Creative Wisdom: Baby Steps

Take a baby step - into your creative place.

Right now - 

switch over to your photo files and choose one image that inspires you.

by Lainey's Repertoire

I found this vintage letter at Flickr Creative Commons, a great place for copyright free images. I think I'll punch it up a bit and make a new thermofax screen for my shop. I have a tutorial for working with photos to prepare them for thermofax images here.

If your files are anything like mine they are a mess. I can never find the photo I want because I end up just dumping the whole card to make space on my camera. I don't often take the time to sort. So if you gain a little momentum once you've taken that first step, go ahead and organize a file or two.

Copyright Free Images: The Commons at Flickr

In an ongoing effort to help you find copyright free imagery, or imagery with "no known copyright restrictions" here is another source.

The Commons at Flickr

Photomicrograph of Insect Wings

William Henry Fox Talbot (1800-1877)

Collection of National Media Museum

Photomicrograph of insect wings, as seen in a solar microscope.

We're happy for you to share this digital image within the spirit of The Commons. Certain restrictions on high quality reproductions of the original physical version of apply though; if you're unsure please visit the National Media Museum website.

For obtaining reproductions of selected images please go to the Science and Society Picture Library.

 No known copyright restrictions 

"Pancake" from the Burnfoot House recipe book, 1782 from the National Library of Scotland

According to the site's description of the rights statements:

Participating institutions may have various reasons for determining that "no known copyright restrictions" exist, such as:

1. The copyright is in the public domain because it has expired;
2. The copyright was injected into the public domain for other reasons, such as failure to adhere to required formalities or conditions;
3. The institution owns the copyright but is not interested in exercising control; or
4. The institution has legal rights sufficient to authorize others to use the work without restrictions.

Egypt: Thebes from the Brooklyn Museum

Supports going up after battle: National Media Museum

You might also like to explore: 

The Library of Congress

WikiMedia Commons

Bibliodyssey

Copyright Free Images: Wikimedia Commons

Another favorite site of mine for finding copyright free imagery to use in my artwork is

Wikimedia Commons

It is a vast repository of imagery available for download under creative commons licenses. You can find very old illustrations, vintage photography, and contemporary photography. 

Map of Ghent by Georges Louise Le Rouge

You can search through the site for all sorts of subjects.

Cowboys Branding a Calf

Hartmann Zebra