“Somewhere in the world, the 2028 Olympic champion is a foal out in a field. He’s ewe-necked, sickle-hocked, downhill…
Posted by Lauren Sprieser on Sunday, 20 December 2020
Lauren Sprieser‘s Facebook post yesterday resonated hard with me. As a writer, photographer, or ‘content creator’ of any kind, it’s so, so common to see your work divvied up and reposted sans credit. Often, this is done with the best of intentions and not with the end goal of destabilising someone’s livelihood, but unfortunately, that’s just what it does.
So what can a creative do? Use huge watermarks that obscure their images? Put their stories behind a paywall? The thing is, we want the world to see, enjoy, and share our work, because we pour our heart and soul into it – but as a consumer of digital media, it’s up to you to ensure you share responsibly. Seen an article you loved? Share it from the source, so your friends click back to the original published article to read, ensuring the writer is given credit and the publisher is able to generate the ad-based revenue that allows them to pay their contributors. Love a photo? Share it from the photographer’s own post or website, linking back to their page with a credit. Don’t just save and repost or copy and paste – because by doing so, you help to dilute the connection between the work and the person who spent time creating it. Over time, that also minimises their ability to make money from their labour – a death knell for full-time, often self-employed creatives and the publications they work with.
National Holiday: It’s National Maine Day — big up for the weird place I used to live — and also National Homeless Persons’ Remembrance Day. This is a crap year for all of us, but particularly hard for those who are sleeping rough and having a hard time accessing resources. Consider brightening up your own Christmas by donating to your local food bank this week.
Your Monday Reading List:
UK readers, Christmas has come early: the BE fixture list for 2021 has dropped. Time for some well-earned daydreaming with an empty calendar, several coloured pens, and an absolutely enormous coffee to hand. Is this…a sense of normalcy? Weird. [Event Calendar 2021]
Remember Baz Luhrmann’s slightly odd epic film Australia? You’d be forgiven for not remembering the plot, like, at all — but you probably remember that it featured an array of rather lovely horses. Head behind the scenes to find out more about the illustrious equine cast, training Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman to ride, and Luhrmann’s insistence on saying ‘lights, camera, apples’ to avoid upsetting the horses. [The Secrets Behind ‘Australia’]
Christmas is going to be a bit of a different one this year, particularly for those of us in the UK who’ve just been foisted into tier 4. But how are the stars planning to celebrate? Horse&Hound gets the goss from Sir Mark Todd. [Mark Todd’s Christmas Day: ‘we fill ourselves up with food and feel sick for the rest of the day!’]
I’m currently obsessed with the story of the Pack Horse Library. This roving group of mounted librarians emerged out of the Great Depression and criss-crossed Kentucky, providing literacy opportunities to isolated families. You know what that reminds me of? Our gal Caitlin Gooch of Saddle Up and Read. [The Women Who Rode Miles on Horseback to Deliver Library Books]
If all this pandemic kerfuffle has distracted you from the ongoing Brexit nightmare, you’re out of luck. Now it turns out that grooms and riders travelling from the UK to Europe won’t be insured – and apparently, it’ll be very difficult to nail down any cover. Great. [Grooms and riders warned travel insurance may not cover them in Europe]
Showjumper Georgina Bloomberg has been battling a debilitating spinal condition throughout her career. Now, on the other side of surgeries, fusions, and intense physical therapy, she’s reflecting on the nature of injuries in equestrians – and sharing what she’s learned about letting your body heal rather than pushing through the pain. [Georgina Bloomberg: Finding Her Way Back to the Top]
Morning Viewing:
Someone find me a team of Shetlands, because this is my kind of good time.
