Artistic Medium - Top 10 Rules

I struggle sometimes with focusing myself on an artistic medium when I have an idea for a project in my head. Will I get my message across better in a beaded piece of jewelry, a photograph, a drawing, etc....?? Being a project manager by day, I make lists and think about steps that will help me move a project along. The same can go for when I am creating.

Top 10 items to consider with figuring out your medium:

• What medium "speaks" to you at the time and for the message you want to convey?
  
• What is your mood at the time? Do you need something that you get your hands dirty to help you enter the artistic creative state?
  
• Do you want to enjoy the process as much as the outcome? Some mediums are "quicker" for an outcome than others.
• Is the artwork for you or someone else? When it boils down to creating art, it is mostly for the artist, but are you choosing to give as a gift or such?
• Is there a type of medium that gets your creative juices flowing more than others?
  
• Do you want to try something new? Are you willing to learn something new?
  
• Is cost a factor? You don't want to squelch your creativity with trying to create a piece of artwork with wanting to do it in a medium that you can't afford to do it in.
  
• Durability - that may sound weird, but do you want the piece of artwork to be touched, handled, worn?
  
• Have you considered your audience? If you are creating something for a child for instance, you may create in a different medium than you would for an adult.
  
• When you think about creating, what do you think of using as your medium? This is pretty simplistic, but I know when I think about creating art, I have visualize myself doing it.
  

Now go forth and create!