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VISUAL CREATORS
For your artistic side.

🦒 Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards

The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards—yes, there’s such a thing—released a sneak peek of this year’s entries, and they’re wild.

It’s the 10th year of the contest, which started as a laugh between two pro photographers, Paul Joynson-Hicks and Tom Sullam. Now Nikon’s on board, and the whole world’s invited, with free entry and prizes like an African safari and top-notch camera gear.

The annual contest is open to all photographers and free to enter, this contest is all about laughing with the animal kingdom, not at it – this year, they expect more than 10,000 entries.

They’ve raised £20 million for conservation efforts since 2015 through the Whitley Fund for Nature, chipping in for conservation and sharing a chuckle with the planet’s cuddliest, craziest critters.

If you're in London this December, don't miss the exhibition—it’s wildlife with a sense of humor.

PRODUCTION MASTERY
The commercial aspects of creativity.

💰 Arts Sponsorship Under Siege?

"A cultural funding model that made James Bond possible is under threat" writes Martin Prendergast in The Guardian, noting UK arts funding is a mix of public investment, box office returns, and sponsorship.

After protests led investment firm Baillie Gifford to drop sponsorship of book festivals, industry insiders are sounding the alarm on the future of arts funding, saying that pressure from Fossil Free Books activism could make corporate backing seem "too risky."

Unlike the UK, many European countries heavily subsidize their arts, making tickets pricey and prompting concerns about audience diversity. Meanwhile, government funding for the arts in the US is minimal, leaving organizations heavily reliant on philanthropy.

Martin Prendergast, director of the European Sponsorship Association, warned against “damaging the long-term health of the arts” and called for more “visionary corporate sponsorship.” As protests grow in the UK, there’s a fear arts organizations will struggle to balance budgets.

Martin argues that public campaigns pressuring investors to divest from fossil-fuel-linked arts partners threaten to squeeze already-strained budgets further.

But critics argue that corporate ties can stifle creativity and compromise values. The debate over who should foot the bill for culture is intensifying.

CREATOR ECONOMY
Navigating the digital creative world.

💌 IG’s New Focus: Make Content They'll Send

Instagram’s CEO, Adam Mosseri, says creators should focus on making content more shareworthy.

He says that with more people engaging in DMs than with regular posts, IG’s algorithm will boost content that's more likely to get sent to friends via DM.

A Harvard Business Review study found that high-arousal emotions (like anger or happiness) paired with low-dominance emotions (like fear) drive comments, while high-dominance emotions (like inspiration and admiration) drive more shares.

Mosseri’s share-focused advice aligns with Meta’s push for more positive user experiences— it recently limited politics and news content on its platforms.

As for IG’s users, many have spotted the new “sends” display counts, showcasing just how much Meta wants DMs to matter.

🔥 Press Worthy

📽️ VISUAL CREATORS

AI tools are sparking another debate for creatives. Some fear that relying on AI makes us lazy; others see new creative possibilities. Let's see where this goes!

Samsung drops 3 new smartphone cams; 200MP telephoto, 50MP dual-pixel, & a 50MP with hardware for all angles. It promises a “consistent photography experience” across all smartphone cams.

📈 PRODUCTION MASTERY

Photog-filmmaker Robert Lang's debut film, "Mind, Body & Soul," was a DIY dream with a sub-$20k budget. He's the Swiss Army Knife of the project, handling producing and editing. And get this: it's got distribution through Indican Pictures and a nod from the Satanic Temple.

Fujifilm's CEO, Teiichi Goto, acknowledged that creating deliberate supply shortages is a tactic to create brand power and keep prices up, taking cues from Leica.

🎭 CREATOR ECONOMY

In 6 years, TikTok morphed from an unknown Chinese app to a dominant force in consumer culture, sparking a cottage industry of micro-trends that's upended how young people engage with fashion, food, and even face care. Will TikTok’s hold on pop culture last?

Threads has 175M monthly users but lacks influencer engagement. Confusion reigns as it struggles to define its purpose a year after launch.

📚 Learn & Grow

📽️ VISUAL CREATORS

• Try this ordinary tool Dali and Man Ray used to jump-start their creativity

• The Revisions That Make Us Human

📈 PRODUCTION MASTERY

• A new wave: why Chinese artists and gallerists are increasingly heading to Japan

• How creatives can leverage photo management to boost their careers

🎭 CREATOR ECONOMY

• How apps & AI are transforming Meta’s advertising ecosystem

• Coming redesign of Elon Musk's X will get rid of... a lot