Photo Contest Entry Made "On a Whim" Wins Woman $5,000

Image © Jennifer Reddick, Winner of Kirkland Home's "Next Great American Artist" Contest

If you would ask me whether I am on the track to becoming America's Next Great Artist, I'd probably laugh a lot. Then laugh some more. In fact, I'd find a contest with a title like that pretty intimidating. Jennifer Reddick of Fayetteville Arkansas probably felt the same way. After all, she's not an artist, she's a kindergarten teacher. She doesn't have a photography degree - in fact, she's never taken an art class in her life. But when she saw that Kirkland was having a photography contest with a great prize, she decided on a whim to send in a photograph that she'd snapped at the University of Oxford while on a trip to England last year.

Jennifer's photograph competed against over 1,700 other entrants to become one of the ten finalists chosen by a panel of judges. Then 72,000 votes were cast online to choose her snapshot as the grand prize winner. Jennifer competed against artists and people with more experience, but it was her entry made "on a whim" that won. Jennifer will receive a $5,000 cash prize, and her photograph will be available for purchase in Kirkland stores.

Jennifer's story underscores the point I've been making about entering creative contests: the odds are good, the prizes are great, and the pride of winning is absolutely fantastic. Just like you don't have to be a professional photographer to take the top prize in a photo contest looking for America's Next Great Artist, you don't have to be a world class chef to win recipe contests, or a published author to win writing contests. All it takes is the bravery to give it your best shot.

For those of us who didn't enter, Kirkland Home will be running another Next Great American Artist contest this coming November, and there are plenty of great contests to enter today.

Related Articles:
Creative Contests to Enter | Reasons to Enter Skill Contests | Advice about Winning Contests | Finalists and Information about the Next Great American Artist Contest