In the midst of the worldwide chaos that is life these days, I woke up this morning as I usually do. I turned off my iPhone alarm and began looking through the notifications that I received overnight. While many were rapid fire news updates about the Corona virus pandemic, one notification caught my eye. An email from Stripe about an overnight payment for a print order through my website. “Wait, what? Who is actually spending money in this shaky economic environment?” I mused while still in my hazy semi-slumber. I awoke and sent off an email to confirm what the collector had purchased, with an added thank you for the support in such a confusing and frightful economy. The response helped calm my nerves. “I have always planned for rainy days, and I figure what better time than now to redecorate my house. Plus I love your art and wanted to show my support, as I am sure it is needed now more than ever.”
And they have no idea how right they are. To say that the Corona virus pandemic and the resulting self-isolation and economic turmoil is hitting the pocket books of most of the world is an understatement, but there is no denying it hits some harder than others. Service workers in restaurants, Lyft drivers, tourism workers across the world…the list goes on and on. And of course, myself and my colleagues in the travel writing and photography industry. It has been disheartening to see some of my best friends post about all of the tourism work they have already lost this year, with no sign of the tide changing anytime soon. So I thought it would be a good time to highlight some of the ways you can help your favorite artists and creators stay afloat and inspired in this difficult time.
*Note* I reference some suggestions below in the descriptions, but will be adding a long list of wall art, books, and education at the bottom of this article as the days drag on and I get recommendations from friends!
Purchase Wall Art
Over the years, photographers have invested tens of thousands of dollars in our craft. From expensive equipment, education, and travel costs to capture the content, the initial investment to be a ‘photographer’ isn’t cheap. Not to mention the countless times we woke up at 3am and hiked miles in darkness (without the coffee we didn’t have time to make since we snoozed our alarm!) in order to get those spectacular sunrise photos that you enjoy on Instagram. So if you follow a photographer that you love, there is no better way to support them than by giving them the biggest compliment possible by investing in some of their artwork to grace the walls of your home or office. And like my collector said above, what else do you have to do for the next couple of weeks? Use this time to re-invent your space and invest in something fresh and new. If you are stuck inside that space for the foreseeable future, you may as well have beautiful art to gaze upon. And of course, I have some that might look nice! And I am offering all of my fine art prints at 20% off while we are on lockdown. Use the code ‘StuckAtHome’ at checkout! And as I continue to add to my print store, you can always send me a message and custom order any photo on my Instagram.
And FYI, this doesn’t just apply to photographs. There are plenty of amazing independent painters and graphic artists whose work would look bad ass on your wall. More links at the bottom!
Use Affiliate Links
Most of your favorite bloggers and visual creators have affiliate links, so when you purchase a product through their channels, they get a finders fee. For instance, did you know that anything, ANYTHING, you purchase on Amazon using my link, I get a kick back on? Or when I recommend products, like I did in my ‘The Ultimate Sony Camera and Lens Buyer’s Guide For Every Budget’. It’s literally that easy to support your favorite creatives in these times. We all purchase a ton through Amazon, so whether it’s my link or another creator you follow, use those links! Look, Amazon is going to do just fine through this pandemic. Do your part to help their profits funnel back into the hands of the hard working consumers (you know, the ones that actually pay taxes.)
Bonus! Many travel bloggers have travel affiliate links. So while you are in self-isolation for the next 15 days, start planning your adventures for when you are finally free using my Trip Advisor affiliate link. Ask your favorite travel blogger for their tourism recommendations and affiliate links and start booking your flights and hotels now while the prices are super low. Added Bonus: You will be investing in a very hard hit tourism industry.
Purchase Books
Look, there is no shortage of binge worthy shows to stream right now (I’m looking at you, Westworld), but consider spending at least one hour a day expanding your knowledge and keeping your mind sharp by reading. Book authors, like photographers, are mostly independent and make their income through sales, so purchasing almost any book out there is going to help keep them writing. And if you an aspiring photographer or travel addict, there is no shortage of books written by my colleagues that will give you motivation and inspiration to conquer the world once the madness subsides. Check out my friend David duChemin’s book ‘Within the Frame’ that has taught and inspired countless travel photographers over the years. And, duChemin sure knows how to pick a release date, as he new book ‘The Heart of the Photograph’ was released today!
FYI, don’t forget about coffee table books. They are great to thumb through and be inspired by, while also adding some conversation starters for when you are finally able to have company over again! Two of my favorites that have been on my coffee table for years are “Steve McCurry: The Iconic Photographs” and “George Steinmetz: Desert Air”
Read Blogs
The best way to help independent creatives without investing a single penny is to simply read and share our blogs. Increased traffic on blog posts help creatives rank higher in the Google Algorithm, which puts us higher in search results. The higher in search results, the more traffic we get and the more opportunities will present themselves when the world eventually gets back to normal. Plus, like reading a book, an informative blog can expand your knowledge and create inspiration for your future travel and photography projects.
Invest In Education
Are you just getting an interest in learning photography? Or how about painting? Or maybe filmmaking? Whatever your interests, there is a plethora of online education out there to help you improve your craft. And most of it is from independent creatives, so your investment in yourself will directly help them put food on their table. Do you want to become a better astro photographer and time-lapse filmmaker? My friend Michael Shainblum has some awesome tutorials…some of which are even free! Or, there is even small photography education companies like my friends at Pro Edu who are offering deep discounts to creatives on all of their photography, marketing and business tutorials. We have a lot of time to kill right now, why not invest in your future and support your fellow creatives in the process?
Stream Independent Films
Independent filmmakers create some of the best art out there, and unfortunately, not many people are fortunate enough to see it. So after you finish ordering art, reading your books and learning from your tutorials, sink into your couch and support the independent filmmaker community. Just one of my favorites that I recently watched is Eric Becker’s incredible documentary ‘Return to Mt. Kennedy’ which follows the lovable, 90s alternative rock character Bob Whittaker and Bobby Kennedy’s son, Chris, as they attempt to scale the remote Mt. Kennedy, 50 years after their fathers were the first to conquer the formidable mountain.
There are countless amazing indie films out there to watch, and each view will help these filmmakers continue to tell their stories when life returns to normal.
Sign Up for Workshops
Like the above mentioned online tutorials, why not plan to continue your photography education in person, in amazing locations around the world? Many of the world’s best travel and landscape photographers host a variety of workshops across the globe, yours truly included! Most of my workshops with The Giving Lens are centered around my work with Not for Profit organizations around the world, but I also do local workshops right here in the beautiful state of Idaho. And most workshop providers, such as my friend Colby Brown, offer full refunds on future workshops if you cancel within a certain time frame, or if the workshop has to be postponed, they keep your seat and work with you on the re-scheduled dates. This way of life isn’t going to last forever, so there is no better way to give yourself something to look forward to than by investing in yourself to become a better photographer in some of the most amazing locations around the world.
Stream And Purchase Music
Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande and Post Malone are still going to be rich when this all passes. But that’s not the case for smaller songwriters and bands who rely on small scale van tours, merchandise sales and digital streams to make ends meet. Take my buddy Ben Morrison’s solo project as well as his band The Brother’s Comatose. Their tours have been cancelled and all of the ticket and merchandise revenue for the foreseeable future has evaporated. All the have to rely on is the tiny stipend they get from digital streams on Spotify and the random online merchandise purchase.
Music is part of every aspect of our lives. These musicians pour their blood, sweat and tears into their craft that is embedded in our ears almost 24-7. The least we can do is buy a rad looking t-shirt while rocking out to their incredible music videos of their shenanigans in Idaho (made by yours truly!)
Sign Up For Newsletters
Most independent creatives (as well as big corporations) have no better marketing tool than direct access to your inbox. Sign up for your favorite creatives’ and artists’ newsletters to keep up to date on new adventures, work, music and products to invest yourself into. I can’t stress enough. Creatives need a strong mailing list. Feel free to sign up for mine!
Hire Them
As I mentioned, there is no better time to plan and invest in your future than now. Do you own a small business? Have children that are growing way too quick? Identify your needs and wants now, find a local photographer, graphic designer or artist and reach out to them. Let them know you what you envision, talk through the options, and make a commitment to them to work together once this blows over. A deposit on the work will be asked, but if something extra crazy happens that prevents the work from moving forward in the future, the creatives I know will be more than happy to work with you on a refund. Investing in yourself and using your local creatives to help you achieve your goals is a win win situation for all of us in the long run.
Ask Them!
Above all, we independent creators are just like you right now. Stuck at home with our dogs. While our human to human contact is limited, there is nothing to stop us all from conversing through Instagram, Facebook and email. Send us messages. Tell your favorite creative that you appreciate their work. Ask them how they are doing. Ask them if they have affiliate links, or tutorials or any other product they can offer you to help you make the most out of your self-isolation. Let them know that you are here to support them through this difficult time, just as we creatives want to help support you.
This is weird. We are all confused. This pandemic is scary, both in the terms of the health of us and our at-risk loved ones, as well as the economic fall out that will be felt in some way by almost everyone across the world. We can get through this if we work together and support each other in every way we can. I will say it again. Support. Each. Other. After all, what else do we have to do for the next 15 days?
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