I was thinking this morning about who or what to write about today that would put you in a good mood for the weekend and my friend Marisa came to mind. Marisa Haedike, also known as Creative Thursday, is a thirtysomething self taught artist in L.A. who imagines cute creatures in her mind and then creates them for a living, in the form of paintings on wood to prints, clay figures, soft toys, bookmarks calendars, cards, and beyond. Her work is loved by many, great for all budgets, and especially loved by children and those young at heart.

With bright cheerful colors and positive character-filled work, Marisa seeks to infuse her personality into everything she does and since she is a happy person by nature all of her work reflects her inner sunshine.

In addition to her artwork, Marisa also posts a regular series of podcasts where she speaks openly about her inspirations and goals, and also interviews those whom she admires (the crowd is quite diverse). Other topics include indie crafts and how to make it as a independent artist. Her podcasts really inspire me, I visit her blog weekly to see if she has posted a new one because her encouraging voice and positive spirit are quite contagious.

If you'd like some of your own Creative Thursday, click here to visit her Etsy shop or here to listen to her podcasts.

(images from creative thursday)