Foundmyself's Honor System Lets Artists Sell Art Free

• 

Foundmyself art community

Foundmyself, an online art community that offers art galleries and selling tools to artists of all skill levels, runs entirely on the honor system.

(PRWEB) June 18, 2012

People living near a trusting shopkeeper might have the opportunity to drop a few bucks in a box and grab a piece of fruit or candy, with nothing but their good conscience to enforce the payment. This is a transaction based on trust - also known as the Honor System.

Now, artists worldwide can sell the fruits of their labor online using the same method.

Foundmyself, an online art community that offers art galleries and selling tools to artists of all skill levels, runs entirely on the honor system. From an artist's perspective, that means art sales free from commissions or subscription fees common on other sites. From the buyer's perspective, that means knowing that 100% of their purchase goes directly toward supporting the artist's creative endeavors.

But here's the catch: Foundmyself expects members to contribute when they find the site useful or make a sale. Since transactions aren't tracked, however, it really is a relationship of trust between the site and its members.

Members who do make contributions are compensated with "honor points," which can be exchanged on the site for benefits. Have 10% honor, for example, and your work will show up on the front page of the site. Starving artists needn't worry, though, as honor can be earned by participating in the forum and around the site, as well as through monetary contributions.

Started in 2003 by designer Trevor Hunt as a small side project, Foundmyself has since grown into a large but familiar community. Recently, the site underwent a major redesign.

Some of the new tools offered include standalone art websites, a drag-and-drop interface, and a "canvas" system in place of a traditional, static gallery page. What they call a canvas is essentially the artist's online face to the world, and can be customized with different layouts and widgets. Artists can add slideshows, newsletter sign up forms, and other features if wanted.

Foundmyself is betting on the idea that all good relationships are based on one key thing - trust.

PDF Print