6 smart ways to keep your creative work personal, private and protected

As a creative you will constantly be trying to protect your work from being copied or rehashed by others in your industry. It can be quite difficult to keep tabs on your work, especially when your workload is ever growing.

When it comes to protecting your rights as a creative there are a number of things you can do. From hiring an attorney to labelling all of your work with a copyright symbol, these are some of the measures you can go to so that your hard work never ends up in the wrong hands. There are a few others way that you can keep your creative work personal, private and protected, so consider some of the following methods so you don’t have to deal with any avoidable issues in the future.

1. Improve security levels on your technology

When you communicate with your clients online, how do you know they are legitimate? Identity theft is on the rise so it can be very difficult for you as a business owner to judge who is who when you carry out a lot of your transactions over the internet. Somebody might claim to be one of your clients, or even one of your employees, but you might be putting your data at risk by trusting them. You can improve your strategies for verifying identities with the help of the latest technologies; look into an enhance authentication solution so that you can quickly verify the digital identities of new clients and existing users. With this additional safety measure in place, you can be sure that your work is safe from prying eyes.

2. Avoid working in collaborative work spaces

You would be surprised at how many peering eyes could be looking over at your computer screen when you are working hard on a new creative piece. Many creatives have the freedom to work remotely, but be careful about who is around you. Working in a collaborative space or a coffee shop might seem ideal, but you never know how secure their networks are or who is looking over your shoulder as you work.

3. Be wary of social media

It can be tempting to post all of your ideas and new creations onto social medial; if you are proud of a piece of work, why shouldn’t you flaunt it? However, social media posts can go viral at an alarming rate, even if you delete the original post soon after. Keep your social media activity on the down low and don’t share any information that isn’t already public knowledge when it comes to your business.

4. Use branding to your advantage

If you have a brand logo or image, you can use this to your advantage when you want to protect your work. A watermark or signature on a creative piece can make it difficult for others to rip off as their own. Consider how you can add a hint of your brand into every piece of work you produce.

5. Only share with those you trust

It is very important to keep your innovative ideas to yourself, especially in the creative industry. Don’t share any of your ideas if you don’t completely trust the person you are talking to. If they beat you to the concept, you will be kicking yourself about sharing this private information with them.

6. Be quietly confident

If you brag about your successes and upcoming business ventures, it is likely that you will face disappointment along the way. Don’t shout and scream about your upcoming clients, because you never know when something might fall through. Quiet confidence is all you need when working in the creative sector; this speaks volumes for your success rather than opening up too much about your achievements.

So take pride in the creative work you do and ensure it never gets into the wrong hands by improving your security levels, keeping your ideas to yourself and steering clear of posting your work on social media. You deserve the credit and financial returns for your work so don’t let it go to waste unnecessarily. Although these measures might take a lot of thought in the beginning, they will easily prevent you from becoming a victim of fraud or copyright scandal. As a creative you are justified to take special precautions to keep your hard work safe and sound, so put a few of these extra measures in place and you can have complete peace of mind.