Jeanette Smith of Character Matters explains how the business of licensed artwork functions, and how artists can take advantage of licensing to build a sustainable and wildly successful business like those of painter Thomas Kinkade and cartoonist Scott Adams (Dilbert).

In this full-length version of an interview conducted at the SEA 2008 conference, Jeanette Smith and Tom Wilson of Character Matters field questions related building a life and career as an artist, building and sustaining a brand, and the in and outs of licensing your work.

Panelists Jeanette Smith, Benjie Hughes, Elizabeth T. Russell, and moderator Matt Boresi share their experiences creating and operating their websites, discussing the mistakes they’ve made and the ways in which their sites have benefited their respective businesses. Related topics include hiring a web development team, maintaining websites and blogs, and protecting copyrighted material and privacy on the internet.

Panelists Beth Russell, Jeanette Smith, and Benjie Hughes discuss the evolution of the internet and the inevitable migration to the mobile phone format. They also point out that the archiving technology currently available on search engines makes nearly all internet content “permanent.”

Jeanette Smith of Character Matters discusses how she gained entry to the world of licensing artistic works, and why licensing is a key to building lasting success in a career built on artistic works. She illustrates her points with examples from her roster of clients, including Scott Adams, the creator of the very successful licensing property Dilbert.

Cartoonist Tom Wilson discusses some key aspects of the artist-manager relationship, that both sides must mutually focus on in order to create a strong and open working relationship.

Jeanette Smith of Character Matters explains exactly what licensing is and how a licensing deal works, demonstrates why the fundamental principles are the same no matter what field you're in – whether books, cartoons, services or music – and reveals why licensing your talent or work can be a lucrative key to an enduring career.

Panelists Beth Russell, Jeanette Smith, and Benjie Hughes define content management and describe some of the tools that are currently available to modify website content without the assistance of a developer.

Jeanette Smith of Character Matters discusses licensing in the context of works of art (as opposed to book publishing, fashion, etc.), and how this business works in the USA. She discusses the income opportunities, who has the power in a licensing relationship, how the business of licensing is changing as today's retail marketplace evolves, where licensed art sells, and more.

In this segment of a panel held at the SEA 2008 conference, Jeanette Smith of Character Matters gives a handy and concise explanation of exactly what licensing is, and how to find out more about the field.

Panelists Beth Russell, Jeanette Smith, and Benjie Hughes explain the various functions of an artist’s website, from creating a point of contact with customers to exhibiting products and services.

In this segment of a panel held at the SEA 2008 conference, Jeanette Smith and Tom Wilson of Character Matters, LLC discuss how to approach and foster a child's creativity.

Panelists Beth Russell, Jeanette Smith, and Benjie Hughes outline some of the important factors to consider before beginning the process of creating a website. They discuss methods for choosing a design style based on your target audience, choosing a domain name for the site, maintaining copyright ownership of the content, and creating a clear call to action, as well as search engine optimization, meta-tagging, and other technical concerns.

In this segment of a panel held at the SEA 2008 conference, Jeanette Smith and Tom Wilson of Character Matters, LLC discuss the factors an artist must take into account when approaching the question of licensing their creative works for the first time.

Panelists Beth Russell, Jeanette Smith, and Benjie Hughes offer advice on assembling an effective team from the vast pool of web designers, developers and hosting companies that offer their services to small businesses and individuals, and suggest some criteria such as site complexity, budget, and maintenance needs to aid in the decision-making process.

In this segment of a panel held at the SEA 2008 conference, Jeanette Smith and Tom Wilson of Character Matters, LLC discuss the reasons why an artist might need an agent, what qualities are important when trying to choose an agent, how to find an agent, how to evaluate a contract (in general terms), and when you need a lawyer to help you review your contracts.

Panelists Beth Russell, Jeanette Smith, and Benjie Hughes discuss the pros and cons of handling website creation and maintenance. Russell, who currently maintains her own sites using a hosting company’s template, explains how to determine whether or not this method may be suitable for others. The panelists also share their experiences using software such as Dreamweaver and Adobe Contribute.

In this segment of a panel held at the SEA 2008 conference, Jeanette Smith of Character Matters, LLC discusses how the licensing of creative works at the national level may differ from regional or international licensing.

Panelists Beth Russell, Jeanette Smith, and Benjie Hughes address an audience member’s concerns about protecting her copyrighted artwork once it is published on the internet. They discuss the various precautionary measures, such as encryption and watermarking, that can be implemented to deter site visitors from stealing an artist’s work, but warn the audience that there is a certain level of risk involved in internet publishing.

In this segment from a panel held at the SEA 2008 conference, cartoonist Tom Wilson discusses the ways in which cultural differences between nations can affect how your artistic works are perceived, and why it’s important to have a skilled and knowledgeable agent when seeking to license your works for international release.