Open For Submissions!
So far, Duck Soup Designs is me. I write the greeting cards. From my head.
I subscribe to the thought, however, that creators are stronger when they band together.
Eight years ago, I took up pottery. It is a skill that has caused me more grief and more enjoyment than almost anything I've ever undertaken. (Writing is my #1 love, but it doesn't come close to the grief of pottery, even when I'm writing about grief!!)
But I think the single most fascinating aspect of the craft is synergy.
When we were taking classes, the teacher would demonstrate, say, the making of a butter dish. We would all watch intently as she created said butter dish. We each imagined making the butter dish in our minds, many of us miming the process with our hands as we watched.
Then it was our turn. I and my 11 classmates all sat down and delved into the world of butter dish making.
We sculpted. We molded. We shaped.
And then we embellished. And glazed. And - if you know anything about pottery - we hoped.
And in the end - almost two months later - we were all awed by the collection of butter dishes we had created.
No two were even similar. We had twelve completely different - and beautiful, and inspiring, and worthy - butter dishes. We could all recognize the imagination, skill, and beauty that went into each piece, even if it wasn't particularly to our own individual taste. And yet, they were all butter dishes!
And that is the magic of collaboration.
More minds not only make more content.
They make better content.
And they inspire each other to do more. They spark each other's imagination. They make the sum of the parts far greater than the whole.
And that is why I've opened Duck Soup Designs for submissions.
I know there are a lot of you out there with ideas. And greeting cards are fun and short and, in the grand scheme of things, not overly taxing.
Be warned, that getting wording just right when it's got to fit in the palm of your hand takes some doing. Like headlines, there is a certain skill involved in writing micro.
And the illustrations have to be eye-catching. (Take that as you will.)
But if you happen to be someone who's got a creative hand, and a knack for quick wit, sarcastic replies, and the right words, this could be a thing.
Check out the submission guidelines. They're long and tedious. But hey, for this to work, we have to be clear on the rules. Here's the link.
And feel free to drop me line if you see anything there that could use a tweak. After all, more minds make better content!
Alex the Creator.