this post comes from Paula Lewis of Scorched Eyebrow Studio

I love being an artist.

I also love top ten lists, soooooo

Ladies and Gentlemen, with a wink at Dave Letterman and an enormous nod to Sarah Bush, a superbly talented artist and gifted and generous writer, here are the:

Top TEN reasons to buy original contemporary art

10. Bring yourself into your décor.  Surround yourself with art that speaks to you and of you. You are unique, so why would you settle for the PierWhatever/BullseyeBox  carbon copy stuff?

9. Assure your place in civilization by supporting the Arts.  Bonus: by buying from local (and there are fabulously talented people in your community) artists, you stimulate the local economy directly.

8. Develop your own collection.  Art is lots cooler to collect than stamps or coins and when you collect contemporary art, you can collect artists as friends- and we are a very cool group.

7. Make your neighbors jealous.  All of them will wish they had your self-confidence and sense of style!

6. Connect with your deeper self. Buy original work that speaks to you emotionally, not because it matches the couch. (NOTE:  It’s okay if it happens to match.)

5. Feel less like a cubicle-dweller and more human by surrounding yourself with art born of real live passion and creativity – art  made because the artist was moved to do it, not paid by the brushstroke.

4. Tap into the mystery of the muse.  There is something magical that happens within artists that often pushes them beyond their initial vision; share that wonder.

3. Learn something new.  Exercising your mind is healthy and realizing you are developing your eye for quality, style, talent while you’re having fun looking at art is a real kick.

2. Honor your inner creative spirit.  We all have the need to express ourselves.  Twitter, Link’d In, board meetings, and lawyers are not sufficient.  Express yourself visually by living with art you love. Get back in touch with your own creative self.

1. Delight in the presence of art that “you get” and realize that the art “gets you!”

You may also enjoy: top 10 reasons to shop local and shop handmade. | Buy Handmade, Buy Local: Mew Gallery (Philadelphia) | why buy local? why buy handmade? |