Documenting Covid19 - Supplies/Links

I saw @ wilsonwilsonorg on Instagram is giving away digital supplies for personal use for the next day or so. 

ETA sorry I didn’t see that you had already shared it in the original post. The IG hadn’t loaded properly! doh. 

Thanks for the Wilson Wilson share, nicolep and for Geralyn's freebies, pancakes.

It's becoming increasingly difficult mental health-wise over here. We are the new epicentre now, no longer "just next to it." It's really taking a toll and even taking a full 12h break from the news (which is definitely a luxury/special treat when things evolve so rapidly) isn't enough to help you reset your brain. My advice to anyone: if you're not yet in the new epicentre, prepare yourself also mentally for the worst. Make a schedule and look into activities that will help you cope with this stuff. After one week of being cooped up inside (city apartment sans balcony, terrace or garden) just when things started getting really bad, I can tell you that my joval happy-go-lucky attitude is taking a dive rather rapidly. And I'm the most prepared one out of all my social circles.

Journal, document, give yourself and your brain breaks too (online learning classes, podcasts, meditation, immersive reading, movie night, puzzles, board games, etc.) and prepare for such breaks if you're not yet in self-confinement because you'll likely be there in a few weeks' time. If you're in therapy, consider asking your therapist about phone appointments for your potential future confinement days. It's hard, y'all.

Happy to report that my SO's cousin and personal close friend is doing physically well after one week of quarantine. She's got one more to go but no symptoms so far! Any small victory counts right now.

Ali Edwards also has a freebie on her blog:

aliedwards.com/2020/03/word-art-to-help-you-document-your-stories-in-this-uncertain-season

In A Creative Bubble made some great journal cards - free download!

I’m going to document this event. Screen shots of both my kids schools announcements. College and high school. Pictures I took at the store because I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Various memes that I’ve seen related. I feel like I need to add this to my DD second year scrapbook. I have to fly out tomorrow and pack her up. Sad times for sure. She won’t see these girls again until the new year begins. You go away for spring break expecting to come back together and then this.

Connie Prince created a digital kit by customer request.

store.gingerscraps.net/Doctor-Doctor-Pandemic-Kit-by-Connie-Prince.html

Katie Pertiet has posted a set of digi brushes Katie Pertiet's blog

profit off people’s misery 👎🏻

In a Creative Bubble made cards you can get for FREE on her blog : inacreativebubble.blogspot.com/

So I started a TeachersPayTeachers store on Valentine's Day. I had only two products made and was excited to keep going. Then craziness hit. The teacher business group I'm in is all about "how can YOU help? But also make money?" As a newly retired teacher, making money during these hard times just feels so wrong! On the other hand, I do know how long things take to make. So if Connie Prince made this product because her clients requested it, she should totally charge money for it.

From a PR perspective, it's probably not the best idea to put out a big scrapbook kit that you charge people for right now. We are in the very early stages of confinement for Europe and some parts of the US where the vast majority of the potential purchasers are located. Several other designers have put out freebies so it might be better to jump on board of the free smaller/sample kit right now and then to release the larger one that will be up for purchase a bit later when the dust and all the negative feelings due to this major life upheaval have settled. 

Nope, I think it's totally fine to offer a full bundle and link it up in the freebie. I would just make sure that the freebie covers the basics/most essential stuff and that the full bundle gives your customers all the flexibility and variations they may need as the crisis stretches out in time (and our feelings + lives stabilise). 

Your not offering pandemic specific products for sale, it’s different in my opinion

weighing in on the freebie vs for sale aspect.

Artists have the right to make money from their art. Heaven knows, artists/creative people rarely make big bucks. We don't expect stores to give away hand santiser or loo roll? Why do we expect artists to give away their work?

YES - freebies are nice. But let's be honest - freebies are designed to bring in a paying customer whether it's a BOGOFree promo at the grocery store or a free journalling card set or digital kit from someone selling scrapbook supplies. They provide goodwill, good advertising, a sample of their work...but they don't pay the bills.