Creator's Corner: Best Storytelling is Copied, Stolen Content? (or The Lighter Shade of Led Zeppellin)

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DURING MY STUDIES WITH AN AMAZING HEALING ARTIST, ENTREPRENEUR AND AUTHOR (Eleanora Amendolora of Sacred Center for the Healing Arts)--who has spent many years among the Andean Quechua Indian people in Peru who are descendants of the ancient Incans--I discovered their practical and spiritual relationship to AYNI (or reciprocity, exchange) in their culture.

THEY HAVE A DEEP ENDURING BELIEF IN AND VALUE THEIR CREATOR AS A MODEL OF GENEROSITY who cares for them. They offer and practice Ayni (reciprocity, exchange) as a form of gratitude and respect for the creative and abundant ways in which their Patchamama (Great Mother) provides and meets their living needs. They view Ayni as the basis for a peaceful and sustainable society. It is divine living, an intrinsic value component of their society. There is no take, take, take without giving back. It's unheard of. (Discover more about Ayni.)

Image Credit: EveryVowel.com

  Column Inspiration:

What Beyonce & Shakespeare Have In Common:
The Key to Creativity

ANYI IN THE MIDST OF OUR CREATIVE RELATIONSHIPS 

AS A TEENAGER IN HIGH SCHOOL IN MRS. JONES' ENGLISH CLASS where I learned and discovered my love for English Composition and Writing, I remember being excited by all the articles and books I read to prepare for reports on a variety of subjects. There were many times that I wanted to lift some of what was written to include in my reports, but would quickly shake it off hearing her voice saying: You must not plagiarize. The work of others is copyrighted. You must not copy and write anyone's word's as your own. If you do, it is stealing. If you steal, you will get an F. Still, I was tempted and had to fight my demon, driven more by fear than good conduct.

We'll look back at how the Internet allowed us to swipe from anywhere and any era. --Jon Youshaei

SOME YEARS LATER AS A EDITOR, GRAPHIC DESIGNER AND ART DIRECTOR, I ALWAYS KEPT A FOLDER OF TYPOGRAPHY AND PHOTOS cut out from magazines to inspire creative ideas for projects, always vigilant to get permission from the source if I wanted to use something that belonged to someone else, being certain to provide the credit due as per their instructions.

IN OUR CREATIVE GLOBAL LIFESTYLE CULTURE TODAY, WE ARE STILL REQUIRED TO HONOR COPYRIGHTED WORKS (in many situations) by securing the approval of the creators and adhering to their requirements for usage. We may use works for free that are in the public domain that meet certain time limit criteria or are of an unknown origin. We have resources like Creative Commons licenses in which the creators give us a variety of permission options to expand upon and provide use of their works by us.

Image Credit:
Chris Walter/WireImage/Getty Images

ALSO, WE HAVE A FORM OF AYNI--DIVINE LIVING IN PRACTICE TODAY BY BEYONCE, a top music industry professional. Her creative process includes taking and using existing content from others (dance, visual) and using it in her music videos. There is a new perspective in play now that doesn't view her actions as rip-off copy and paste behavior, but rather as copy with respect and taste (though everyone isn't in agreement just yet about it). So far it's working well for her with no lawsuits (unlike the band, Led Zeppelin, who had a lawsuit brought against them for the blockbuster song "Stairway To Heaven" by the band, Spirit--though the ruling was in Zeppelin's favor).
  

Image Credit: Getty Images

Column Inspiration:

 2016 Creative In Focus, Our Visual Trend Report
(Getty Images)

BECOME A DIVINE LIVING SURREALITY OUTSIDER CREATIVE STORYTELLER

LET'S CONSIDER TAKING A PAGE FROM BEYONCE WHO IS OPEN AND HONEST ABOUT WHAT SHE TAKES FROM OTHERS, who focuses on doing whatever she can to include those from whom she takes in her projects (whether it's one person or many), and represents one who is a divine living surreal outsider creative storyteller.

WHAT STEPS DO WE TAKE OTHER THAN AYNI-DIVINE LIVING TO BECOME this new creative force to employ in our businesses, organizations, and projects? 

• BREAKOUT FROM TRADITIONAL APPROACHES AND MODELS DESPITE POTENTIAL FLACK that you might receive from doubters or critics who aren't as courageous, and/or fear conflict or change. Demonstrate or develop your leadership qualities by becoming an outsider or rebel to stand out from the pack as an entrepreneur, solopreneur, mompreneur, life coach, spiritual coach, author, musician, screenwriter, singer-songwriter, content curator, content marketer, content strategist, marketing strategist, digital strategist, or whatever your role (Read Creator's Corner column titled Religion, Spirituality--Contrasting, Trending).

Image: Photo Babel/wearemb via Designboom

Column Inspiration:

 12 Designy Toys to Spark Your Creativity

 

• REACHOUT (WHILE YOU'RE BREAKING OUT) TO STORYTELLERS  WHO ARE COMFORTABLE WITH CREATING SURREAL CONTENT (or research and develop your own content). Immerse yourself in The Twilight Zone of life to get your readers, viewers, clients, customers, fans, followers, friends, listeners engaged in experiencing your content through close encounters of sight, sound--and when practical--touch and aromas, to take them beyond the ordinary emotional, mental, physical and spiritual experiences to the extraordinary. (Read Creator's Corner column titled Sacred Geometry--Visual Storytelling Content: One Of Top Four Creative Trends 2016)

WE ARE INDIVIDUALS OF THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE WHO LIVE IN A SHARED WORLD that reflects our values (or not); support innovation, imagination, and collaboration (or not); and some of us will chose to become divine living surreality outsider creative storytellers (or not). Whatever our choice, it's clear to me through all of the written and visual content I've been consuming and digesting, that we will either be behind the times, or be in step with the directions creativity and spirituality are already heading with or without us. 

1) Content Inspiration: What Beyonce & Shakespeare Have In Common: A Key To Creativity

2) Content Inspiration: 2016 Creative In Focus, Our Visual Trend Report (Getty Images)

3) Content Inspiration: 12 Designy Toys To Spark Your Creativity


MAY YOU DISCOVER MORE CREATIVE ideas and spiritual support now (and in the future) by exploring the Creativity & Spirituality Magazine, and previous Creator's Corner columns: Creator's Corner: How To Work (And Play) Well With "The Others" To Succeed; Best Visual Content = Storytelling Solutions via A&E Professionals, Lies & Storytelling: Strange Bedfellows in Shades of Gray; Best Storytelling Has Sensory Empathy (or It's Important to Engage the Senses), Get Up To Speed On Quality Do-It-Yourself Storytelling: On a Low Budget, Best Storytelling is Copied, Stolen Content? (or The Lighter Shade of Led Zeppellin), The Joy is in the Story Journey (or Mission Impossible), Best Story Content Grounded In Our Past & Current Life; Conflict Has Creative Value, Learn How To Use It; Card Decks & the Mystic or Visionary Persona, Here Comes Play-Doh, and Sacred Geometry–Visual Storytelling Content: One Of Top Four Creative Trends 2016.

Dare to shine, be generous, and love this life.

Valerie







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CREATOR'S CORNER is dedicated to sharing ideas that come to mind after reading and selecting articles for The Creativity & Spirituality Magazine (as the editor) that may be useful in a professional or personal capacity. Interest in creativity and spirituality as content for usage in arts & entertainment, media communications, marketing and advertising, and as lifestyle choices for businesses, projects and services (groups that have a way of life that may or may not be included in their brand identity), can be relevant to anyone anywhere in the world covering a variety of professions.