November 3, 2010

"Eighty percent of success is showing up."

Woody Allen

Recently, my main focus has been preparing my new ArtRocks paper line for this fall's craft and art shows. I knew that it would be a lot of work, but what I would never have guessed is that the most difficult part of all was finding a good printer (person, not machine!). I set out looking for a printer who would not only perform the task of printing my artwork, but would also care about the artwork as they were doing so. Who knew this would turn out to be the detective's equivalent of a successful moon landing.

Has it ever happened to you that you know that you need to get something done within a certain deadline, but the harder you try, the more impossible the task seems? What do you do? I know many thoughts went through my head. Why were these obstacles happening? Were they trying to tell me something? I didn't know if I should keep looking, or wait until next spring, and there were times I thought that I maybe should give up (momentarily!).

 If anyone out there is in a situation that sounds like this one, just keep trying! I thought of the great playwright Samuel Beckett, who said  "Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better."  A little persistence definitely paid off for me. Once I put aside the frustration, I googled printers  and took a chance on a company that I thought was too big for the job (it has a rich history in book printing). It turns out that after a receptive phonecall  and successful meeting, I knew this company was the one! That's what the gods were trying to tell me: You just haven't found the RIGHT ONE YET! 

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My printer is an awesome person with the right experience and a great attitude towards my work and his job. The prints of my artwork required countless hours to perfect and it took a special commitment by the printer to complete it. The job became fun and I never had a chance to feel like giving up again!

I am so pleased with the cards and art prints and cannot wait to share them with you!

Karen :)

P.S. Remember, you can vote up to three different times on three different posts for the ArtRocks Fall Contest! The contest closes next Monday, the 8th! Good luck!

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