August 2019 on the blog -- Tips, Case Studies, and Self-Care for Indie artist/creator life.

August is usually a month to take some time off. Refresh. Recharge. Renew.

Rarely possible for Indie Artists/Content Creators.. but let's try.

photo (c) Amy Wagner, 2019

This month I'll be sharing a number of posts with Tips, Case Studies and Self-Care info. I have moved some posts that previously appeared in July to this month so these topics can all be together. I'm adding new posts starting today (August 1st).

As I follow cases of online art theft, copyright infringement, the progress of the CASE Act, and the growing popularity of compensation platforms like Patreon and Ko-fi, I see more overlap between Indie Artists and social media Content Creators. They struggle with many of the same issues. They can benefit from each others solutions and pro-active pushback.

The images of Indie Artists, and the pages of Content Creators, are the engine of Social Media. But where is their credit and compensation??? Others are profiting. How can we get all the artWORK shared by Indie Artists and Content Creators recognized for the great value they provide??

These groups can learn from each other.

If you have followers, you are creating content. If people are "liking" and "sharing" your images, you are providing a service. If followers depend on access to your feed and frequent updates on your site, you need to be educating those fans about all your work behind the scenes that makes this possible. Building a loyal, dedicated fan base is the best front line of protection for indie artist rights.

Take a pledge this month to take good care of yourself. Do something that re-charges your batteries. You can't produce great work without reserves to draw on. Replenish now so you can produce for the rest of the year.