Sta.sh
Project Educate: Photomanipulation will be June 4th-10th. We are involving as many community members as possible, and we're all really excited about the events we have planned for you all! 
that I really, really wanted to feature. But-- you guessed it-- they did not credit their stock resources. 
Odyssey Update 1
This is sort-of a spur-of-the moment journal to tell you about some things that are going on around the photomanip community. I will write up the news as soon as I get the time to pull everything together, but there are some things you will want to know about in the interim.
Where is our CV?
I'm here, just working on several things at once. 
I have to split time between dA and school (for those of you who don't know, I'm halfway through a Ph.D. program). My dA attention is divided between Photomanipulation month in #projecteducate and Dante's Inferno in #Halloween-HQ. I've really appreciated your DD suggestions.
I have to split time between dA and school (for those of you who don't know, I'm halfway through a Ph.D. program). My dA attention is divided between Photomanipulation month in #projecteducate and Dante's Inferno in #Halloween-HQ. I've really appreciated your DD suggestions. Get involved!
As a CV, I have gotten to know a lot of people and had an opportunity to appreciate their art, and they continually blow me away! But, there are many other artists out there who I would very much like to know as well. The hard part is finding them. 
I would thus encourage everyone to get involved with this community. Here are some positive, proactive, and unity-building things that every one of us can do to be a part of our community:
- Join #CRPhotomanipulation. We will be bringing that place more to life in the coming weeks, but it's a place for everyone to come together to talk, share news, and plan events. The group is open; you do not need to be approved to join.
- Suggest DD's. If you know of a great artist who hasn't gotten enough attention, suggest them to me for a Daily Deviation (DD). If I don't feel the piece is ready for a DD, maybe we can talk about a regular feature. Or an interview. Or anything. But, I cannot address all the wonderful artists that are out there if I do not know about them.
- Feature people's art in your journal or even in #CRPhotomanipulation.
- Enter a contest. Think your stuff rocks? Awesome! Enter a contest and show us how it's done! By supporting one another, we can encourage more people to hold these great events that bring the community together.
- Write a tutorial. That's right. You know you've got the right stuff, so why not share it with others? Join our official tutorial contest and tell us how you do it!
There are a million other things you can do, but the most important thing is to be involved somehow. You don't have to be in some inner circle or "clique" to be here. Come make new friends, share your art, and get involved in something that is actually pretty meaningful. It really is safe. But do come, and bring milk because we have cookies.
Halloween
- It's not too late to join the Dante's Inferno challenge at #Halloween-HQ! Come give it a shot!
- =StarsColdNight has a pretty wicked Halloween contest going on!
- *Eledhwen-Stock is hosting the Bloody Melancholy Contest! Be sure to check it out.
- And here is a list of all the contests that Community Relations and the Community Volunteers have going on!
Other contests for your radar
- At the end of the month, we will have another official challenge for Photomanip month. This one will build upon the tutorials people are doing for the current challenge.
- .....and =StarsColdNight, `conzpiracy, and I (and `kuschelirmel if I can twist her arm... muahahhahhahaha
) have something a little BIGGER... something a little more.... EXTREME.... up our sleeves. What could it be?..... What are YOU doing Christmas break?
Spirit Day
Spirit Day is Friday, October 19th. You will see dA go to purple in honor of this day. What is Spirit Day? It is a day honoring our LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual and Queer) community. We all have the opportunity to say NO to bullying, to stand up for the human rights of others who may not fit into the mold that society has built for us over many, many years. (And actually, who DOES fit into that mold these days?) Let's celebrate and honor our diversity by supporting Spirit Day this year. You will see a lot of us turning our avatars purple, and I would encourage you to do the same. I will share more information as I get it, but you can read more about it here in the interim. Oh! I almost forgot-- how about some purple DD suggestions??
Photomanipulation Month
We are in need of people to write articles, etc. for Photomanipulation Month. These articles can be about anything, from the way you do something to your take on the community. We want to hear people's stories. We want to know where people are coming from and what makes them tick. I'm looking for people who we haven't interviewed yet who might want a bit more exposure for themselves and their work. So, if you have something to share with the community, please feel free to shoot me a note and let me know what it is. Do you have an idea or project you want to see put into action? Let's make it happen. This is YOUR chance to have your big ideas heard!
Project Newbie
I'm going to need some help with this! But, I would like to have a place where new photomanipulators can come and feel welcomed, without having to feel the pressure of being "good enough" or anything like that. I have some ideas underway and have had some things in the works for a couple of months now actually that I am getting ready to put into action. Here's my goal:
- Every week when I do the news I will feature at least 3 artists who are new to me, regardless of whether they are "newbies." I will also continue to feature some works from our more established artists.
- It would be great to have a newbie interview every week.
- They don't have to be new to dA, just new to photomanipulation.
- We can share and work through tutorials, etc. together.
- I would define "new" as being in our community 6 months or less.
Now, there is no way I can do this all by myself, especially as I'm getting ready to head into final exam season. A lot of you have been clamoring for me (which by the way should be "us") to do something to help our newbies, and I really want to respect that. But, we have to be in this together. What say you?
Calling all artists!
=PattiPix has asked me to share this journal with you. It's about a really special project she has; she's looking for artists to allow her to use one print in a calendar that can be sold to help raise money to buy Christmas presents for children living in poverty. Please check it out.
Patti, I'm so sorry it took me so long to get this posted!
In conclusion . . .
Let's work together to build photomanipulation into the best community on dA. We are not far from our old glory, and I have confidence that by working together we can get there again. 
There is a lot of work to be done; let's work together as a team to get it done.
There is a lot of work to be done; let's work together as a team to get it done. "New to Me" Feature
Peace.
Jade 
Conzz