Especially the Sticky Stuff.

Is it wise to incorporate a copyright statement on your blog?
I was badly bitten during the success of my first book, ‘Great Housewives of Art’. Oh. I will have to share a couple of the images so you know what I’m talking about. How about three then?

Mrs Renoir cleans the oven
from ‘Great Housewives of Art’
(HarperCollins, Viking Penguin, Doubleday)

Mrs Gauguin has a tupperware party
from ‘Great Housewives of Art’
(HarperCollins, Viking Penguin, Doubleday)

Mrs Picasson dusts the mantelpiece
from ‘Great Housewives of Art’
(HarperCollins, Viking Penguin, Doubleday)

Rather large success led to rather large rip-offs. But even thinking about this topic makes my stomach squirm with grey nausea.
Breathe, Sally, breathe.
I would love to live in a

loving, trusting place. A place where the Creative Love Exchange flourishes, along with deep respect for creators and their creations.
However, I feel it best to take a stand. Hopefully this helps to deter any thoughtless or slimy slugs from exploiting my (or other people’s) labours of love.
How to approach this?
With creativity, of course!
Below is what I’ve come up with. It’s currently on this blog’s home page.

Do you take steps to value and protect your creations?
How do you balance that valuing with sharing generously and freely?

Copyright and Other Warm-bodied Animals

You have a heart, warm blood and a spine.
Art and Soul Space blog comprises mostly Sally Swain’s original art and writing. The creator owns the copyright. Please treat the work with respect and kindness.
Do feel free to share the material abundantly and often – always with full acknowledgement and credit to myself, Sally.
Do not alter or amend the work in any way. Do not use it for commercial purposes. Do not attempt to pass the work off as your own.
Do treat it in the heartful, ethical, considerate ways you would hope to treat your own creative brainchildren.
There.
We’ve got that out of the way.
We can get on and play.

‘Great Housewives of Art’ limited edition prints are available for purchase. If you feel inclined, look at the album in Sally Swain Art on Facebook.