Vivozoom Blog

Missing the “Extra” in your ordinary? vivozoom hopes to ignite your creative amore.

10th February, 2010 - Posted by admin - No Comments

credit: www.vivozoom.com/Trinette Reed

The only difference between “ordinary” and “extraordinary” is that little something “EXTRA”. Whether you are a photographer, illustrator, writer or designer, today’s creatives need to step up their game to remain competitive.  Hopefully these postings motivate you and ignite a creative spark.

Let’s start our courtship discussing the upcoming holiday of love thanks to the beloved St. Valentine.

For decades the public has criticized poor Cupid, that plump, arrow-wielding cherub of consumerism.  Cupid doesn’t rely on Twitter, Facebook or texting to reach the masses.  Cupid, armed with his cherished, mass marketing arrow, can coerce millions of people to spend billions of dollars every year on heart-shaped boxes of chocolates, bouquets of roses and mushy greeting cards.  Yes, I said billions!  I think we all would want a piece of that “billion dollar pie”, but do we need to sell our creative souls to get it?

Initially, Valentine’s Day was created to symbolize an individual’s personal affection for his/her loved ones.  So, why are so many consumers bound and determined to fork over all that cash for mass-produced and gift-wrapped amore?  How many times have we viewed shot after shot of a man standing in the doorway, holding a box of chocolates behind his back.  We all know the shots, because they flood the stock websites. Well, maybe it’s time to think outside that heart-shaped box and get creative.

Take a field trip to a local chocolatier and witness first hand some of the mouth-watering confection creations.  The colors, textures, designs and don’t forget the aromas are stimulating.  Before you leave don’t forget to sample a few chocolates (they are said to release endorphins, so consider it research).  Don’t have a local sweet shop in town – then watch one of the …And The Chocolate Factory movies (Willie or Charlie – it really doesn’t matter).  A psychedelic fairy tale is just what you need to break out of the stock mold and create something unexpected.

To the right of this posting you will see a few examples of how these vivozoom contributors escaped the ordinary and created EXTRAordinary.

Stacey Goldberg, Creative Director of the microstock company Vivozoom (www.vivozoom.com)