Making stock pay

Few things polarise the creative industry more than the subject of stock. Some consider it merely another means of making money (with the added bonus of a possible lottery-style 'win' scenario should their work become insanely popular, leading to royalty payments), while others believe that stock serves only to stifle creativity and will ultimately lead to an unsettling state of affairs where individual commissions become increasingly rare, due to the sheer abundance of available stock.

The truth is somewhere in-between, and although there are negative aspects to stock, there are positive ones, too. "Exposure, mainly," suggests graphic designer Tom Muller. "Stock libraries sometimes operate on a different level to the individual, enabling a designer's catalogue to be seen by, or sent to, a large number of agencies and companies, which can open new doors."

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The Creative Bloq team is made up of a group of design fans, and has changed and evolved since Creative Bloq began back in 2012. The current website team consists of eight full-time members of staff: Editor Georgia Coggan, Deputy Editor Rosie Hilder, Ecommerce Editor Beren Neale, Senior News Editor Daniel Piper, Editor, Digital Art and 3D Ian Dean, Tech Reviews Editor Erlingur Einarsson and Ecommerce Writer Beth Nicholls and Staff Writer Natalie Fear, as well as a roster of freelancers from around the world. The 3D World and ImagineFX magazine teams also pitch in, ensuring that content from 3D World and ImagineFX is represented on Creative Bloq.