Tag: Creator Spotlight

This week we’d like to introduce you to singer/songwriter and actress Alexz Johnson. Alexz is currently on her 2023 tour, and last month, she released her much-anticipated fifth studio album titled “Seasons,” which is available now on Spotify, iTunes, and YouTube! In addition to her music career, she has also acted in several television shows and films, such as Instant Star, So Weird, Final Destination 3, and Devil’s Diary.

What was the inspiration behind becoming a creator? What do you enjoy most about the creative process? 

I feel every person becomes a creator at some point in their lives. We’re born creators! Whether it’s creating art, or creating friendships, meaningful conversations… even your parents created you! Some people focus their energy into things they enjoy creating most, and channel that back into the world. I hope to do that with the music I make. I most enjoy the community that’s formed around my art. I love that I have the ability to create something that brings people together. Whether at a live show, or in my Patreon community. 

Can you talk through your creative process? How long does it take? Does everything you produce make money? 

My creative process changes constantly, but I welcome that, as I love the freedom it gives me. Being a musician, and running a label, I do try to maintain my deadline goals though, which pushes me to show up for myself as I would any major label. I think there’s a successful balance between the creative freedoms matched with a strong business model. Not everything I produce is with the goal of a quick financial return. I’ve found sometimes, it’s more valuable to invest in a longer term vision for your brand. A build toward a strong creative foundation of work has worked very well for my business. 

What do you think is the biggest misconception about your line of work? 

That it’s always a great time. Musicians are selling a dream. It doesn’t mean we’re always living it. It takes an incredible amount of dedication, discipline, and healing to overcome the rejection and disappointments that come with any creative endeavour.

What did you first become aware of copyright, and why? 

When I knew I wanted to release my music independently. As an independent artist, it’s very important to have all my song information registered with my respective affiliations. The ownership of my masters and my material, is what has allowed me to financially sustain my business. Copyright protects my rights over my creations, and I’m happy I learned this at a young age.

Have you experienced copyright infringement and, if so, how has it affected you personally and financially? 

I have experienced copyright infringement, and it’s horrible. I’ve had songs stolen from me and posted online, and with the nature of the internet, these things are bound to happen. That’s why it’s very important to protect your repertoire, and get informed about copyright law. 

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If you aren’t already a member of the Copyright Alliance, you can join today by completing our Individual Creator Members membership form! Members gain access to monthly newsletters, educational webinars, and so much more — all for free!

This week we’d like to introduce you to singer/songwriter Lana Love. Lana was a contestant on Season 22 of The Voice where she joined Team Legend. She has opened for several noteworthy artists like Snoop Dog and Cheat Codes. Follow Lana on Instagram @lanalovemusic, and be sure to also check out her music available on Spotify, iTunes, YouTube, and Soundcloud.

What was the inspiration behind becoming a creator? 

Being a creator feels very purposeful to me. Music is healing, and a beautiful way to process and express the human experience.

What do you enjoy most about the creative process? 

I enjoy making something out of nothing, and the feeling of freedom that comes with allowing the unknown to flow through me.

Can you talk through your creative process? How long does it take? Does everything you produce make money? 

I think songs write themselves. I always end up writing the song I needed to hear. Sometimes it takes 10 minutes; sometimes 10 years. It just depends on what I’m ready to receive.

No, I don’t make money on everything I produce, but it does deepen my understanding of who I am and what I want to put out into the world. I definitely don’t bank on music making ROI because you never know what will hit; but I do bank on myself and my ability to generate multiple revenue streams.

I have this running joke, “How do you make money in the music business? By not making money in the music business.” I plan to write a book on that topic.

What do you think is the biggest misconception about your line of work? 

I think the biggest misconception is that fame and money go hand-in-hand. 

When did you first become aware of copyright, and why?

I first became aware of copyright after it was too late. Almost every artist I know has had that experience, and I think the overlying issue is this: 

It’s hard to prove a thought came from you when everyone in the room is contributing bits and pieces, and we can’t preplan who the lightning will strike. A lot of writing sessions don’t have contracts set up front for that reason, but you can’t eat on a handshake.

What do you do when you encounter someone stealing something you’ve invested your intellect, time, and money into?

If I can, I talk it out and try to reach a resolution both parties are happy with. Most situations can be handled that way. If not, I seek legal counsel. Now, I set up my contracts before I step in the room so that doesn’t happen.

What is the best piece of advice that you would give other creators in your field about copyright and how to protect themselves?

1. Promises don’t mean a thing unless they are dripping in ink.
2. Record and protect everything you create by registering its copyright.
3. The truth will always win. 

What is the biggest copyright-related challenge?

The biggest challenge most artists face is that they cannot afford to spend thousands of dollars on lawyers’ fees, even if they are in the right. In the future, I hope copyright education and legal counsel will be more easily accessible and affordable. 

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If you aren’t already a member of the Copyright Alliance, you can join today by completing our Individual Creator Members membership form! Members gain access to monthly newsletters, educational webinars, and so much more — all for free!

This week we’d like to introduce you to photographer and content creator Mikel Carr. Be sure to follow him on Instagram @recklessthor4.

What was the inspiration behind becoming a creator? What do you enjoy most about the creative process?

I have wanted to be some form of creator since I was really little. I’ve always enjoyed the feeling when I am making something and it looks like my vision, whether that be a woodworking project, a dance, a photo, etc. Recently, I made my first YouTube video where I actually put music to it and I really love the cohesiveness of it. 

Can you talk through your creative process? How long does it take? Does everything you produce make money?

Most things I make are useful in some way, like building my personal desk. For each new creation, I approach it with a method that I think goes with the project. When I am doing carpentry, for instance, I write down the problem and then try to draw up a solution before I even touch any wood. For photography, I try to capture the moment in an artistic way but I also try to stay true to how the moment feels in real time.

What do you think is the biggest misconception about your line of work?

That streaming isn’t a “real job.” Twitch, YouTube, TikTok, etc. are a lot of work to maintain. There are long hours of recording content, building, researching, and networking, and then you have to edit, hashtag, post, and share everywhere. It can be mentally and emotionally draining!

When did you first become aware of copyright, and why?

When I was researching IP protections as a teenager to protect my creative interests, I learned about patents and copyright. I was successful in obtaining a provisional patent but pursuing the full patent was deemed unnecessary. If I only wanted to protect the drawing itself, then a registered copyright would have been plenty. 

What is your biggest copyright-related challenge?

Deciding what is worth the effort. I post a lot of content on several sites, so figuring out what to protect and at what level is very difficult for me, as I just want to make art. However, I know how important it is to protect one’s work.

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If you aren’t already a member of the Copyright Alliance, you can join today by completing our Individual Creator Members membership form! Members gain access to monthly newsletters, educational webinars, and so much more — all for free!

This week we’d like to introduce you to author Tad Crawford. To find out more about Tad and to order any of the books discussed in this blog post, visit his website and click on the book cover to order.

What was the inspiration behind becoming a creator? What do you enjoy most about the creative process?

I was inspired to write in part by having a poet for a father, a novelist for a brother, and growing up in the artists’ colony of Woodstock, New York. To write, for me, is to be taken over by something, to see the larger picture of what it could be, and then to put in the long hours to shape the work. The pleasure is to follow up the creative image with action and progress through the writing of a book. The goal is sometimes to help others (such as my books for creative professionals) and other times to shape a work of art. I especially like myth and Jungian psychology (two of my books dealing with mythology are On Wine-Dark Seas: A Novel of Odysseus and his Fatherless Son Telemachus and The Secret Life of Money).

When did you first become aware of copyright, and why?

Interested in writing both fiction and nonfiction, I graduated from Columbia Law School in February 1971. I became aware of copyright while at law school. Working for a law firm in New York City, I began teaching writing and literature at the School of Visual Arts. Finding nothing in print to help artists deal with legal matters such as copyrights, contracts, income taxes, the “hobby loss” problem, estate planning, or even how to get grants, I wrote a book titled Legal Guide for the Visual Artist that I used as the text for the “Law and the Visual Artist” course I was teaching. Published in 1977, Legal Guide for the Visual Artist is now in its sixth edition (the most recent edition in 2022 co-authored by M.J. Bogatin, an arts attorney in San Francisco) and has more than one hundred thousand copies in print. I wrote articles on the “new” copyright law for the New York Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts and included six chapters on copyright in the book. I became active working for artists’ rights, testified before the Senate subcommittee about copyright issues (on work for hire and moral rights), and became the General Counsel to the Graphic Artists Guild, which advocated about contracts and copyrights for artists.

Have you experienced copyright infringement and, if so, how has it affected you personally and financially?

Surprisingly enough, despite being a lawyer, I had a bad experience with copyright. As a volunteer, I had authored a lengthy legal article (with more than 90 case citations in footnotes) about the “hobby loss” challenge. This comes up when the IRS says an artist who has many years of losses is a hobbyist without a profit motive. If the IRS prevails, the artist loses any losses shown on Schedule C. In any case, I turned in the article, went on a long vacation abroad (a delayed honeymoon), and returned to find the article had been published but with another person (on the board of directors) shown as my co-author. Not only that, but his name was also first on the credit line! Because the organization was a non-profit with good purposes, I didn’t pursue legal action, but it showed me the importance of copyright and moral rights (in which attribution must be correct).

What do you do when you encounter someone stealing something you’ve invested your intellect, time and money into?

Usually I ask that the person (often a website) cease the infringing conduct. Then a decision can be made about whether the damages are sufficient to warrant bringing a lawsuit. Suing consumes time and lawyers’ fees can mount up. One positive change for creators in the Copyright Law was the enactment of the Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement Act of 2020 (the CASE Act). This is described in the Legal Guide for the Visual Artist and essentially create a three-member tribunal within the U.S. Copyright Office to resolve certain copyright disputes under $30,000.

What is the best piece of advice that you would give other creators in your field about copyright and how to protect themselves?

A large part of my efforts for artists’ rights has been educational. The informed artist has a great advantage. The artist should learn about the business of art. Then the artist can make better decisions about agreements, copyrights, and the many other issues that face entrepreneurs. Also, the artist can have a better sense of when professional help from an attorney or accountant is crucial to stay on course.

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If you aren’t already a member of the Copyright Alliance, you can join today by completing our Individual Creator Members membership form! Members gain access to monthly newsletters, educational webinars, and so much more — all for free!

This week we’d like to introduce you to writer and director Zandashé Brown. Her latest short film, BENEDICTION, was a finalist for the 2020 Tribeca Chanel Women’s Filmmaker Program, and she was also named one of Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces of Independent Film for 2022. You can follow Zandashé on both Instagram and Twitter.

What was the inspiration behind becoming a creator? What do you enjoy the most about the creative process?

I think I just always have been a creative person. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been telling stories to people around me in some capacity or another. Fortunately, I was allowed to nourish the creativity for myself without challenge (and even with support!) from friends and family. It’s the way that I — and I think everyone — make sense of the world around me and of myself. My favorite part of the process is when the universe gives me my next big obsession. It’s like a task to learn about something, usually a lesson monumentally important to my life at that given time, and translate it into story so it can be useful to someone else, too.

Can you talk about your creative process? How long does it take? Does everything you produce make money?

It’s hard to put a timeline to creativity but sometimes you have to and there can be few greater motivators than an upcoming application deadline. That said, you can’t rush greatness. Sometimes you have to make the difficult choice between the opportunity’s needs, which may cost you some quality, or the project’s strength, which might cost you the opportunity. It’s always a difficult decision, but I’m learning consistency helps you straddle the two. All of my work, even the short films that haven’t yielded immediate financial gain, have opened doors to even greater opportunity. Everything is worthwhile when you put the work in.

What do you think is the biggest misconception about your line of work?

I’m a writer/director and I think people tend to believe we walk around waiting for someone to give us the next big idea so we can turn it around into a blowout film. The truth is, we’re always bubbling with creativity and there are often more ideas in our head than there is time to produce them. I’m not saying I’d never be interested in creating ideas outside of my own – I have before. But it takes a long time to make a film. Naturally, you’re going to want to spend that time with ideas of your own that resonate on a deep, personal level.

What do you do when you encounter someone stealing something that you’ve invested your intellect, time, and money into?

Fortunately, this hasn’t happened to me on a major level. But I once had this tweet that went very viral on the internet and resonated with a lot of people – it was about my weariness of having resilience placed upon me. As expected, there were many imitators who repurposed the words or posted them again as their own. Some even made Tik Toks or staged performances without accreditation. I wouldn’t have thought something like this would bother me so much, it’s the internet after all, but it made me think about what it means to put an idea out into the world and have someone else claim it. It made me want to share less of my work. What if something like this happened at a bigger level? It was a lesson about visibility for me and what it comes from. Now I’m thinking about how everything I put out into the world could be stolen and how to protect it. It’s another step in the development process of any idea that should be taken seriously.

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If you aren’t already a member of the Copyright Alliance, you can join today by completing our Individual Creator Members membership form! Members gain access to monthly newsletters, educational webinars, and so much more — all for free!

This week we’d like to introduce you to illustrator Rob Snow. Be sure to follow Rob on Twitter and check out his online stores.

What was the inspiration behind becoming a creator? What do you enjoy most about the creative process?

When you are young, you never imagine that what you are doing will end up as the grounding and inspiration for the rest of your life. Instead, you simply play or, in my case, draw. I remember I was really into reading “Winnie the Pooh.” The book I had was one of the original versions with the illustrations by E.H. Shepherd. I can remember I was totally engaged with the beauty and form of the illustrations, and because of this I would try my best to emulate the beautiful lines and poses. I guess this was the starting point of my artistic career, even though it took until the age of 13 and watching Star Wars on my birthday that inspired me enough to do something about it.

My creative process has always remained traditional. So, as I grew up in a world without a computer, internet and digital art, I had to learn how to draw the most basic way; with pencil. Still to this day, I have a great love of holding a pencil in my hand, the smell of the pine, the tactile feel of movement across paper. It is like a drug in the creative world. Later too, during MA studies, I learned Lateral Thinking skills, and it is a positive challenge now to use my thinking process to find more unique and original ways to express my illustrative works.

Can you take us through your creative process? How long does it take? Does everything you produce make money?

My creative process has two components, that of an applied freelance illustrator and that of a creative illustrator when working on my own projects. So, the starting point has two origins that are based on the initial denominator. If I have a client illustration, it tends to start with a brief, followed by a Q&A back and forth until the concept is agreeable on both sides, and then moves onto sketching, revision and final draft. Once the draft version is completed and accepted, I will scan and render it on my iMac and Cintiq set-up using Photoshop. If it is a self-motivated project, the initial stage is based more on a “wandering” of the mind to allow creativity to find a foot hold in an idea I am floating around in my brain. This is where the lateral thinking comes in. In several instances, I have found ideas walking my dog, or looking at rain through a bus window on the way home after my formative years as a lecturer. The rest is pretty much the same. Getting the sketching and draft tied down so little correction is required at rendering stage.

Time concerns are something I’ve evaluated over the years, and I have put in place many processes to speed up my rendering process. This has been done as the original client was taking two or three weeks, and they simply weren’t paying the money to sustain me for that period on a one commission at a time basis. Typically, most of my commissioned pieces can take from two days to 10 days depending on level of detail and other projects I’m working on simultaneously.

Does my work make money? Well, I have to hope it does. Life as a freelancer is hard so I can’t waste time on projects that are not money earners. Luckily, all my commission work provides an income, and I now have a back library of my own projects online that can also bring in some income. However, sales are currently down, and image theft doesn’t help either.

What do you think is the biggest misconception about your line of work?

The biggest misconception about art is that it’s easy and anyone can do it. In one sense, undertaking art as a hobby can be therapeutic and constructive for a lot of people. But creating art professionally is different. Anyone can create art, but not everyone can create good art! I have worked incredibly hard to learn the technical skills to allow my creativity to be recognized as professional.

When did you first become aware of copyright, and why?

I first became aware of copyright in 2014 regarding my own work. A blog I admired featured several illustrations I had done for a series called “Animal Behavior.” I was very excited and thought I would get some attention and maybe some work. To my dismay, I found that one specific work, titled “Pack the Trunk,” had been stolen and reutilized on many illegal products and were being sold all over the place. I even did some investigation and found that one factory in China was producing in the region of 1,000 pieces of my art a day!

Have you experienced copyright infringement and, if so, how has it affected you professionally and financially?

I must invest one whole day each month doing reverse image searching, looking for infringements of my work. I also use services like Pixsy and CopyTrack to explore exploits. It is very demoralizing. I must have found over 10,000 violations or more over the years, and only a fraction have been resolved, and even fewer have any financial reward from it. When I find a large number of infringements I get depressed and even think about quitting the work. Sadly, copyright law is abused in so many ways. Also, trying to explain copyright ownership to clients is a Sisyphean feat. I don’t do “Work for Hire’ contracts and have to point out to clients that unless they pay me for copyright transfer, then I retain ownership of the IP.

What do you do when you encounter someone stealing something you’ve invested your intellect, time, and money into?

Most of the time, the violation occurs online. So, I will issue a DMCA takedown process and follow it through. I am roughly 80% successful on doing that. If an infringement occurs on social media or sites like AliExpress, I use their own copyright infringement process, and luckily with Alibaba it is 100% effective. I have also engaged lawyers in copyright matters, and sometimes a simple indication of the violation scares most people into complying and even remunerating some monetary reward. Currently, at the time of writing this post, I’m in court proceedings with a hostile infringer, but I can’t say any more due to the case being active.

In sum, I recommend artists register their works and/or do a reverse image search regularly, as it will help crack down on violations and potentially deter thieves.

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If you aren’t already a member of the Copyright Alliance, you can join today by completing our Individual Creator Members membership form! Members gain access to monthly newsletters, educational webinars, and so much more — all for free!

This week we’d like to introduce cartoonist and illustrator Mark Monlux. Be sure to visit his online store, and follow him on both Instagram and Twitter.

What was the inspiration behind becoming a creator? What do you enjoy most about the creative process?

For as long as I can remember, I wanted to draw and be creative. I can’t pinpoint the source any more than I can see the air I breathe, it’s just always been there. How I fill up with joy when I create.

Can you talk through your creative process? How long does it take? Does everything you produce make money?

I like to fall into an instinctual groove. I love it when my lines and ideas flow within the groove.

There are some days when the lines and ideas are obstructed. But when I’m in the groove, the project I’m working on moves along at a good pace as I lose my sense of time. I can look up thinking a full day is gone but find that it’s not even lunchtime, or rise after a few breaths and find the day is over.

Not everything I produce makes money. But, since I need to make a living from my work, most of what I do is targeted for a use, or I will happily use when a use avails itself.

What do you think is the biggest misconception about your line of work?

My value and the value of what I create.

When did you first become aware of copyright, and why?

When I became a creative professional I sought out other established professionals so that I could solidly establish my business. Until then my concept of copyright was very vague. It was through these colleagues that I learned about copyright and how it is an essential component for a creator.

Have you experienced copyright infringement and, if so, how has it affected you personally and financially?

Yes. I’ve had my copyrighted works infringed. I’ve learned not to take it as a personal assault to my ego but as an assault on my business. I deal with the infringement from a business point of view. Clinging to outrage is far less productive than following a plan for resolution.

What do you do when you encounter someone stealing something you’ve invested your intellect, time, and money into?

I send them an invoice. An invoice informs the transgressor that I’m aware of their action. I want to be paid for my work. This approach provides them with an opportunity to take a quick and easy way to resolve a potentially costly mistake.

In order to encourage my clients not to accidentally reuse my work without permission, I have a clause in my contract stating that if such an error does occur, not only will they reimburse for the value of the work but there will be an additional $500 penalty fee for use without permission. When I added this clause to my contract, the amount of permission requests went up significantly.

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If you aren’t already a member of the Copyright Alliance, you can join today by completing our Individual Creator Members membership form! Members gain access to monthly newsletters, educational webinars, and so much more — all for free!

Monica Bond is a New York-based illustration artist, working with both analog and digital techniques to create art from the soul. In each piece she emphasizes the message, “this moment is your life.” Her passion for creating art became the driving force of her own life when she discovered that the artistic process itself brought her purpose and peace. Monica grew up between Milan and New York, went to college in Rome and now lives outside New York City with her husband and three daughters.

About Ciao Zen: Ciao Zen is a web collection of writings and art, where the emphasis for the visitor is to find balance via creating. The site displays a gallery of my artwork, articles, and illustrations from recent magazine work, art projects for everyone to create with their own materials, and a shop to buy clothing and gifts. Follow Ciao Zen on Instagram @ciao.zen.

What was the inspiration behind becoming a creator?  

I am an avid believer that only this current moment is our life, which is why I created Ciao Zen. These passing reflections, channeled through creating, help me find and maintain my balance. I would like Ciao Zen to lead as a source of encouragement to find solace in reflection and moving beyond self-imposed walls in our lives.

Further, what helped shape my inspiration to become a creator is that I grew up between the United States and Italy, traveling back and forth numerous times a year, splitting time between families, cultures, and friends. Since my stay in both places was never permanent, friend groups were harder to form, and long-lasting relationships were difficult to develop. This constant change and sense of misplacement forced me to be best friends with myself – to enjoy my own company so much, that the company of others would be an added plus, but never expected. This sense of solitude that filled my days developed a curiosity towards the human condition of which I constantly sought answers. I would sit and watch people and how they interacted with one another. I tried to understand the hurt and pain that humans felt, and yearned to find similarities in the underlying cause of it all. Through this inward traveling, I concluded that there are common threads of human nature that link us in a way that dissipates loneliness. There is a magic in the interconnected nature of it all, and these commonalities connect us to people we have never met. I’d like Ciao Zen to be a reminder that the magic isn’t in the big moments that we anticipate as life changing, but is actually in the small things, in the acts that we least expect have the ability to change us. My hope is that the art moves the viewer to feel less alone in what they think and feel.

What do you enjoy most about the creative process? 

What I enjoy most about the creative process is the way it makes me feel. Being in a flow state, I feel most connected to the now, letting any anxieties I have melt away, no longer worrying about once was or will be. Creating something—anything—grounds my day and fills it with a sense of purpose that can’t be reached for me in any other way. Any time I have allocated for creating always feels like a gift and I make sure to constantly remind myself that I am very fortunate to be able to do what I love on a daily basis.

Can you talk through your creative process? How long does it take? Does everything you produce make money? 

I usually start a piece with a concept, such as solitude, mental determination, or inner peace, and let it guide the creative vision. After brainstorming with some layouts, I start drawing (on my Ipad Pro with Procreate and/or Illustrator) and then incorporate analog pieces I may have like textures, old photos, etc. I generally stick to more or less the same color palette (darker earthier tones), so the colors are usually easy to choose! I then export the artwork and make them available for purchase in my online shop. I would say everything I make has the potential to make money, but not everything does. Client work like posters, logos, and artwork usually follows the same process except more in line with their creative brief and that they then own exclusive rights to the work. Each piece I make can range from a day’s work to a week – it really depends on the complexity of the vision and how much uninterrupted time I’m able to allocate to the work daily.

What do you think is the biggest misconception about your line of work? 

I think because of the varying price ranges of graphic work, people seem to want to underpay for the services, often from confusion as to how much work goes into each piece. Graphic art and design is a profession that takes a lot of practice and dedication and should be treated as so. My work is my passion and something I love deeply, and my all is put into every single piece I create. So when a client gives a low offer for a pitch and won’t meet me where I feel is fair, it is hard to accept the position at an underpaid rate. Yes, you can always find someone less expensive, but when you choose an artist you choose them for who they are and what they represent, and that to me is worth everything.

What do you do when you encounter someone stealing something you’ve invested your intellect, time and money into? 

Almost everything I create is shared on Instagram and open to a whole unknown world of scrutiny and copyright-related challenges. People who copy your art are in a difficult place, as they are struggling to find their own voice and manifest their own vision, and should realize that sharing their own vision is much greater than taking work from another artist.

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If you aren’t already a member of the Copyright Alliance, you can join today by completing our Individual Creator Members membership form! Members gain access to monthly newsletters, educational webinars, and so much more — all for free!

We’ve interviewed many creators in our Creator Spotlight series over the years, and we love watching their journeys as their careers develop. This year, we’re catching up with a few creators who continue to create and protect their exceptional work through copyright as they discuss their paths, developments, and advice to others.

To read more retrospective creator stories, check out our 2021 Where Are They Now? Creator Retrospective Part 1 and Part 2.

Sean Davey

Sean Davey is a Nature Photographer and Fine Art Printer. Sean participated in the Copyright Alliance’s creator spotlight series back in July 2017. Follow Sean on Instagram, Vero, and Facebook to see what he’s up to.

I provide an individually customized certificate of authenticity with each print which helps to maintain its value. Ultimately, I endeavor to provide as much value, quality, and supreme customer service that I can to those who purchase my art prints. I truly appreciate each and every client for in most cases, they are buying one of my prints to beautify their own home. I respect that deeply and am committed always to making the client the absolute best creation that I can, each and every time. 

There is a supreme amount of satisfaction in being able to create not only for myself, but for folks who want to hang my art prints in their homes.  It’s all creativity.  I also have the added advantage of not having to put my © copyrighted images out into other people’s hands, to be printed.  By printing them myself, I avoid this aspect of the equation.   

If you could pass on one piece of advice to other creators, what would it be? 

Over the past 20 years, things have changed so much and changed again, just as they will continue to do so. I went from being a globe-trotting magazine photographer, shooting film, to shooting digital photography, to seeing most of the magazines close, to turning to social media to get my imagery out there, while building a business, printing my own extra-large premium prints and canvas. 

You have to be able to adapt to an ever-changing landscape. It often means learning new things or changing the way you do things, in order to become either more efficient or more attractive to a potential client. Don’t close your mind to doing things differently. It could even be a matter of adapting to a changing market, like in a recession. What I did during the 2009 recession was I simply concentrated on marketing my larger more expensive creations because I knew that folks with dollars were most likely among the only ones purchasing art at that time. 

You have to watch what’s going on and try to stay ahead of others who will also follow trends. If you are onto something good, you’ll have probably a year or two before a lot of people are doing the same thing. You always have to pay attention to what’s going on around you and always be ready to try new things, new ideas, new ways to go about doing stuff.  Always be ready to adapt.    

Cindy Salans Rosenheim

Cindy Salans Rosenheim is an illustrator. Cindy participated in the Copyright Alliance’s creator spotlight series back in April 2018.

Terrified, I accomplished one of the biggest jobs I was to take on in ensuing years as a professional illustrator. The new hotel PR manager had me work during restaurant hours and “dress the part” with a beret and kerchief. No kidding. This was 1977.

I then worked at Hallmark Cards, and later with a group of textbook illustrators, which led to trade books for kids.

Greeting cards, magazine illustrations and various print and then chalkboard commissions followed.

Around the time I wrote my first blog for the Creative Spotlight in 2018, I was surprised with another large mural job — a chalkboard wall, 10 feet high, for the lobby of a new condo building in Silicon Valley. Ladder work. 

And today I’m illustrating two 11-foot chalkboard walls for the Ferry Building in San Francisco. Since I’m no spring chicken, I’m hoping it will be my last ladder gig! 

So, the mural thing has unexpectedly come back to characterize the latter part of my career. 

In 2019 I picked up an agent who, among other things, answered a call for a fashion sketch artist to quick-draw “high fashion” portraits of shoppers at point of purchase. I was the featured attraction at Ferragamo for two years. And I booked a few commercial acting jobs (a side career) along the way. So, while business lagged a bit during the Pandemic, many of the jobs I did get involved getting myself out there — be it publicly chalking from a ladder, whipping off portraits in a luxury store or showing up for acting shoots. I’m not sure what to make of that except to say that maybe that first big Houston mural performance job was an omen for what was eventually to come.  A full-circle theme.

If you could pass on one piece of advice to other creators, what would it be? 

As to copyright protection, it’s a no brainer, folks. All artists should register their works with the U.S. Copyright Office.  Years ago, before I knew about copyright law, my husband found online a reproduced version of an illustration I had done for Ravensburger Puzzles. The reproduction was blown up fifteen-fold and painted on the side of a library in a town in Arizona. It was poorly painted, but it was also a total rip-off of my intricate design. It shocked me into realizing that you never know where your hard-earned handiwork may show itself under someone else’s name. 

As to advice to fellow artists, I urge you to take on a job even if it seems beyond you or not up your alley. The first rule of improvisational acting is to “say yes” in response to a fellow player’s spontaneous question.  To say “no” is to stop the conversation in its tracks. In improv, “yes” keeps the comedy bit moving into uncharted territory. Say “yes” to challenges. Your professional life is an active conversation, and if you keep it going you will find that surprise, perhaps terror, but also delight await you!

Vicki Kelly

Vicki Kelly is an author. Vicki participated in the Copyright Alliance’s creator spotlight series back in March 2021. Follow Vicki on Facebook and LinkedIn to see what she is up to.

It is important to have your work protected! Right after I publish a new book, I go right to my favorites and fill out the copyright paperwork online.

I have a new book coming in the Spring of 2023!

If you could pass on one piece of advice to other creators, what would it be?

Whatever you do, don’t give up your dreams! I had always wanted to write a book and never thought I would be able to do it at 60 years old! And now I am on a roll. Stay positive.

Katie Garibaldi

Katie Garibaldi is a Singer/Songwriter. Katie participated in the Copyright Alliance’s creator spotlight series back in August 2017.

I’ve always been fascinated by the art of music supervision, but being so busy with my music, it was hard to take on anything else. However, with the lockdown time in 2020, I wasn’t able to tour so I considered it the right time to study supervision and shift more into the filmmaking side of the industry. In doing so, I unexpectedly ended up writing and directing my own short film, This and That, which is set to premiere in Los Angeles at the North Hollywood CineFest in September. I also supervised the film’s music, licensing various music pieces, collaborated with a composer for custom scoring, and even wrote some of my own music for the film as well. So, it’s basically a whole pot of my creativity melted into one project, which I’m so proud of! 

Now, I have pretty much found a new path in my career that combines my love of music and film with my business Owl At The Moon Creative, mostly supervising and coordinating music for film. I also work closely on select projects with the collaborative scoring group Sum Of All Music.

Copyright is an extremely important part of music supervision, as I’m constantly researching the information on music rights owners. In order to license a piece of music for a film, I need to know the publisher(s), and be able to negotiate agreements based on the desired terms of the production. Having the correct copyright information for music is imperative for securing a sync license for placement. Coming from a songwriter’s background has really helped me with how to best communicate with other artists and filmmakers when supervising agreements so that all parties have clarity and ease when navigating the post-production process.

If you could pass on one piece of advice to other creators, what would it be?

Something I’d pass on is the importance of taking the time and care to have your business ducks in a row that coincide with your creative project. Sometimes as creators I think we can isolate ourselves in our creativity. But once our projects are ready to be shared outside of our bubbles, we must be ready to respond quickly and professionally to opportunities that show up for us. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve received music from artists without any metadata on their tracks. So, if a film comes along down the line that I think their music might work well for, I can’t even contact them because there is no information on their tracks. I’ve also been surprised to find that a lot of filmmakers/producers don’t know how to make and submit a proper cue sheet. When supervising a production, I like to help the producer with the cue sheet because I always advise they get it done sooner than later in case anything gets picked up for streaming or distribution. But sometimes they don’t even know what a cue sheet is. This is a critical asset for performance rights organizations to be able to pay royalties to composers and songwriters who have music placed in a show or film.

A lot of times, so much work goes into a production (whether it be music or visual media), that a lot of creators will start to misstep in, what I like to call, “post post-production”—the time after a project is complete and it’s now a phase of communicating with a whole new slew of collaborators to deal with your art in the public arena. We must value our creativity at the highest level of care it deserves if we believe in the worthiness of our goals and dreams. It’s our responsibility as creatives to educate ourselves on the business side of the industry if we are putting our work out there to make deals and work with other professionals. Certain things, like a cue sheet, can be intimidating when doing it for the first time, but the best way to learn how to do something is to just do it. Take your journey into your own hands and give it all you’ve got. Creativity is inspiring and exciting, however, no amount of talent can override poor professional skills when trying to complete contracts and projects. Nothing is more refreshing than working with people in this industry who are respectful, quick to respond, attentive to detail, professional, and most of all, kind and gracious. 

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Want to learn more about the incredible creators we’ve featured in the past? Check out our archive of more than 100 previous creator spotlight blogs! To be featured in your own creator spotlight blog, join the Copyright Alliance as an Individual Creator Member and email us at cawebsite@copyrightalliance.org.

This week we’d like to introduce you to Christmas Sweater Designer Debby McClain of TackyUglyChristmasSweaters.

What is the inspiration behind becoming a creator? What do you enjoy most about the creative process?

I have always enjoyed crafts and art; I majored in it in school. I explored all different kinds of mediums. Some I was good at, others not so much. I started as a silversmith, creating sterling silver jewelry. Today, I spend a lot of time with my Ugly Christmas Sweaters, which are always fun, and I get to use all kinds of “treasures.” It’s great to love what you make!

Can you take us through your creative process? How long does it take? Does everything you produce make money?

My creative process starts either with a vintage sweater or an idea. I think about what the end product will be—sexy, funny, glamorous, outrageous—then work toward that goal. I love to do theme sweaters. I see what materials I’ve accumulated, then work in that direction. From there, it feels like they literally make themselves!

What do you think is the biggest misconception about your line of work?

That it is easy. It’s not. Each sweater has different challenges. You have to hope that people will embrace the end product and love it. Some of my “mistakes” ended up being the best sellers!

When did you first become aware of copyright, and why?

Back in 2018 or so, I had customers reaching out to me to tell me my sweaters were being “sold ” by random companies on Facebook. After researching, I found companies were stealing my photos, descriptions and even reviews from my Etsy shop, and advertising on Facebook. That was a rude awakening for me. I had to try to shut them down while in the middle of my Christmas rush. It was truly awful.

Have you experienced copyright infringement and, if so, how has it affected you personally and financially?

Personally, I feel violated and frustrated when other people profit from my work. I am a very small shop; I don’t have a big budget to go after the pirates. The ultimate slap in the face was when I found a company on Walmart selling a knock-off of my sweater! I’ve lost sleep due to anxiety over the scams. It obviously damages my brand because people think I ripped them off. It’s hard to tell how much was “stolen” financially. We may never really know. 

What do you do when you encounter someone stealing something you’ve invested your intellect, time and money into?

I contact Cher at Qti.ai! They find my product images on sites I didn’t even know existed. I wasn’t aware that my Heat Miser was stolen; that picture was from about four years ago. I’m not surprised though. These scams are like whack-a-mole. Whenever you take one down, another two or three seem to pop up. That’s why Qti.ai is so effective: They have their own “Scam Intelligence Bots” that go head-to-head with the scam bots. At least it levels the playing field for me.

What is the best piece of advice that you would give other creators in your field about copyright and how to protect themselves?

Unless you have deep pockets, there have been very few alternatives for small brands like me to protect ourselves. Then Qti.ai came along earlier this year, with the deliberate intention of helping artists and designers. I recommend them all the time to my fellow Etsy sellers. 

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