Instagram is probably my favorite social network. As a photographer, I love to see how everyone else views the world. It’s such a sneak peek into understanding them, their perceptions, and what they value. (If we aren’t connected there, and you’d like to connect I’m @theartistsjd!) The last few months I’ve noticed more and more […]
Frank the Freelancer
Are you paid by your clients for your specialized skills? Then this post collection will help do it on the legal up and up!
Can drudgery be simple and easy to carry out? Yep, it can.
Last month I wrote a guest post series for Oh My! Handmade Goodness on shoring up your business foundations. We talked about getting your website, contracts, structure, and intellectual property shored up. One of the post comments totally made my day. Arianne Foulks wrote: Thanks so much for making this seeming drudgery accessible and actionable. This comment […]
Can I use this quote on {fill in the blank}?
Probably the most common question I get is: Can I use this quote on {fill in the blank}? I wish I requested a dollar every time I answered it! Although then my bank teller might wonder why I started bringing in stacks of singles and that might be awkward. The serious answer to this question […]
Keep your eyes on your own page. Or how not to unintentionally be a copycat.
I knew that in my quest to cultivate a community here, I wanted to make sure this website was appealing to those I wanted to attract. I wanted my visitors to feel like a guest and want to sit down and pull up a chair in my virtual home. That these guests were easily able […]
Is it legal to trace source imagery?
This isn’t the post I intended to write this week. My editorial calendar has a post about visual inspiration and how these can lead to unintentional copying. How you can accidentally be a copycat. But then, Design*Sponge published an article about the ethics of copying and giving credit. If you haven’t read it yet, I […]
3 ways collaborations can deal with copyrights
The beginning of a collaboration is magical. Working together fills you both with excitement. Maybe you have been admiring each others work for ages and feel lucky that you get to team up. Your initial instinct is likely to jump in and get started. But I encourage you to have a couple tough conversations with your collaboration […]
Are we creating a joint work? A tough conversation to have before your next collaboration
The start of a collaboration is magical. The two of you are bouncing ideas off each other, getting inspired, and having lots of fun. Luckily, a good chunk of the time things stay that way and the collaboration goes off without a hitch. But sometimes problems crop up. Recently I got a call from a woman […]
How do I decide if this contract is good for my business?
Understand if you should sign that contract Because you should never sign a contract you don’t understand! Enter your email to download a workbook that will help you decide if signing that contract a good idea. The workbook also outlines my contract review system and gives you a checklist to review your contract. Your privacy […]
1 powerful question you should ask to grow your business
On an average day, I probably get asked hundreds of questions. Questions via email, questions when I’m chatting with clients over Skype, questions from opposing counsel, or just questions at a social gathering when people learn what I do. After three years of hearing these questions, very few surprise me. But last month I got […]
Afraid that copycats are going to steal your work?
I know that many of you fret about posting your content online. That you sit at your computer looking at something you just created and feel torn. On one hand, you are so excited to share this with the world. On the other hand, you worry what will happen once you hit upload. This fear, […]
You can’t use someone else’s website as your own
Earlier this year I got an email from a friend who works as a coach. She was in a tizzy, because she had gotten this odd email from a stranger asking her about the status of their project. At first she freaked out because she thought she had dropped the ball on something. She looked […]
Stolen content? Decide what you can, can’t & shouldn’t do
Last time, I gave you an overview of when you can, can’t, and maybe shouldn’t act when you find your content used without your permission. This time I want to give you the exact procedure that I use to make this decision. And it’s all based on four simple questions that you only have to answer […]