April Reminder and a Note to All
Hi everyone! You all probably don't need much of a reminder as people have been posting up their pictures recently. But just to be on the safe side, I wanted to remind those who still need to turn in for April's exchange, that art is due in on or before the 30th. That deadline is nearing quickly, so please be mindful and set a little time aside to work on your chosen one's art.

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Now for everyone... I just like to say that it is YOU, all of you, who make or break this community. Generally we get out of it what we as individuals put in.

I noticed for a while a certain trend here. Less and less people would sign up and eventually the exchanges stopped completely. There just wasn't enough interest to make it even worth the effort. Now why is that? I believe people got tired of being mistreated. To get stiffed and not receive one's art is not a good thing. Neither is turning in a sketchy doodle that looks like it took a whole 5 minutes to do.

So I ask you members, that when you sign up, please try to be mindful of your schedules. Take the time to consider if you really can get this done in the time alloted and do a decent job with it? No one is asking to make a masterpiece here, but simply draw for others as you would like to be drawn for. It's important to remember that there is a person sitting on the other side of a screen name. They have feelings and when they put in their time and effort to turn in their art on time and not get anything in return, it does not feel very good at all. I know. This had happened to me TWO months in a row. Most people would be long gone, feeling the not only the individual but the community had let them down. I believe this is the reason why we don't have the activity here that we used to.

Back then we didn't have 'adoptions' in place like we do now. But knowing a person will get adopted is no excuse. It doesn't mean you can ditch your responsibilities and let someone else do the art for you. We also understand unfortunate events and things beyond your control happen and can interfere with you getting your art turn in on time. You won't be faulted for that... but for sheer laziness, or saying your exams got in the way is really no excuse. Did you really not know that you had exams coming up?

So with all that said, we are pretty much back where we started when I say that it is you who make the community what it is. Your behavior and etiquette help it thrive. We had our first successful exchange in March that we hadn't had in a long while. It was small, but everyone did some lovely art and turned in on time. This month is still small, but we have couple more than March. I hope this month will turn out just as good. But most importantly, I hope what I am seeing will become a growing trend. Hopefully many more successful exchanges will take place and more people will become active and start participating.

I hope that didn't come off as being too ranty. That was not my intentions at all. I really just wanted to encourage you all and also express that it's not me or any of the other mods that truly keep this place going. We maintain it, yes. We post up sign up sheets and send out emails, but it's YOU who keep it active.