A Look at Art & Design

Blogging synchronicity, indeed!

I'm feeling pretty relaxed these days. I attribute this to the fact that for about a week now nothing in my house has exploded, broken, burst, or caught on fire. Being relativity clear headed again, I've been reading quite a bit, surfing the net in search of "stuff" and I am quite excited about writing something worthy of the paper it's written on. I'm also looking forward to creating some graphic design just for me. Self-expression is good for the soul.

To better facilitate this whole creative thing, I've been lately listening to jazz. It's taken me quite a few years to really appreciate this music genre. I think it must be an acquired taste, but I'm so happy I didn't just give it up.

Oddly enough, as I sat here this evening listening to Miles Davis, I came upon a superb post over at CopyBlogger entitled "Jazz and the Art of Improvisational Blogging." It is as well written as it is inspirational and I share Brain Clark's thoughts with you here.

Dave Werner :: Inspiring, amazing, creative

Whew! After nearly 4 weeks of non stop 16-18 hour days working on client accounts, I'm back to blogging (I hope.) I had planned on writing something of value over the weekend for my readers here at ArtLOOK, but having just seen the site I'm about to share with you....well, a look at this guy's creative portfolio is worth more than any of the words I could write.

Amazing, creative, inspirational...this 25 year old designer is truly a brilliant mind and seems to be a pretty darn nice guy to boot. Things that I especially loved were Impact, Reflect/Respect, and the Mondavi wine bottles. Dave Werner just makes me want to work harder, learn more, read more, see better...

Please check out Dave Werner's Portfolio.

Call For Artists :: Art On Groton Bank

The Bill Memorial Library and the City of Groton are sponsoring Art on Groton Bank, a continuing festival of fine arts on the grounds of the library on June 16, July 21, August 18, and September 15 from 10 A.M. to 3 P.M.

We are thinking Paris, of the stalls along the Seine, the artists’ work lined against the walls on the Left Bank. We are bringing the sense of that greatest of art cities to Groton Bank.

Time is getting close. The committee has walked the grounds of the enchanting Bill Memorial Library to lay out the sites along the fences, and in the middle of the Great Lawn.

Artists are invited to set up at 7 a.m. and exhibit until 3 p.m. A $20.00 fee will cover the cost of a site of approximately 100 square feet per event.

If artists would like to paint the beautiful vistas on and around the library grounds during the show, it would be a wonderful diversion for visitors, who love to watch artists create. Often, the visitor will say “Combien?” and a sale is made. Painters are not required to paint, but it is a great opportunity. And fun!

SIGN UP TODAY!

Copyright Law :: Protected or Not (Part 2)

As a follow up to yesterday's post on Copyright Law, I went back to the WIPO website and found the following disclaimer on the front page of the WIPO website copyright section:

The attention of the Secretariat of WIPO has been drawn to the fact that certain organizations issue certificates purporting to grant copyright protection. It should be noted that these certificates do not create any right.  The Secretariat recalls that, by virtue of the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, works are protected without any formality in all the countries party to that Convention. This means that international copyright protection is automatic, it exists as soon as a work is created, and this principle applies in all the countries party to the Berne Convention.

Contracting parties of the Berne Convention include (in part):  USA, Canada, Mexico, UK, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy, Iceland, Spain, Greece, Belgium, Poland, Czech Rep., Russian Rep., Australia, Austria, India, China, Israel, Central African Rep., and many others..

Copyright Law :: Protected or Not?

Copyright Law is indeed a slippery slope.  Over at Vitamin, Stephan Nipper, writes on March 2nd, 2007 a post entitled Copyright: Get to know the Facts but having read the article I really must ask Attorney Nipper what exactly are the facts please?  According to Attorney Nipper, his article encourages the purchase of US copyright registration (at $45/a pop) in order to avoid

"...a common misconception about copyright law that still exists today, some thirty years later. This misconception often serves as a trap that many a copyright owner, including web developers and designers, unknowingly falls for. What is it? Its the belief that “a copyright owner does not have to file a copyright application to protect its works…rather, copyright protection forms when the works are created.”

While technically true (copyright protection begins at the ‘publication’ of the work), taking a “I don’t need to file copyright applications” attitude can often come back to haunt you. The reason for this, under the US Copyright Act, is that registration of the copyright within ninety (90) days of publication (or before infringement takes place) is necessary to enable the copyright owner to receive what are referred to as “statutory damages.”

I would first like to point out that Mr. Nipper is incorrect when he states that copyright in a work is created at ‘publication.’ The current U.S. law creates a copyright when a work is fixed in a tangible form of expression. US Copyright Office states the following:

When is my work protected?
Your work is under copyright protection the moment it is created and fixed in a tangible form that it is perceptible either directly or with the aid of a machine or device.

Do I have to register with your office to be protected?
No. In general, registration is voluntary. Copyright exists from the moment the work is created. You will have to register, however, if you wish to bring a lawsuit for infringement of a U.S. work.

Why should I register my work if copyright protection is automatic?
Registration is recommended for a number of reasons. Many choose to register their works because they wish to have the facts of their copyright on the public record and have a certificate of registration. Registered works may be eligible for statutory damages and attorney's fees in successful litigation. Finally, if registration occurs within 5 years of publication, it is considered prima facie evidence in a court of law.

Houston We Have a Problem!
So from what I read of all this is... that copyright is indeed bestowed upon a work at its creation BUT in order to ACTUALLY be protected in a court of law (which is frankly in my eyes the whole point of copyright protection) for statutory rights and attorneys fees, that work MUST be registered.  Therefore to ensure compliance with these laws all artists, writers, developers etc MUST REGISTER each piece of work or you're screwed. That means each photograph, each website, each graphic, each illustration, painting or sculpture.  Are you kidding me?

So if Jane the Artist creates a masterpiece for which she hasn't registered a copyright and the masterpiece is sold to a collector, that collector/buyer could conceivably go forth and reproduce that masterpiece into coffee mugs, tshirts, greeting cards etc...make a fortune and Jane the Artist has NO LEGAL STANDING??

Additionally Attorney Nipper points out:

Finally, web developers should remember that in the US the author of the work is the owner of the work unless the author has assigned his/her rights in writing, has a duty to do so based upon an employment agreement, or the work is one of the few other “works for hire” exceptions.

(Please see ArtLOOK's May 13, 2006 post on Work for Hire Situations and why it's a bad idea for creative freelancers.)

Mr. Nippers article and the info at the US copyright office therefore begs the questions... does a artist or creative own a work upon creation or not? Is it 90 days or 5 years? And if a work is being stolen or misused, does that creator have protection and rights under US copyright law and/or WIPO and/or the Berne Convention or not?  If not, what is the point of bestowing copyright upon creation in the first place, and who then is really benefiting from the registration process?  If these questions can not be answered clearly then we have some mighty big problems folks and I'm going to have to go and re-mortgage my house in order to protect my rights! (of course it might be too late according to the 90 day time limit...for heaven's sake)

WIPO - World Intellectual Property Organization
Now I am not an attorney.  I am simply a designer who wishes to figure this all out. I encourage you to all read Mr. Nipper's article as well as the comments made by numerous designers, artists, writers and EU visitors all questioning such things as "I've created 100's of sites/layouts/articles/paintings or illustrations and registering each one is going to get expensive."  and how does Creative Commons work into all this.  Many EU visitors also wished additional information regarding intellectual property in their countries.  I have done a little bit of research and have provided links below which will direct readers to information regarding US copyright law, WIPO, Creative Commons and other resources.

Runaway Train :: Soul Asylum

Bear with me....a little self indulgence

Runaway Train ::  Lyrics

Call you up in the middle of the night
Like a firefly without a light
You were there like a blowtorch burning
I was a key that could use a little turning

So tired that I couldn't even sleep
So many secrets I couldn't keep
I promised myself I wouldn't weep
One more promise I couldn't keep

It seems no one can help me now,
I'm in too deep; there's no way out
This time I have really led myself astray

Runaway train, never going back
Wrong way on a one-way track
Seems like I should be getting somewhere
Somehow I'm neither here nor there...

A Winter Redesign - How a designer designs herself

Alas, Thanksgiving and the holiday season is upon us.  I have been looking forward to this four day weekend for a month. It signals the time when I imagine my clients cuddled up and cozy with family and friends, surrounded by candlelight and a feast of food.  When preparations for a wonderful holiday season are gearing up and despite the rush...a joyous and festive mood prevails.  Yes...I'm a die hard holiday lover!  This four day weekend also signals a time when I too can spend a day or two cozied up with some good books and more importantly the luxurious bliss of being able to let my mind rest. Creativity does not work well when your life is always coming at you at 100 miles an hour.

Being that this blog has posted much about art lately, I want to post something focusing on design. Not about designing websites, graphics or interiors but my idea was about design in life and how being a designer doesn't necessarily stop when she shuts down the computer or puts the pencils away.

Springtime usually brings with it some kind of renewed spirit for reinventing one's life.  Spring cleaning, new love affairs, tiny buds on the trees all seem to bring the notion that life is starting over.  A new leaf is being turned.  But for me, I always seem to reflect and find new life during the winter. I guess I'm not alone. I just stumbled upon Evelyn Rodriguez's blog, Crossroads Dispatches - A neo-renaissance, eco-epicurean savors, curates and shares slices from the surf's edge on innovation, design, marketing, the art of living and anything that screams Life. I discovered this tsunami survivor (yes yes...the December 26 2004 tsunami), word weaver also finds solace in these winter months.  Read her Fasting for the Winter of My Content.  One of the more beautiful passages that she quotes from Emptiness Dancing by Adyashanti reads as follows:

"If trees were like humans, you would see them reaching down with their branches and raking up all the leaves to hold onto them for security. Wouldn't you feel bad if you saw the trees doing this, holding all their leaves to themselves as if they were in an existential crisis? This is our tendency, to pick up the pieces of our pet beliefs and theories, and hold on for dear life."

"In a real sense, self-inquiry is a spiritually induced form of wintertime. It's not about looking for a right answer so much as a stripping away and letting you see what is not necessary, what you can do without, what you are without your leaves. In human beings, we do not call these leaves. We call them ideas, attachments, and conditioning..."

It is with ideas such as this that I embark upon my four day weekend and the start of the winter season. It is the time to reflect and begin again the redesign of myself. As I wrote here on Sept 8, designers like artists are those incredible people who are compelled to live every day designing. They can't help themselves and there is nothing else in this world they would do other than design. It's an honor and a privilege. They work for it. They live it, breathe it, talk about it, dream about it, sacrifice for it. It's in their kitchen, their living room, their hallways, it's in the clothes they wear. These self fulfulling things should be chosen carefully and deliberately.  Just as when we choose a photo image to compliment our design...if the photo is lovely but not relevant, what's the point? Design is an attitude, a lifestyle and it translates to almost everything we do.

Over the summer I read Design Yourself by Karim Rashid.  It's quite a wonderful book.  Rashid's section on Dematerialization is a winter notion. Rashid says "I believe we can add to our lives by subtracting" And when the clutter is cleared out we can begin anew. We will have fresh thoughts and ideas. He goes on to write, "By no means am I advocating that we should not be buying or having things. I firmly believe that we should be hyperconscious of the things we surround ourselves with - either love and enjoy them or do without them."

I will find myself, this weekend, tossing out the old stuff.  Recycling old magazines, clothes, shoes, handbags.  Organizing papers, photos, music, my office...and taking the time to think about how different I am from the person I was this same time last year.  Where do I want to take myself in the future and how will I get there? I'll even take the time to simply think about nothing and just let go.

Left is left, right is right - Listening to an Ipod wrong

Have you ever mistakenly put the left ear bud of your Ipod in your right ear and the right ear bud in your left ear? Werid ins't ti? It's like your head is on wrnog!

The Creative Process of Doing Something New

I came online to write The Creative Process of Doing Something New and thought it was interesting that on my way here, I found the following in my daily horoscope. I don't know how much stock I put in the validity of horoscopes, but for whatever reason, I read mine almost every day. Here's what it said:

As you know, dear Taurus, you have reached a turning point in your life. The hardest part about making this decision is, as usual, saying farewell to your old ways. The past can seem so cozy and reassuring, especially when the unknown looms. It takes strength and determination to leave it behind. But whether it is a matter of your career or your love life, you have personal goals that cannot be sacrificed or denied.

The process of leaving our comfort zones and doing something new can either be daunting or exciting depending on our mindset. Is this change something we are actually passionate about, or something we are forced into doing for various reasons?  Are we the type of personality that continually reaches for a higher branch or are we happy to stay in the same place, painting or designing in the same style year after year?

Most people when facing a change or personal challenge might find it stressful, but it doesn't have to be. It can be a really cool, exciting thing. It can inspire you and the other people around you. It can transform your life and your art in the most remarkable ways. Kids are often fearless in trying new things and its not until we grow older that we tend to get stuck in the day to day excuses of why we shouldn't, couldn't, wouldn't be able to test new waters.  Sometimes we don't even realize we are stuck...

Regardless of whether the change is self imposed or brought upon us, I absolutely believe that exploration and change is good. And as creatives most of us are looking for expansion in our art, our design and in our lives. There is a creative process, I believe, that occurs when we decide to expand our horizons.  Just as when we contemplate the start of a new project, the same can be said when we ourselves are the project. It takes bravery and determination but the end result is always something we can be proud of because whether we fail or succeed, at least we gave it a shot and we are not in the same spot we were 6 months ago. We've grown.

When was the last time you painted in a different palette? Explored a new medium or just messed around with a new software application for the sake of playing? Here's a list of a few things that might help get you started:

1. Try a new medium or experiment with a new style that has inspired you. Pick up a crayon and draw with the fearlessness and excitment of a 6 year old.
2. Be fearless. Your experiments don't have to go public until you are ready for them do so. Take baby steps until you get close to the final result.
3. Do a "brain dump". Don't think. Just write down everything that comes to mind, draw it out, take note of certain words and ideas and put it all on a sheet of paper. Let your mind be free to wander.
4. What were your goals two years ago? Five years ago? Have you met those goals or discovered new goals? Write your goals down.  Seven years ago I made a "5 year plan".  It was very satisfying when at the end of that five year time period I reviewed that plan and found I nailed almost every single goal.
5. Surround yourself with motivated, inspirational people.
6. Sample a new food, a new drink; watch a different type of movie. Sometimes it is just the little things that accumulate in day to day living which make all the difference.
7. Rearrange or redecorate your studio or office. Every time you walk into the place it will remind you to pursue something new and unique.

There are so many things to explore and learn. I'm feeling inspired and maybe it is because the sun is shining again here in the Northeast or maybe because I just feel the need to design something new, use a new format, think in a new way, and travel to new places...but I encourage all of you to design yourself.

Suggested Reading: A great book. Lovely design. Handy to hold and take with you and can be used again and again to inspire you and keep you on task as you explore your art and your life.

Design Yourself
by Karim Rashid
Rethinking the way you live, love, work and play