Art, Not Tattoos

When I was building a name for my handmade card business I was looking for a name that would encompass my cards, art, and photography. What did these three things have in common? How could I tie them all together under one brand?

I'm a list maker. I sat and made lists of words and combinations of words until I hit on something that really struck a chord with me. My art, my card, and my photography all had ink in common. It's kind of obvious with the art and cards that there is ink involved, but how did it tie into photography. While I realize traditional photography is developed, the way I was going to be using it, as a card medium, it would be printed with ink.

The inspirations came along kind of naturally as a bit of alliteration of sorts. Serendipitous really, because I wanted to inspire people to put art in their lives and in their mailboxes. I wanted my customers to feel inspired to share my work with other people in their lives.

While Inked Inspirations had nothing to do with tattoos, it is often mistaken as a tattoo parlor from the first glance of the business card. Something I have come to peace with and am willing to point out in repetition to people that I make art and cards, I don't ink people. 

All of that said, there is a piece of my art on the arm of someone very important in my life. She asked permission to take one of my pen and ink pieces and ask a tattoo artist if they could render it on her arm. The piece turned out beautiful and I feel honored that she chose to have my art on her body.

So while I'm a paper artist and Inked Inspirations is all about happy mail and affordable art, there is a tiny tie back to the world of tattoos.