Decorating with art prints and posters resembles your usual decoration -- of a party, a workplace or even your own self -- and contains all the elements of fun that accompany shopping and trying on new things. In a way, it's like putting on a jewelry of some sort on your home, making it look extra beautiful, except that you get all the excitement. The process itself can be thrilling: not only do you enjoy the purchase of the art itself, but you also gain the privilege of testing it on your walls. You experience a sense of renewal and of enthusing combination of old and new. It's Fun!

You may find a medium to big sized art poster, unframed, for as little as $39. That's not much considering it's a lifetime investment (if you keep your stuff in order and don't break-dance while trying to balance a cup of coffee on the left toe of your right foot). If you are willing to spend a hundred bucks more, you'll be able to order a framed print -- great for durability, although sometimes I think it's too much to pay almost three times the price of the print itself to protect it from harm.

Let's face it, art impresses people. Some may think it's snooty or "gay", some may love or hate it, but eventually it'll make you look sophisticated. Visitors like to inquire their hosts about their decoration -- be prepared to know your art -- they will be impressed if you show familiarity with the topic and passion towards your art poster or print. People will admire you for that, even if they don't want to. The worst thing that can happen is that they'll ignore it.

Everybody will find something she or he loves -- there are absolutely no exceptions. Sometimes we forget the range of themes and topics presented on art posters and prints. If you don't fancy paintings or high art, you can go for movie posters. If you don't like movies, you can pick you favorite baseball or football star, or team. There are prints for nature lovers, astronomy geeks, dog admirers; there's an endless choice for fans of animation series, television shows and fashion models. Many prefer art photography, or known politicians or moments in history. I could go on and on... you get the point.

Ironically, one of the best things about wall art is that it's easy to remove when you're tired of it. You can always take it off and stick it somewhere behind the fridge, where nobody can see it. I once bought a Matisse "Dance" that I put flat on its face somewhere on a top shelf because I got tired of it. Two years later -- several months ago -- I discovered it while looking for some papers I did back in university. It was a pleasant surprise, especially considering that since then I rearranged the furniture in the room, freeing more wall space. I hung the print above my desk and enjoyed gazing at it for a couple of months. Then I got tired of it again! So, I put it behind two vases. Now I can see it partially, and only from some angles. Eventually I may remove it again -- and who knows when I'll rediscover it next time.

Decorating and shopping can be great group projects. We like to ask for advice and consult with friends and relatives about what to buy and how to use the things we buy. Wall art allows to expand that tradition and to take small risks and responsibilities by relying on our friends' taste -- while asking them to do the same for us. Trading or rotating art posters can become a prolonged and elaborate game that may involve as many participants as you like.

Some images are like songs -- they express exactly how we feel. But how do we express that they express ourselves? We buy albums of our favorite bands, and we buy their posters and hang them on the walls. The difference that most art prints have to offer, however, is of taste durability and long-term character compatibility. After all, a Britney Spears fan may become slightly ashamed of that weakness at some point of her or his life, but a Monet print is always a Monet (though still only a print). It will forever express some part of yourself.

Decorating with wall art is an almost effortless affair (if you're good with a hammer). You are not risking anything (except your fingers). A misplaced picture can always be moved; you can spend hours trying it on every wall in your apartment, including the bathroom (though there are art prints designed especially for that). So if you don't forget to consult with a professional, and secure yourself while using the ladder, you're all set for an easy installation.

Sometimes artists need art for inspiration. With computers and Internet routinely accessible, we tend to overlook the possibility of browsing museums and online galleries, and of using the big screens to view art. In my opinion, even if you don't overlook -- it's still not the same. Literature has books, the visual arts have paintings; both are tangible and inspiring because of their tangibility. Paradoxically, touchable objects may be just the push an artist needs to free her inspiration from a creative block.