a universal controversy-free image sourcing policy. But then again I’ve never appreciated fixed manuals of operation + stone-written dogmas, so you’ll soon find out today’s post is not about preaching or teaching; it’s about thinking + reflecting. I won’t tell you what to do, but I’ll sure make you ponder + revisit + if I’m successful even re-valuate your image sourcing etiquette.

let’s play a little jiminy cricket game

nuts + bolts of permission letters

When writing the permission note you should consider:

Making it personal.
Being specific.
Making it short + sweet.
Telling them a little bit about your blog.
Including a URL to your blog.
Telling them when the feature is scheduled to go up.
Giving thanks for their consideration.

It’s important because…

It shows you care.
It set’s you apart from other bloggers.
It helps spread the word about your blog + message.
It has the potential to make someone smile, because come on who doesn’t love a cool feature?
It invites people whom you admire to love your blog + join your tribe.
It creates the platform for a wonderful friendship.

wait! there’s more

Make an honest effort to create your own images.
When utilizing images from others, credit everything + everyone – the maker + the source + the moderator (in that order).

a. Use “by” when you are referencing who created the image. When you can’t find the photographer who created the image reference the publication + shop + blog who it was originally created for.

b. Use “via” when referencing where you got the image from (i.e blogs + magazines + personal websites). Ohh + please be aware Pinterest + Flickr + Etsy + We Love Indie + such sites are not sources.

c. Use “found” when acknowledging who guided you to a particular image (i.e a friend + a fellow blogger).

3. Go out of your way to track down all that you can about the image you’re utilizing. Use tineye.com to help you look up the source of the image you are using. I need to thank Jess from Epheriell Designs for this awesome tip.

4. If you can’t find much information about the image you want to use, don’t use it.

5. Your image credits should be active links, not just text.

6. Credits shouldn’t be displayed in size 2 font. Please make your credits visible + worth the effort.

7. The image itself should be an active link too. This will allow visitors to track the original source easily. This is especially awesome when utilizing product photos + people can actually buy the item at hand. Talk about good karma – to aid a sale instead of cutting corners, right?

8. It’s especially nice if you can also make mention of the images you are using in the post itself, so it doesn’t look like you just have it there to fill space.

9. Never use images from newspapers + publications + big companies + without written permission. You never know when legal restrictions apply + you can be placing yourself in a hot big mess.

10. Never ever remove a watermark from an image or modify an image without permission.

11. Only post singular images, never a collage + layout or an entire step by step DIY or recipe that has been made by another designer without written authorization.

12. Whenever in doubt, I always ask first.

It all boils down to giving people enough information for them to be able to go back + track all your steps. If you’re in the business of building communities + promoting originality + celebrating kindness, then you definitively want to take extra caution when sourcing.

yeah, so why should I care?

Aside from the obvious, because doing what’s right + ethical feel so darn good, proper image sourcing is important because one misstep could really hinder your reputation or even worse, you could be perceived as someone who steals other people’s work + that’s no fun! I know most people aren’t trying to be disrespectful, but not being aware just isn’t a good excuse in this day + age.

Today you can choose to be known as someone who generates unique + creative content that celebrates loves + kindness, or you can choose to promote a culture of laziness + mindless copy-pasting + careless free for all. The choice if yours. What will you choose?

Achieving excellence in image sourcing is certainly extra work, but it’s worth the effort. It certainly helps me sleep at night, which is all I want after a long day of work!

fantastic resources

Below is a list of some of the most amazing articles I’ve read while researching this topic.

Frolic: Blog Talk: Crediting Photos

Natalie Jost: A Word About Sourcing

Epheriell Designs: Taking it up a Notch: Image + Photograph + Source Credits

Design*Sponge: Copying + Stealing + Crediting

Design*Sponge: How to Credit

Jessika Hepburn: for inspiring me to put myself together + write this thing!

your turn please

Now, I would love to hear all you lovelies out there. What are your comments + ideas + tips about image sourcing? Anything you would like to add or suggest? Let’s continue this sensitive conversation in the comment section below, shall we?

xo,

Mayi Carles

Mayi Carles is a super passionate artist + avid eco-friendly designer + creative coach + editor of heartmade with big dreams + messy ideas + a severe cupcake addiction + a funny Panamanian accent. Mayi’s on a mission to empower creative hearts to dream bigger + imagine better + achieve more + embrace all the beautiful messiness in-between. To connect with Mayi, follow her tweets at @mayicarles.

People Over Profit: The New Economy vs The Old Economy

Monday, March 28, 2011

by Jessika Hepburn, Editor

I think we are at the crossroads where a new economy is emerging from the old. Right now we have the chance to be the creators not just of handmade but social change. It might seem silly at first glance to think that small businesses making pretty things can change the world but don’t laugh me off! I really believe it to be true and it drives every choice I make from parenting to pricing.

We’ve been talking a lot about ethics this month and have covered so much ground! Most of our articles have focused on the “micro” side of ethics-the specifics of giveaways, copycats/copyright, underselling etc…find all our handmade ethics posts here. As my last post for ethics month I want to talk about the “macro” or the far-reaching ethics of life, business, blogging and handmade. I think at the root of all our ethics posts is the divide between a new economy and the old economy, and that this separation affects how we do business and how we live. Today it’s all about the content (don’t worry we’ll get back to pretty tomorrow with some amazing cuteness via Marisa at Omiyage) so instead of images I am sharing some quotes and thoughts that influenced this post.

“Mindful spending begs you to consider each dollar you spend an extension of your personal values, creating an individual economy that centers on what you love and not what society tells you you have to have. It means choosing not to spend money at all sometimes, choosing to spend more on high-quality, well-crafted items that support your community, and choosing to spend less on items that commercialism has put an unnecessary price tag on.” ~Tara Gentile of ScoutieGirl on Mindful Spending

The Old Economy

The old economy is in the business of “have-not” and sameness, it tells us we aren’t good enough, smart enough or rich enough unless we have the next big thing. Unless we’re just like everybody else. It says that we can judge our worth on the quantity of things we own, not the quality of them. It puts us down and makes us feel less. It is the world of Walmart & fast food, home to the hard sell & the fast pitch. Of discounts and clearance and consumption without cause. It is an economy of taking.

We all know what that kind of economy gets us-cheap, disposable stuff that no one needs & that will end up decorating a landfill for the next bazillion years. It also leaves us feeling sad and empty. The old economy doesn’t care about you, your feelings, the planet or the future. It cares about the bottom line. It is a culture of profit over people. The old economy has let us down over and over again (think Union Carbide or the BP oil spill) and we know that it’s ethics are non-existent because it can buy it’s way out of any hot water. I believe it is a culture of “less is more” even though it might not seem that way. It encourages us to have more stuff, yes, but by paying less and getting less value for what we do buy. In this paradigm things aren’t made to last or love, they are made for you buy and move on. There is also no room for supportive community in the old economy because it is based on competition instead of cooperation.

If you have ever eaten fast food you know that it doesn’t fulfil you in the same way a homemade meal from local or homegrown ingredients does. It lacks the heart and passion and the love of the hands that created it. In the old economy the “belly full but we hungry” (*bonus points if you know what song that line is from!). Sure we might have MORE stuff that we pay less for but we have LESS of everything in the long run.

The New Economy

Enter the new economy. A culture of people before profit. Of cooperation and diversity. The new economy says that not only are you good enough (whoever you are, no matter what you look like, where you came from, or have risen above-in fact because of those things), smart enough & wealthy beyond your imaginings in a way money can’t buy, but that you are needed. Your creativity is vital, people want it. Your work and story has a place here if you will just join in. There is a market for what you alone can create.

“…find something you love, no matter how obscure, and dedicate yourself to it whole-heartedly, success is inevitable.”

~Tony of Rocky Top Soap Shop in his beautifully inspiring Featured Seller interview on Etsy

The new economy is telling us to slow down, fill our lives with beauty, own things of value, connect with each other meaningfully, be kind, participate. It is the business of giving in order to receive (sales, connections, growth). This is the economy where small businesses thrive, from organic farms & farmers markets to handmade businesses to sites like Etsy & Twitter, and where big businesses have the opportunity to learn and grow. The greatest thing is that you might pay more for a handmade/high quality/ethically made item or a great service but you are also going to GET more from your purchase. Not just in the tangible things like attention to detail and a higher quality. But if you are valuing this new economy in your life you will be spending less on things you don’t need and that don’t bring you lasting joy. Just like eating the fast food might fill you right then, the meal made with love will sustain you over time, filling both belly and heart.

Because of this divide we have shifted away from top-down marketing & mega-business. We don’t want to be patronized or manipulated, we want to be talked with not at. We want to make a personal connection with the things we buy, and we aren’t passive consumers anymore! Gone are the days where brands succeed only because they are the biggest bullies in the school yard. And businesses of all sizes are realizing that this new economy is a very small community- so if they want to have and build trust (and their brand) they have to be respectful. With social media we are all so connected, businesses are expected to treat their neighbours kindly and if they want to really connect, to bring them cookies just to say hi!

But that doesn’t mean the old paradigms/economy doesn’t creep into our handmade community and make us question what we are doing and how. As the handmade movement grows there will be more and more challenges to what we hope to create, like big business copying handmade (and small businesses competing). Another perfect example? Heartsy. Heartsy is like Groupon for Etsy, it allows consumers to buy handmade at between 50-90% off the original price (check out this handmadeology post for a look at the numbers). As a marketer I know the value of sales, discounts and specials but feel they should be used carefully-as a treat to your customers to say “thank you”. When the deal becomes a regular thing then the customer begins to expect it and to question why they should pay full price when they can wait for your sale.

“As makers is the aim to sell our stuff for what it is worth or at discount? If people see handmade items sold at half price the general public will expect that price from everybody. I would love to see businesses promote buying handmade for what it’s worth. We all want to make a sale but we are never going to change things if people don’t value their own work. I can see for some people they would rather get a sale, any sale (especially on Etsy as the number of sales is public) instead of thinking of the bigger picture but in the long term I think it damages all handmade businesses. We can’t and shouldn’t be competing with big box stores. I want people to come to Noisette Kids and BUY from Noisette Kids because they love what they see not because I’m cheaper than Walmart (or wherever!). Also surely people will end up going to Heartsy when they want to buy handmade instead of other places where they will only see full priced items thereby only buying from the businesses who have the offers. Maybe I have a rose tinted view of the world but I really think we can make a difference if we all support one another and help people to realise what goes into designing and making a handmade item. ”

~Isa Maria of Noisette Kids & Noisette Marketing via email, feedback on Heartsy

Heartsy made all my red flags start waving! Platforms like Heartsy or GroopDealz might get you a boost in traffic, a new customer or two, but at what cost to yourself and to the handmade community? To me it is like selling couture on Kijiji or the buy, sell & trade-it’s the wrong market and brings down the value by association. Any advertising should be targeted to your market and help build your brand. By associating yourself with a discount mentality you detract from the value of what you do. Who sells fine art at a flea market? I am also wary of any big deal, why is the business so desperate for sales that they need to beg me to buy it! As a consumer I want the one of a kind, the piece of handmade so beautiful I am tempted to sell my firstborn just to hold it, the tomato that someone obviously loved and cared for, the bits of grace that we are lucky enough to have a chance to own. I’ll pay more for it too-and gladly.

I would love (& I’ll keep you posted on the idea!) an online auction that encouraged people to spend more & bid on unique items with the goal of paying more. It would also be great to practice random acts of generosity by spontaneously paying more for an item we feel is underpriced and telling the seller why.

So I put it out to Twitter-would you rather pay more for more (more beauty, more quality, more detail) or less for less? This sparked a whole discussion on #moreismore that I would love you to check out and join in on. The outcome? Not one single person said they prefer to pay less for less. I know it’s a pretty small test group but it means something. As makers we can choose to be each others market and build this new economy together, to pay more for what we love and encourage others to do the same. We can spread our message high and low: that more is more and we wont accept less.

What do you think? Will you pay more for more? Do you think sites like Heartsy have a place in the handmade community/our new economy?

Please share your thoughts in the comments below and I’ll join you there + on Twitter @ohmyhandmade with the hashtag #moreismore.

Making it Personal: A Little More About Me

Friday, March 25, 2011

by Jessika Hepburn, Editor

Hello everyone! Look it’s me! Yikes.

I am blaming this post (in a good way) on Miss Modish, Jena’s piece yesterday about marketing minus the slime encouraged me to take the plunge and make things personal. This is an about me post that I should have added forever ago. I have even gotten a few emails asking where my picture was-sorry it took me so long to get up the courage! I am always happiest as the coordinator, I love to lead and delegate but I don’t feel a need to be in the spotlight. I am more a we and our person then a me and mine.

But as much as Oh My isn’t about me, it kind of is…I was so excited to take on OMHG because it was a collective of shared experience. With a background in community & non-profit marketing and development I could easily relate to working as part of a team and even leading one. To me this is far less scary then being a one-person show. I work better and am happier when I am part of a community! But a community is made up of individuals, each with their own story, and face. So here’s mine! I’m hoping to get some pro pictures done this spring and I promise to share more little bits about me and my life. I’m even working on a real bio page. For now this is a snapshot of me from little baby to mamahood and the one above is just a couple of weeks old.

Hope you enjoy getting to know me better!