inspiration & musings

hens & chicks collective

someday h&c will get a job like this.

love it & this band.  check them out…Walk off the Earth.

xo. Sara

a (on-going) conversation…

Today this article has been floating around social media…it’s focus being on one of the (relative) new comers to the group…Pinterest.   Go ahead, read it, then come back here.

I’ll wait….

So I’m definitely not good at reading all of it, had to re-read the lawyer speak, but the gist is…when you use Pinterest, who owns your images or the images that you are pinning?  This more applies to my photographer & graphic designer friends who are in the business of making images, but it applies to us Hens & Chicks too… while we three are definitely not very aggressive at putting our work out there, (just check out how many time’s we’ve updated our website) we want to gain exposure & new clients, but we don’t want to be ripped off…or rip anyone else off.

As designers, we flocked to Pinterest at the beginning because, finally, an online inspiration board!  NO MORE having to trace your steps again to find that one image you passed by on the one blog, on that one day months ago!  hurray!  NO MORE files all over the place on your computer taking up space, NO MORE having to retrace your steps to credit those files!   I’ve used it for over a year now, and have slowly become more & more skeptical of it, or rather how I use it.  I feel like as a designer, while I originally used it for inspiration, I’m finding myself more comparing myself to the masses & having less & less original thought.  I’m glad I’m finally asking myself “why?”. 

So many people have so much access to the same inspiration now, I feel like everything I see is beginning to look the same.  I don’t see this as a good thing.  I want to challenge myself, and my chicks to step back from having loads of inspiration, and start focusing on my/our own originality. While I know, it’s good for us to be active in our use of social media, and consistent with it, I want to know we have the (original) work to back it up.

All that said, we Chicks use Pinterest as a way of sharing images with each other, and probably still will.  Especially if they make the ability to make boards private (please).   It’s an easy, fun site with beautiful images, I just want to make sure I’m using it for the right reasons.

xo. Sara

#FF

I am still a little shaky on how Twitter works.  All of the # and @ signs overwhelm me.  But what I do appreciate is the community it fosters for us creative folks.  And, in that spirit, here’s a little dose of what has been explained to me as meaning “Follow Friday” or, in tweet speak, #FF.  These are some wonderful forces in our personal creative community that inspire us and collaborate with us.  If you don’t already know them, you should check ‘em out!

Of course, if you haven’t already explored the pinata magic of Pinyadayada, check it out immediately!  Our very own Sara is making magic with cardboard and paper!

And a final treat for your Friday: Rue Magazine.  If you aren’t already a reader, you should be.  And be sure to check out the February and March issues… HINT: Hens & Chicks has some big things “b-rue-ing”….

XO, Shan