The Art Give Away – Reasons

I think a few of my friends are under the false impression that because I am doing this SM art print give away that I’ve had a rejection to use SM lyrics and song titles in my art pieces from BMG.

Erm…chance would be a fine thing – of my EVER getting a response from BMG! Lol. Hell would definitely freeze over first! And this is the ironic thing. This is the thing that infruiates me about this WHOLE affair. 

IF it mattered to them – IF they were THAT worried about me making a FORTUNE selling things that they sought a profit from…would they have not got back to me by now? 

As I have said, time and again…I am SMALL FRY. I am not making a bloody penny from this, as it happens. What tiny bit I’ve sold on Etsy has been swallowed up by me giving away far more than I’ve sold, and buying more art materials. My profit margins on my sales are minimal. I won’t go into exact figures, but I would have to shift more stock than I am physically able to, to start to make the kind of money from it that I would need to see as a sustainable, supportive income. 

I have grappled with this since day one! Since I wanted to try and pursue this…future in art. The dilemma of wanting to make it something that I do full time, but make a living from it – or at least TRY to. There is such a…counterintuitive element to it. To want to be creative and artistic, but to try and sell it. I’ve never felt fully comfortable with it…but how do I make it work for me otherwise?

I’ve never tried to suggest that any of the lyrics I print in my pieces are MY words! I would never do that. It is very obvious, to anyone, they are Simple Minds songs, and Jim Kerr’s words (or co-written by him). He is always the focal point of every single piece. And I have never used any photographic copyrighted images in the pieces I have sold (or try to sell). I have used copyrighted images for some pieces I have done…but those particular ones have NEVER been for sale. I’d never do that.

So, no. The reason for the give away is not because of a “no” from BMG. If I ever actually hear back from them…I will be stunned. Perhaps, like many others would do, I should just ignore it and keep my stock on the Etsy shop? But I dare say that others would be watching me, and though the decision isn’t theirs to make, either, it would be frowned upon.

And…it is not how I want to operate. I am an honest person and do not want to do anything duplicitous. 

So…the reason for the give away is purely…I see no outcome happening. I don’t see any miraculous reply from BMG telling me it’s okay to do what I am doing (“Oh, it’s fine, go ahead! You make fuck all anyway. We don’t give a shit!” – like that’ll EVER happen!)…and if some miracle WAS to occur AND I get a reply from them…and by further miracle it would be a YES – well, I now have the means to print-to-order from home.

But…I see no outcome happening any time soon…and while that is the case, I have stock taking up room in my house, collecting dust. I don’t want them sitting around! And if no one wants to buy them (hey, but I’m potentially robbing BMG of millions, right?)…and I’m not able to sell them…I’ll give them away! (It’s amazing how much people love your art when it’s free!)

It’ll have me out of pocket…again…but I’d rather see them going to fans homes and adorning walls than just sitting around in a poster tube in a cupboard. 

I’d hang them up myself…but I don’t have the space and far too much Simple Minds merchandise up on my walls as is. (Can one have too many pictures of Jim Kerr on their walls? Is this even possible??? Lol)

So, in a nutshell. I just want them out of here, in peoples’ homes being appreciated and loved.