3 Considerations for Storing Documents and Files As a Creative
Artists and creators can generate a lot of documents, data and important info. Storing these key documents and other files is closely intertwined with a creator’s success and should be reviewed carefully. I’ve found my own system to “stay off the grid,” so to speak, and assembled this approach for you to find your own approach that works with your specialty and needs.
As a young girl, I was told to never put all my eggs in one basket. I learned a cautionary tale later on when I watched a behemoth of a businessman fail to diversify and stick with the “one” thing that was making him gobs of money. Some stayed out of loyalty, some out of ease. In one day, all was gone, there were no other “eggs” ready to utilize.
Variety of Options
What does the above mean? To me, it means that when it comes to all of the information that needs to be stored, variety is key. I personally keep some files on a general cloud system; this includes basic foundational info so I don’t lose everything if something goes wrong somewhere else. Then, I have a lesser-known, but well-established “cloud system” that is billed as a file-sharing company for items that need more security that I would need to eventually access. This system also allows me to choose when and how the link expires.
External Hard Drives
Most importantly though, for me, I use an external hard drive as backups one and two. Keep in mind early on in my career I ran a PDP 11/34. It was a fascinating system of minicomputers that I often felt I was in Space 2001 Odyssey. It taught me a lot about the relationship between technical data, humans and their co-existence (at that time).
External hard drives on average last 3-5 years depending on how they are handled/stored. So, one external is the master backup files, the second is the backup of the master. This may sound like a lot, but what would it cost you in time, money, and energy to rebuild everything that is hacked from a cloud or dies from a damaged hard drive where the info is unretrievable?
Recording System
Your system may look different, but I put W9s on the externals only. Birthdates, social security numbers and EINs are connected to you and should be protected to secure your identity, especially in the current cybersecurity environment and the growth of the AI technology industry.
The Rolling Stone Culture Council is an invitation-only community for Influencers, Innovators and Creatives. Do I qualify?
If you deal in bank account numbers and passwords to banking accounts, consider if you want that info in the cloud. Certainly, do not have them all locked under the same password. It is suggested to change them frequently (quarterly, or at least yearly).
What I’ve done is create a coded system, so all info is not written out. Perhaps a person’s name is just the initials on the document with the banking info and you reference another doc. It is up to you how much you want to protect your data. Since data is big business, you may want to practice safe steps now.
Looking Ahead
Keep in mind, your data is big business. When creating a new account on a new site, you may want to start using your email as a login versus connecting your social media account to use as your login. People are buying businesses for their data and technology. What you type, and choose to do, is valuable data and worth money. Your business is your business, so stop giving it away.
At a dinner with a friend, we tested this. He spoke about the Galapagos Islands and low and behold, an ad for travel to the Galapagos showed up on his phone (it was in his pocket).
There’s more to learn, and I’d like to explore more of how your data can be utilized in ways never considered before, but for now, consider your storage carefully to protect your work.