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

Read the full post on why copyright-free images are important in your SoulCollage® practice >>