I recently ran across this 3D artist’s perceptions about moving from commercial to free, open source software.  I appreciated what I believe to be an objective analysis of the costs and benefits of commercial and open source software.  Sure, the commercial software has some nice features that you’ll have to live without…but do those really affect your artistic expression?  Probably not.  How much do you gain by moving to free, open source alternatives like the time you gain for artistic work when you don’t have to analyze the financial costs of upgrades, plugins and other up-sells that keep subtracting from your personal or professional budget?  I’m guessing most non-profits and churches identify closely with the author’s tension caused by  “[wishing] to conduct business in a legal, sustainable fashion amidst a struggling economy”.

There are many very full-featured free, open source alternatives to all of the mainstream art and production software.  Give them a try…you just might find that free is freeing in more ways than just in your pocketbook…

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