"You Can't Wait for Inspiration, You Have to Go After it With a Club."

- Jack London

I look at my work, I look at other's work, I look at sites on the web, I go to cafe's and look at what other artists are doing. I just can't sit in my living room and wait for something to come to me. If I'm not stimulated creatively, in my environment, I might as well forget it. I have to have other artist's work on my walls, color, my art on the walls...in order to be able to create. I look for new and inspiring pieces on the Etsy.com website (usually thinking, why didn't I think of that first! Ever feel that way?) I am never out to copy anyone, but to be inspired.

A new friend of mine and I were talking through Etsy's conversation access and she said, "Why don't you do a 'I'd rather be Pow Wowing' piece?" I thought that was a fantastic idea and did so. She liked it so much she intends to purchase it!

I can be inspired through someone else's suggestions. I joined an *ACEO promotion on Etsy the other day and in that promotion we will be challenged by the thread starter and organizer to create something from her suggestion. ACEO artists will be able to challenge each other and all is done in good fun, support and creative stimulation. Not to say that one of us can win all of the challenge art at the end of the challenge if the art hasn't been sold. Yes, that's right, you can sell the challenge it doesn't just remain dormant during the contest. Look in Etsy.com forums for the ACEO challenge soon to come!

*ACEO is an acronym for Art Cards, Editions, Originals. The only requirement is that it be a standard 2.5 inches x 3.5 inches. It can be made with anything as long as it maintains its standard size. ACEO's can be framed and hung on the wall, given to a friend as a gift, collected and traded as is done with baseball cards.
Go to Etsy.com and in the search toolbar write: ACEO and you will find MANY! If you prefer original pieces, write: ACEO original. ACEO's price range is anywhere from $1.50 to $25.00 (prints and originals are priced differently).

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