Why Use Royalty-Free Images for Your SoulCollage® Cards

The most essential requirement for SoulCollage® cards is images. You will want an abundant assortment of diverse images including places, people, animals, objects and backgrounds. There are two different approaches to images and it’s important to understand them both ►

1. The traditional way that Seena Frost used to create the process
2. The “copyright free” approach that addresses the changing landscape of copyright due to the internet.

The internet has changed a LOT since Seena created SoulCollage® and it’s changed a lot of things with it… our interpretation and understanding of copyrighted imagery being one of them. The general rule of collage was that changing an image by 51% was enough to consider it to be a new and unique piece of art – thus the famous Picasso collages.
With the introduction and prevalence of Social Media, photographers and the agencies that represent them want to ensure the protection of their work. The interpretation of copyright laws now lean towards a more rigid application. The general approach is that there is no “edit enough and it’s okay”. You would need to to edit to the extent that the original image(s) are completely unrecognizable. And, at that point, what’s the purpose of using the imagery to begin with?
Officially, SoulCollage® is grateful to the artists and photographers who make this deep awakening process possible. SoulCollage® seeks to be respectful of their rights under copyright law. In addition, SoulCollage Inc. teaches:

• SoulCollage® cards are not to be copied, sold, traded, or bartered. SoulCollage® cards are for personal use only.
• SoulCollage® cards may only be copied by the card maker to provide a backup for their own original deck of collaged cards in case of loss. The SoulCollage® App may be used as this sole digital back up.
• SoulCollage® cards are to be shared publicly only when sharing one’s own personal process.
• Public posting of SoulCollage® cards made with copyrighted images may be in violation of copyright law.
• It is advisable to collage cards from copyright-free images for posting publicly and marketing.
• As a community we share our cards responsibly, in order, 1) to protect the rights of those who create our images, 2) to protect ourselves, and 3) to protect this work.

SoulCollage® is more than just creating cards, individuals are encouraged to share their SoulCollage® cards in community. Sharing your personal process with others, showing your cards because of personal reasons, and building intimate community is one of the most powerful and joyful elements of the SoulCollege® process.
Cards made with found images such as magazines contain copyrighted imagery. You can *not* post images of these card online or on social media platforms. I use these types of cards offline, in my personal collection. I use them in readings, in community, when teaching SoulCollage® and I only share them online in my courses to describe my SoulCollage process.
If you would like the traditional approach to SoulCollage® that Seena described in the video here, you are encouraged to keep these cards private and offline.
These types of images can be found in a number of places:

• magazines
• books
• greeting cards
• calendars
• photographs
• scrapbooking paper designs
• rubber stamps
• catalogs
• brochures
• travel brochures
• junk mail

It’s impressive now how every bit of unsolicited “junk” mail that comes in the door is a gem for the SoulCollage® pile!
Used books stores are a treasure trove of inexpensive travel and photography books that contain amazing images.
More and more you will begin to see potential images for offline cards everywhere!
And that brings us to…

Cards to Share with Copyright Free Images

When cards are shared publicly, online, in social media or when cards are used to advertise or market workshops, this is a different thing, and using copyright – free images would be best, because social media, advertising and marketing are not an “exhibition” to demonstrate the work, neither are they personal sharing for personal process.
It is worth noting that your entire stream of social content is viewed as a collective whole in terms of advertising. Posting 15 pictures of your cards over time to a social media platform using found images to showcase your SoulCollage® process and then, a few months later, posting one image of a card using “free-to-use” images to market an upcoming workshop draws all your images into your marketing portfolio. All the images on that particular platform are now considered part of your advertising strategy.
If you intend to post pictures of your cards to social media or to use them to market, using a collection of “free-to-use” copyright free or public domain images would be best. These images can be found at:

• http://negativespace.co/
• http://deathtothestockphoto.com/
• http://picjumbo.com/
• http://stokpic.com/
• https://freerangestock.com/
• https://unsplash.com
• http://www.pexels.com/
• http://nos.twnsnd.co/
• https://pixabay.com/
• http://www.getty.edu/art/
• https://images.nasa.gov/#/