It’s time to celebrate! This weekend we wrap up the sixth annual Liberate Your Art Postcard Swap. It’s hard to believe we’ve been doing this for SIX YEARS now. It’s still so much fun, isn’t it?
But let’s not delay… Here are the stats you’ve been waiting for on the 2016 swap:
175 artists participating
12 countries represented
The total number of participants was lower this year, but the enthusiasm was just as high as ever! We even had artists in two new countries participating: Israel and Belarus. Awesome!
I created this year’s final celebration art piece to remind each and every one of us that we are on a journey. We may start on the path of liberating our art timidly, fearful of the response we are going to get. Art is such a personal thing, it can feel like we are putting a piece of our heart and soul out there, where others may reject it. But you know what? The more you liberate your art, the easier it gets. The more confident you get. You just have to keep taking small steps.
Take a look at where you are today compared to where you started. You will see how far you have already come, even if you have a long way to go. Whether this is your first year, or your sixth year, or your twentieth year of liberating your art, there is a supportive creative community here to help you take that next step. Celebrate where you are, and encourage your fellow artists, no matter where they are at.
Let’s celebrate with a video! About 60% of participants sent me a digital image of the art featured on their postcards for use in the 2016 video. As you watch it, imagine 40% more! That’s how much art was liberated. Enjoy! (And if you can, watch it in HD.)
Thank you to all participants for liberating your wonderful art, and for connecting to celebrate each other on this lifelong journey.
Now, it’s time to HOP! I have a special bonus for the blog hop participants in the form of a giveaway drawing! At the end of the final celebration, by random drawing from all blog hop links, I will be giving away:
- One copy of my book Art with an iPhone: A Photographer’s Guide to Creating Altered Realities. It’s so exciting to finally have my book in print and I want to share it with you!
- One 6×9″ fine art print, matted to 11×14″, of this year’s Final Celebration image “Lifelong Journey” shown above. Having this image in your studio will be a reminder to honor and celebrate wherever you are on your journey, and to take that next step.
If you would like your own 6×9″ fine art print of this year’s image “Lifelong Journey,” it is only available for purchase during the time of the final celebration. To order, click here if you are within the US and here if you are outside of the US. Postage is included in the purchase price. Thank you! Your orders help me defray the extra expenses I incur on behalf of the swap. (And don’t worry, if you purchase the print and then win the giveaway, I’ll refund your money.)
All right, are you ready? Let’s celebrate! Share your experiences with the 2016 swap. You can link in from a blog, Flickr, Facebook, even Instagram! Make sure your image is public, and you are good to go.
Hi Kat, thanks for all your hard work and your great organization skills. I’m sad it’s over for another year and can’t wait to get started on next year’s postcards.
That’s right… Start thinking about next year! Only 9 months away!
Kat,
Thank you and your helpers for making this fun swap possible! I will treasure the connections I made with other artists in this community…
(((( Hugs ))))
Connections are what it’s all about! Thank YOU for your great participation.
Kat, great job on getting this all organized and making it happen, I am in awe! This was my first postcard swap and I look forward to many more in the future!
Patsy “PJ” Lawrence
Awesome! I’m glad your first experience was positive.
Kat, thank you so very much for putting together this wonderful activity. It was a truly liberating experience! I look forward to next year’s swap!
God bless you and all your equally wonderful volunteers!
So glad you found it a good experience! See you next year!
Amazing job and art!!! Love this project!
As always, thanks for your enthusiasm! Folks like you make the swap, Tammy.
What fantastic, fun project – thank you so much for organising it! It was so simple to join in – even from overseas – and I will definitely be back for LYA 2017.
Wonderful! See you in 2017!
Wonderful art as expected! Hated to miss this year but amount of traveling made it impossible. I look forward to next year 🙂
That’s the great thing about this swap… You can come and go as you please! See you next year!
Thank you so much, Kat, for all the hard work and time you put into another awesome swap! The video is beautiful, with so many lovely works of art…several which I was seeing for the first time. I look forward to your swap every year and can’t wait for 2017! Thank you once again.
Hi Kat,
Thanks so much for the swap! This is my second year. It really brightens my month to receive art and inspirational messages. I greatly appreciate your work and the help you receive from your volunteers. BIG THANKS! Also, you come up with such lovely 6×9 prints commemorating each year’s swap!
Kat you out did yourself AGAIN! The video this year is awesome! There were many pieces I had not seen before, so glad to have the chance to see them. And your card is so wonderful, Thank You!
Thanks so much to you and your volunteers! I am floored by the time you invest to make this event happen.
It was fun to take a look back this year, and see how far I have come, and how much art I have shared, since the 2011 swap.
You add so much joy to the world Kat, by being a vessel for others to do the same. All the best to you, and I will see you in 2017 🙂
This year was ust as fun as the other four 🙂 I’ll be back next year too. Thanks for organizing this Kat
Dear Kat–Thanks once again for organizing these annual Liberate Your Art Exchanges. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed them since I joined 4 years ago. What a wonderful idea to fill the world with more art, and to encourage others to play along!
This was my first swap and had a great time. Preparing, sending, receiving and viewing all the great artwork. Thanks for the opportunity to take part and meet so many creative artists!! This is a must every year!!!
Thanks for another beautiful year of LYA! Your dedication to the project is what makes it so successful. Thanks for all the hard work and love that you show each of us!
Thanks so much for all your efforts, Kat. I so loved to participate again after I had to skip a few years! So far I received 4 of the 6 cards, so there is still joy to come to my mailbox 🙂
thanks so much Kat, for all your effort. It is great to see all the art.
See you next year.
Ackk! I missed getting my link in by minutes (darn this arm injury, it just makes everything so much slower!).
So happy to have been a part of this wonderful event again this year. For anyone who’s reading this far into the comments, you can find my post here:
https://wolftale.wordpress.com/2016/04/17/liberated/