How to #repost with respect.

A couple months ago the lovely activist, entrepreneur, and actress Sophia Bush posted a photo of a woman wearing a shirt that said "Strong women intimidate boys.. and excite men."

She sources Malin Akerman — another famous actress — for the photo. I assumed that Malin Akerman probably didn't take this photo or make the shirt, so I went all Sherlock Holmes and spent a good 15 minutes uncovering the real source of this work.

Malin Akerman posted the same photo, credited to fellow actress Jaime King.

Jaime King credited the photo to NYC photographer Jamie Nelson. Interestingly enough, this photo has since been deleted from Jaime's account.

Thing is, photographer Jamie Nelson did not actually take this photo. She also reposted it from someone else with the accurate credit buried under a ton of hashtags, making it difficult to see who actually took the photograph.

Good on her for tagging everyone who was involved in the photo. She may not have done it in the clearest way, but at least she did it. Still, I found more after I kept digging. As you can see, this was a repost from AFROPUNK.

The crediting done here is super straightforward. They credit the photographer, the model, and the shirt maker. That's great! However, it's still a let down because when I went to the original artist's page to find the photo I realized it originally wasn't posted in black and white, and the credit line was cropped on the repost.

John Brown was the photographer who shot this photo. He was kind and brave enough to share it with all of us on the Internet, and it was unfortunately taken advantage of.

Yes, this is the nature of the Internet, but what are we doing if not speaking up and trying to educate others to share with respect? Just because people can share others' work freely and without much repercussion, doesn't mean we should just shrug our shoulders and keep scrolling.

I didn't write this post because I feel holier than thou (I'm sure I've inaccurately credited artists before), but as a reminder to myself and everyone reading that it's up to us. We have to go the extra mile to make sure that the work we are re-sharing is accurate and fair.

Here are a few of my ground rules for sharing other people's work on the Internet:

1. Accurately credit the people that you are reposting. Yes, this might take a bit more effort. Yes, this feels like work. That's the price you pay for sharing other people's art for free on your website or social media. Curating is an art form, and it requires dedication and hard work when done right.
2. Credit the work CLEARLY. Don't bury the artist's name or handle in a pile of hashtags that make it impossible to see. Don't just tag the photo, but not list their name in the caption. That's just lazy. Go above and beyond to make sure the artist gets the recognition they deserve.
3. Never edit without their permission. You may think you are helping out the artist by touching up/editing their work, but you're not. This piece does not belong to you. Respect the artist's original vision. If you feel the need to edit, crop, touch-up.. ask for permission first. Always.
4. When you see something, say something. It feels like every day I see someone's work getting ripped off online. Don't just shake your head and move on — speak up! Chances are the person posting doesn't even realize what they're doing.

It's up to us to change the reposting landscape. I don't think most people do this maliciously. It's just pure ignorance and laziness. The good thing about that is we can help educate and hopefully shift people's posting habits.

Click to tweet it out, yo! 
A must-read for all my Internet friends: How to #repost with respect, by @amandsandlin

What do you think? Do you see this happening online? Have you ever spoken up about it? Please feel free to share your experiences or thoughts below. Let's have a conversation!

Strike a nerve.

Lately I've been tapping into a new well of creativity. It feels much deeper and closer to my heart than what I've done before.

Cute drawings of trees and cups of coffee have turned into vibrant, large works of abstract art.

My writings have shifted from being about my reading list or '25 things you can do without the internet' to focusing on criticism, sacred art forms, and embracing the ebb and flow of life.

Almost immediately after I began creating from this deeper place, haters began to emerge from the woodwork.

• They insulted my "art".
• They told me I paint like a 5-year-old.
• They questioned the substance and depth of my art.
• They told me to cut it out with this 'creative self-help nonsense'.

And now I know that all this is a GOOD sign.

Don't give up. Don't back down. Don't let them scare you.

When you encounter resistance... when you strike a nerve.. it means you're onto something.

Why I closed enrollment for my course.

Recently I launched early enrollment for my course Make Your Mark. I brewed a pot of coffee at midnight. I stayed up til 3am writing, editing, optimizing. I went over my launch checklist again and again and again. I hit 'SEND.'

I went to bed with a sinking feeling in my stomach.
I woke up with a sinking feeling in my stomach.

At noon, I closed the shop. I deleted every Instagram post and Facebook mention of the course. I spent the next day under the covers, embarrassed, crying and questioning everything I'd worked so hard for.

---

Why? Before I get into that, I need to tell you:

I am NOT launching Make Your Mark right now. I AM still making it, but I don't exactly know what IT is yet. Maybe a course. Maybe a book. Maybe a video series. Maybe something totally different, or exactly the same. All I know is, I am not ready to sell it to you right now. To those of you who were interested in the course—thank you. I truly am grateful, and I'm sorry if this change is confusing or disappointing.

---

Now here’s what happened.

When I started making this course I stopped listening to my creativity. I started envisioning making a bunch of money (nothing wrong with that). I started listening to fancy online biz people talk about how they made $100K on their first course launch. I thought I should to follow their MUST-HAVE'S for it to be 'successful'.

I started ignoring that little rebellious voice inside that says “You don’t have to do it their way”.

So I followed the biz people's lead. I started offering ‘content upgrades’. I pimped out my website with opt-in forms and emotional language. I announced a pre-sale 'early enrollment' for my course.

“You can get PAID to MAKE your product”, they squealed over Periscope! Well, okay! That sounds amazing! I gave it a go.

Annnnnnd it felt like complete crap. I felt like I was lying (even though I wasn't, technically) and trapped. Giving you guys the OUTLINE of the course without having CREATED the whole thing yet put an immovable box around my creativity and vision.

Online business resources can be super helpful and motivating, but it's crucial to remember why you are making something, and at the end of EVERY day check in with your gut to see if there are any red flags.

My red flags:

1. I never wanted to make a 'course'. I've actually always cringed at that idea, even though I love taking courses from others. Go figure.
2. I started focusing on money and numbers and flashiness instead of the art or what would be most helpful to those taking the course.
3. I was more excited to market the course than actually make it.
4. I lost that buzzy feeling I get when I'm making something I truly love + believe in. (That's the only way I can describe it!)

That's where I am now. It was a rough experience, but today I stand in clarity and confidence that all of this happened to give me a great business/creative lesson that I will never forget. I hope sharing this story is helpful to you in some way.

Are you going through a similar experience? Please feel free to share in the comments below.

How To Be A Better Designer/Artist/Human

I love this quote by James Victore:

Studying, learning, practicing ANYTHING helps your design skills... except studying more design.

YEAH.

Here's the thing. Anyone can design. Anyone can take InDesign classes or buy a Wacom tablet.

What takes you from feeling like a 'designer' or 'illustrator' to ARTIST are ideas.

Passionate, devastatingly interesting ideas that spark obsession and love. Questions and sometimes even hate.

It's about what's behind the pen, the lens, the computer — real life.

Find what you care about, what really turns you on and gets you mad.

Be curious.

Feel affliction for something outside yourself, your career, your future. Fascinate. Get unruly. Be messy. Ask questions. Study. Burn it to the ground. Ask WHY, dammit.

There's something inside you and no one else, and if you let up and settle for speaking someone else's language then the world will miss out on what it is exactly you need to say and how you need to say it.

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