This is the second time I'm addressing this since it's come to my attention with increasing number of "Horse Pictures" or HPs I call them.

As an example here's a stock picture I have. Probably the most popular one.


This stock image has several hundred comments with "I used this here" links. If you check out several, you'll definitely run into a Horse Picture at some point.

Before I start I must add this: I enjoy seeing pictures made with my stock pictures. Some of them are wonderful, some of them are ugly... but that's ok. It's great practice of art. Sharing is caring. Community grows with care and respect. People grow with understanding.

So as I look through a bunch of images, I end up seeing lots of Horse Pictures done by various people. Ok, what's wrong? Answer: I'm bored of them. I'm bored of them because I get so many of them per month.

It's not that I hate horses or anything. Horses are a fine creature. They're awesome. Especially zebras. But with at least 2 or 3 out of 5 images being Horse Pictures, I get bored of the subject matter pretty easily, even if they look great.

Listen, I understand some of you love horses. Thanks for sharing your love with us. But there's something better than that. I've been working for quite some time now, I get paid to explore art, but at the same time I do lots of things for nothing. I enjoy art, and I enjoy making pictures. I explore the world with art and I discover new things. Things that might be ugly, brutal, or beautiful.

I presented the stock image as means for you to be creative and to explore the world for new things. I also wanted to see what people would do with such a sky photograph. Now, I'm stuck because I don't see much progress beyond horses and human figures. I see how the image is "fitting" and I encourage you to make more where you please. However, I'm seeing that this stock image is hitting the end of it's creativity.

So why not a whale? Snail? Ants, bats, dolphins, caterpillars, a comic book, story, animation? I can imagine all sorts of great things that may come out of this one image that I submitted to deviantART.

Allow me to summarize my points:

1. Horse Pictures are OK. I was just getting bored of them.

2. I encourage more creativity. I was expecting to see a variety of things happening. I just didn't.

3. I'm very demanding when it comes to art.

4. I still encourage you to use the stock pictures freely, though keep in mind the things I mentioned.

While this journal will probably NEVER make a difference, and I do see that, for those who have read, you're probably thinking about it. That's a small change. And that's a good thing.

Regards, awesomeness, with care and respect,
-Skybase