random or not

There are some people who are able to meticulously add minute details to things in pursuit of perfection so their vision matches their artwork. I look at such things with awe and admiration and some anxiety. I know that I do not have that kind of patience and I do not have visions at that scale. So when I compare my visions and my art to that I wonder if I am worthy. But then I have the chance to do something like this right off the bat as a first time practice piece and I can be calm again because I remember detail and scale do not matter if the creation brings joy and those who see it have joy, it is all good.

Engaging in your arts community

For many reasons creativity should not be limited to the act of creation.
Creativity is really just a sharing of perspective as often as not. One of the things I love about a group of people trying to solve a problem is that someone will always say they have no creativity and they can't add to the solution, but as often as not these are the practical folks who pull reality into the conversation. "But what if..." are often the first words they have in response to someone else's ideas.
   Sometimes they get a reputation for the being the pessimist or the buzz killer, but as everyone stands around admiring the new stained glass window, they are the folks who ask important questions like how to protect this work of art and is there a way to avoid sacrificing the energy loss of not having a double or triple pane window there.

Getting involved in the creative aspects of your community doesn't mean you have to be an artist, or a novelist, or musician to still bring your presective to this world.
Serving on advisory panels, responding blogs, letters to the editor are good. So it taking the time to get to know your local art community by taking classes, visiting galleries and bazaars and art shows, what about teaching a class. maybe on something more mundane like basic book keeping, building safe and economical displays, or the ins and outs of particular computer programs.
You can become part of an artist's endeavors through support for your local arts council. Even if you are not an artist and don't have money for donations, maybe you can volunteer at an event.
As a consumer of art you are a valued member in the art community.

My creativity doing the hard work

I seem to have these almost separate worlds of creativity. One is this ideas gallery that is in constant flow through my brain. Then there is the world where I actually make or attempt to create some of those things.
Almost everything I make I do it with an I on marketing it. But this ends up creating a whole new set of creative challenges. Packaging and marketing also take creativity. its not enough to throw something in a plastic bag, hand letter a sale sign and throw a blanket on the ground.
Now its attracting customers through packaging and presenting items to potential buyers through as many venues as we can afford.
The important thing is to keep these costs in time and materials reasonable. It makes no sense to have the part the consumer throws away to have more value than your craft.
So I may start making this blog in part about the marketing of my projects.

It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that zing.

     An artist friend told me the other day that he has been surprised by the effort it takes to display his art. The time to mat and frame all his original work takes almost as much time as creating it. And as I take that in I realize that there is value in packaging as well as marketing. Because without an effective package or marketing scheme your chances of selling go way down. 
     So to that end I have been focusing on the packaging of my painted skulls. I am creating some nice, but low cost wood stands for them that make them stand out as works of art rather than just that cool thing that sits on a shelf getting dusty.
     This process is taking much longer than expect however as I have to dig my tools out of storage, buy the materials needed, wait for warm weather so I can do glue ups in my unheated work space and just generally find an hour or two where I can focus on this. It is the drudgery that we all detest, but I have hopes that it will help the sales.
And considering that buying a similar display would cost $35 when I can make it for $5 I can put in the effort.