Week 7-Where do you as an artist and individual fit into the global competition and opportunities of the day, and how can you collaborate with other artists or designers globally?

I feel that there has recently been a trend toward moving the manufacturing industries to foreign countries, notably china. Less and less are the goods we buy produced here. However, they continue to be designed here. There is, therefore, demand for artists and designers. If goods are intended to be purchased here, they will continue to be designed here, because taste cannot be outsourced. So as far as a global competition goes, I feel fairly secure in my ability to compete. The collaboration portion of this question confuses me. I have not yet had an opportunity to “collaborate with other artists or designers globally”. I assume I would do so digitally, through email and by sending designs over the internet.