Interested Mama Questionnaire

So I'm starting, veeeeery slowly, to get "cold calls" trickling in of interested parties who found me on google (and can I just say ZOMG I'M ON GOOGLE because we know how tricky that can be - I apparently come up the second hit for my area, so yay).

Anyway what I'm finding is that unless the mom has seen something on my gallery or online that she wants an exact replica of, she often has NO IDEA what she might want to have done. So I thought it could be helpful to write up some questions, just to get a prospective mama thinking about the different options, and I wanted to share it here, in case anybody else might like to use this format.

I just send them an email after speaking on the phone. It starts with a brief intro paragraph thanking them for considering me for the honor of commemorating their pregnancy, and then explains that they don't have to answer every question but only think about them and then get back to me if that sparks any ideas. I can't say how effective it is yet because I only just wrote it up today! But here's the questions, feel free to nab them (or add on, if you have extra ideas!):

1. Have you picked out a name? Is there special meaning behind it that you would like incorporated? Do you want the name included as part of the design?

2. Would you like your design themed around your nursery décor, a special toy or memento?

3. Do you have a spiritual message you would like to include? A Bible verse, a line of poetry or song, or a symbol? Themes centered around fertility, life, growth and nature (trees, etc.) are very popular.

4. Is there a special setting you want your photos taken? (A garden, the beach, etc.) It could be possible to coordinate your design with the environment.

5. Is there a special memory you and your partner would like to commemorate? (Some enjoy scenes that remind them of a favorite vacation spot, for example.)

6. Is there a season or holiday coinciding with your due date? Spring flowers, autumn leaves, Christmas scenes, etc. all make beautiful bellies.


7. What are your interests, hobbies, dreams? This is wide-open. Sports (balls make great bellies if you want to do something humorous), fantasy characters (fairies and dragons are popular), cartoon characters, musical themes, art themes, etc.

8. Do you have an ethnicity or cultural heritage you would like to have represented? (Tribal symbols, African animals, Asian characters, and Celtic knotwork, to name a few possibilities).

9. Are you interested in actual depictions of your baby in the womb? This is also very popular, and can be almost photorealistic or done more symbolically, as you prefer.


10. Do you have a favorite activity that you hope to enjoy with your child? A favorite children's book, for example, can make a beautiful design using an image from the book in the original illustration style.


I follow up with photographic examples of all these types of bellies (disclaiming the fact that not all of them have been done by me, though I hope to remedy that as soon as I HAVE, in fact, done one of each type!)

That's a great list. Thank you. Got me thinking too.

D.

Wow, you really thought of everything! I would be pleased to recieve such a list to make the decision easier. The only other thing I though of was, other siblings incorporated in. I remember someone did a painting and the siblings were all birds and the baby was in the nest..something like that.

Maybe, you can ask why they want the painting..
They'll give you a lot of information by answering this.

And...
Favorite color
Favorite flower