See I got this great Idea.....

I have been thinking a lot about creativity, ideas and collaboration. This all came out of a discussion that is being chewed over on a Science Fiction and Fantasy artist board where an author who is self-publishing a book wanted to have a cover done by a "real" artist for spending the time visually interpreting his idea, the artist will turn over all rights to the art work and all they can do is use the fact that they did this piece of artwork for this seminal work of "literature" (honestly I haven't a clue what the book was about or if it was any good). The schisms that appeared in the group were very interesting. It has dissolved down to "No you aren't understanding what I am saying" at this point. Personally I don't think that the artist should sign away all legal rights to the artwork. The whole thing just doesn't feel right to me.

I have been involved in all kinds of collaborations over the years, both artistic and editorial. I have worked with various licensed properties on both sides of the fence. I have helped new plays and new books see the light of day. I have created artwork for various projects that I have allowed limited right on. Collaboration to me pretty much follows the dictionary definition to work jointly with others or together especially in an intellectual endeavor.

Now I can't tell you the number of times that someone has come up to Peter and said that they had a great idea for a story and if they give it to Peter and he writes it up then they could sell it and split the money. To which Peter replies, "Please don't tell me." Ideas are a dime a dozen. The creative execution of an idea is where the work comes in. And that is where a number of people seem to get confused. If you do nothing with the idea other than think, "Gee, that's a neat idea" then be assured that someone else has had an idea like it and if they happen to write it up and sell it before you do then all you had was a good idea. I know I have had that happen to me before as had Peter.

I have a lot of friends who draw. They have lost count the number of times that someone has come to them looking for free art because they have a "good idea". Especially the comic book artists I know that are really good. They get inquiries all the time from writers who know that if they draw their comic book then the writer could sell it to one of the big boys and make them a lot of money. Not how it works kids or rather that is extremely rare (OK I know of one instant where that happened but the writer and the artist had grown up together and were old buddies).

I have seen it happen to doll makers where someone has an idea for a doll but hasn't a clue how to execute it. I have gotten it from people who had ideas for puppets again not having a clue how they would go about making the puppet but they are sure there is a way to do it. (I can remember a buddy of mine had to explain to a director who was directing a puppet show for the first time why the stage direction "picks up a book" is very hard to execute with marionettes unless the book is rigged a certain way and even then what the director wanted just wasn't going to happen.)

Ideas are good thing but it is what one does with the idea is where creative work comes in.

I am grateful when I can execute my ideas.