At the beginning of the year, I had a strong urge to start reaching out to fellow creators to talk about possible avenues for collaborating together. Somewhat to my surprise, I must admit, the response was overwhelmingly positive. But then I realized that they were like me and wanted to challenge themselves working in a new artistic field -- bouncing ideas off of one another is not only fun, but is generally a helpful and inspiring exercise. It can facilitate the production of new ideas and directions in your personal work. Never a bad thing. I love painting and drawing, but I am sincerely interested in exploring all art forms as well as having the opportunity to learn from someone else who has mastered their craft. I found it liberating to step outside of my comfort zone to try something new while keeping my overall aesthetics present in the work. As an artist, I think it is essential to not only be knowledgable and appreciate your own chosen field, but also that of others. To nurture, cultivate, and show solidarity within the art community as a whole is essential to the future development of the arts. I encourage the practice of collaborating with fellow artisans as a step towards personal growth and discovery. Never a bad thing