While I understand both sides of the argument, “Copyright” vs. “Copyleft,” I definitely lean towards the Copyleft. There is a lot of creativity blocked off when corporations block people from being able to use the source material in their works. If you look at the internet now, it’s become so popular to take different source materials to create new pieces of art, such as mashups/remixes or cinematic edits. The success of these types of work can often benefit the original makers because the audience’s interest is peaked, and they go out of their way to find out what the original was like. However, there are cases where the new versions overshadow the ‘original’ versions, and then the new version is regarded as the original (as if it’s the only existing version). There is also the dilemma about money because I agree that artists should be appropriately compensated if their work will be used, as that was the original intention of copyright laws. Still, I also find it unfair to make that price threshold so high and inaccessible. Girl Talk’s first album would’ve cost him over 4 million dollars if he had gone the proper legal route, but that’s an impossible price tag. It’s a price tag like that that makes new-age creativity so hard to achieve, at least how it was in the video. Nowadays, I am glad that there are things like SoundCloud where people can upload their remixes to a platform without being charged with copyright infringement. There should be a better understanding from these publishing and record companies regarding copyright, but that’s not to say that everyone who takes from these companies is right; They should at least list what source material they use, like quoting in an essay.

“Instead of identical copies, a new media object typically gives rise to many different versions.” This is a quote from Manovich’s fourth principle, “Variability.” I chose this quote because what resonates with me the most about new media and technology is how accessible and vast creation can be. I look at TikTok, for example, as one of my creative outlets and also something I consume myself for entertainment, and I see how, although I and many others make videos with similar concepts or topics, the result comes out very different. And this is just within the same time frame. If we were to compare video content of now with videos from 10 years ago, there are major differences in results. Video lengths were different, editing software was not as easily accessible, and software features have advanced much since then. The advancement of new media and technology go hand in hand and it fosters more and more creation, as people are able to express their thoughts easier and it becomes more and more specific to the creator themselves.
On a more personal level, my own content varies greatly, with different intentions, like if I were to be making videos for a school-related account or my own personal account. I am able to link different things to the videos, and also algorithms will draw people toward the video while simultaneously linking it to other searches and videos, furthering the overall experience even more. I may choose to use more formal front texts in school-related accounts to make it more legible, but in my own content, I don’t have to be so formal and am able to play around with my options more. I am able to deliver different experiences with the touch of my finger. Overall, variability is the principle that I wanted to write about the most because of how easily I see it reflected in my day-to-day life.

1 matcha latte
2 digital camera
3 perfume
4 muji pen
5 metal card holder
6 lip balm
7 travel-friendly lotion
8 hand sanitizer
9 matching keychains
10 jasmine tea
11 blue jeans
12 running errands
13 apple pay
14 tomatoes
15 0.5x live photos

“Step One” was the section that resonated with me the most. I find that with many things, even outside of “art,” I hesitate a lot to start it. Before beginning anything, I’ll think about the process of starting it, usually in the middle of the night, and will even discuss these plans with friends. These plans can be simple or elaborate, but they usually fall through. Sometimes, it could be because I am too embarrassed or scared to fail, or I lose the drive I had the other night. But like how the passage says, you should not approach everything with being “good,” especially not immediately, and it is important to do. It definitely feels less pressuring to create things without having to achieve a certain quota, as I am currently experiencing. Consistency is something I want to strengthen more in my life, beyond just art, but art is a good way to keep myself in check. Stunting my growth as a person because of my aversion to taking action is something I want to attempt to amend.

Imitation is another excellent point brought up in the passage. I find myself referencing other people’s work in my own often, and it is a great learning opportunity to figure out how someone else created something by replicating it. My own flair is still obvious in my work, though, usually through color choices, font arrangement, or music. Imitation has also helped with my confidence because I see how more people will accept my creation, but that isn’t my drive to make something. Bringing it back to needing to just “do art,” I also liked how Lesson 4 says to do it and not to fixate on what will be understood. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and everything is up to interpretation; there will be something that catches someone else’s eye in your work that you may not have even intended, but that’s still a good thing because you still caught their eye.

:9