Zazzle Blog

Carol, aka Zazzler artmuvz, answers some questions about her art, her inspirations, and her time as a Zazzler. Check out the interview below and don’t forget to check out her store artmuvz!

Zazzle: What’s your inspiration for your designs?

Carol: Long answer to a short question….My degree is in art, with special emphasis on traditional art training in drawing, painting and lithography (printmaking by hand).  I was very fortunate to have extremely professional and highly trained teachers and professors. My traditional art skills established a solid base for my digital art skills.  My inspiration comes from my brain, which seems to be always on, even when I sleep. I wake up to some really interesting and unique ideas. In creating I have always been able to use divergent thinking, which is the ability to generate multiple solutions to a problem, rather than convergent thinking. My left-handed dyslexia also contributes to how I see things and how I compose. Dyslexia can be a good thing, it’s all in how you perceive it, whether blessing or hindrance.

Zazzle: What’s your favorite style to create?

Carol: The closest word I have found that describes my style is eclectic, which is usually driven by the subject matter that speaks to me when I am creating.

I create with the customer in mind. I ask myself, would the customer like, want, need?

Zazzle: Any artists you look up to when it comes to designing?

Carol: Since I am a long-time illustrator, I lean toward past master illustrators, and also anything to do with animals. Maxfield Parrish, Mary Engelbreit, Tomie DePaola, Maurice Sendak, Trina Schart Hyman, and most of the Caldecott Medal winners

Zazzle: What has been your favorite design you’ve created, and why?

Carol: I don’t have a particular favorite illustration that I have done. I enjoy creating anthropomorphic animals illustrations, animals dressed like humans, doing something human.

Zazzle: What got you interested in selling your art on Zazzle?

Carol: I started selling my art on apparel long before personalization PODs became en vogue. The best way to sum up how I came to Zazzle is the vintage phrase “out of crisis comes opportunity”. See crisis as an opportunity. There were major changes and ensuing crisis in another POD, I began at that time selling my art at Zazzle.  I like the ability to personalize products; it opens up a whole new realm of possibilities.  Zazzle has unique products, such as the new necklaces, iPad case, iPad case, ornaments, and the premium keychains. Zazzle business cards are very high quality; I use them for my businesses.

Zazzle: What tips can you give someone who is just starting out on Zazzle?

Carol: If you are just starting out on Zazzle, make the decision to get serious. Life is too short to do something unless you have a passion for it. Commit to a strong work ethic and put your heart into your work.  Make sure you love to draw and paint, and realize that you will work long hours. If not, find something else to do that does make you want to get up in the morning looking forward to what you do.  Also, use a spell checker. Learn to spell correctly and use punctuation properly. Spelling and punctuation can make the difference between amateur descriptions and polished professionally done writing.  Proofread for errors before you post in forums or on blogs.  What you write stays there, unless you have the ability to delete it.

Thanks Carol!

This entry was posted on February 10, 2011 at 4:07 pm and is filed under General News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.