Magickal Vision: The Art of Jolie E. Bonnette

In the very shaky economy of the U.S., there are a lot of people who have lost their jobs or had their hours reduced to a point that they can no longer make ends meet. A good many people have taken up designing products on print-on-demand sites such as Zazzle, Cafe Press, Printfection and various others. There are also an increasing number of folks trying to supplement their incomes with the products of their hobbies on sites like EBay and Etsy. Now that we’re well into the season of holiday consumerism, I would just like to encourage everyone to support small businesses, independent designers and hobby craftspeople as you consider what to get the people on your holiday gift list.

What do you get the person who has everything? You get them something you’re not going to find on the shelves of every corporate retail outlet on the planet! There are thousands of designers and crafters offering items which are unique and, quite often, specific to particular interests and hobbies. These may be things which would really speak to someone on your list. The variety is immense with original art, up-cycled clothing, re-purposed items and hand made items with an eye toward being eco-friendly. Some items might be a little more costly and some might be cheaper than similar items in the stores. However, consider the additional incentive that the profit is going to a person and not necessarily to a mega-corporation that may be sending huge amounts of work to foreign countries, leaving less work for Americans. Also consider staying away from giving your family more technology which will draw their attention away from the things which are really important in life. While technology is grand, it has begun to come between us to the point that we no longer really connect on a human level. By considering these thoughts as you shop, you can get a unique gift and possibly help someone who may have fallen on hard times due to the downward spiral in the economy. Let’s bring the money back home and remember that sometimes the simplest things are the most enjoyable, shall we?

These two adorable anthropomorphic characters are now available on a wide array of merchandise in the Zazzle shop. Holiday season is coming and, if you have any anthro or furry fans on your gift list, the selection of skateboards, tees, mugs, tile boxes and other items may be just the thing! You can also check out the entire Creatures section to see the other anthro/furry art I offer.

As many people know, Leonard Nimoy has been focusing on his photography rather than his acting. If you haven’t seen his photography, you should take a peek. It’s very beautiful. So, anyway, I watch him on my personal Twitter account because I respect him as both actor and photographer. Well, this morning he tweeted this wonderful bit of wisdom:

“A thought: Love the art in yourself. Not yourself in the art.”

Indeed. You are a very wise man, Mr. Nimoy.