State of the Artist 11/12/2012

View halloo, all! It's Monday, which means it's time for another State of the Artist update! :) Weekly Words Nothing is more apt to deceive us than our own judgement of our work. We derive more benefit from having our faults pointed out by our enemies than from hearing the opinions of friends. - Leonardo da Vinci, 1452 - 1519 In a creative field, in particular, little is more useless than glowing praise. Don't get me wrong, glowing praise gives you those warm fuzzies that always feel so good, but it does little for creative advancement. If all you ever hear is "it's perfect," especially if you hear it often enough, you will come to rest on that. Herein lies stagnation, the end for anyone intent on honing their craft. In truth, we gain more in the long run from criticism of a constructive nature. Key word there is, of course, constructive. Just as no one ever improved by hearing "it's perfect," no one ever learned anything from "I don't like it." It's not enough to declare, one must tell you WHY they don't like it. Sometimes, it's as simple as "it's not to my particular taste," and that's fine, but there is nothing to be done with that. But, sometimes, it's not that easy to explain. Sometimes, it's a more visceral response, but those kinds of responses always have a why. Without that all important WHY, there is no room to see where something might not be working. Current Project Still at work on this year's Holiday Card artwork, but pretty sure I'm nearing completion! Nothing like cutting it close to a deadline... >.< And yet, my Quality Control Supervisor (Panda) is keeping a close eye on my progress... the other day, he interrupted my work to enforce a Mandatory Cuddle Break. Beyond Panda, you can see my Tools of the Trade, otherwise known as my collection of Copic markers, which I'm using after the ink stage. Shop Silvertales If you've ever thought that my art would look great on a tote bag or a t-shirt, or you've ever wanted postcards or note cards with that certain piece on them, well, you're in luck! I've opened up a Zazzle store which features my artwork on all kinds of goods, perfect for gift-giving, or just keeping for yourself! :) http://www.zazzle.com/silvertales If there's any particular pieces you think would look great as a postcard, bag, t-shirt (or anything else you can think of!) let me know! I'll be populating the store with more products over the next few days (week/months/etc ... it's rather addictive,) and Zazzle constantly has deals and coupons to redeem, so check back often! In fact, today is the last day to take advantage of Zazzle's Verteran's Day Sale of up to 50% off cards, 30% off mugs, and 15% off all other products! I'll also be sure to post any coupons or codes Zazzle offers as they become available. Holiday Card Project This will be the last post regarding this year's Holiday Card Project Request, as the post will be closed to new replies on November 15th (this Thursday.) This is so the art can be sent to the printers and the cards shipped to me in time to mail them by early December. If you'd like to get a holiday postcard in your mailbox, please leave a mailing address HERE. Please only reply to the linked post, as comments there are screened for your privacy. This may also have to be the last year I offer Holiday Cards. This year has seen an incredible jump in the number of responses to the Request Post. While it is extremely gratifying to see such an overwhelming response to receiving these cards, many from people who've never commented in this journal before, it has also resulted in a prohibitively expensive proposition. I put forth this project as something I pay for out of my own pocket (and those kind souls who donate) in order to provide something small and special in people's mailboxes over the holiday season. That worked out fine when I was fielding up to 60-65 requests a year, but I am now sitting at over 350 (!!) responses to be mailed all over the world and, as an independent artist, I can no longer afford to continue sending out professionally produced materials for free. Please understand that while I love working on this project, and truly wish I could continue doing this, it's just not economically feasible for me anymore. If you wish, donations to the aid with the cost of production and postage are greatly appreciated:

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Thank you for joining me for another State of the Artist update.