Hi guys,
We want to thank all of the participants in this exchange, we had a great turnout and we had a lot of really amazing art submitted.
It is with heavy hearts that we need to announce that this exchange is our last.
When we started this exchange it came as idea offshoot of a community art blog that was started as a way to give back to the community. We wanted to give the all of artists in the community a way to connect, to share their art with someone they might not have previously spoken to and as a bonus get some art in return. So we started the Eorzean Art Exchange.
The EAE posed unique challenges and ended up being a ton of work, far more work than we realized. But, we were willing to do what we needed and wanted to do to try to help bring joy to the community. And the first exchange was great and people seemed to understand the purpose of the exchange: To selflessly give a stranger in the community a piece of your art and as a bonus you got a piece of art in return. No matter the level of skill you or the other person possessed.
After the first exchange, this stopped being fun for us. People started assuming who ran the exchange, they brought their personal vendettas up, attacked changes in rules, they started complaining about the ‘quality’ of the artists participating, started speculating if the hosts only ‘gave themselves the good artists’. Every time we held an exchange someone picked it apart. And it’s gotten to the point where it's now draining for us. Because we’re still people and we exist in the community. You may not have criticized us directly in an email or PM, you may not have even been criticizing the hosts but the other artists. We still saw it. And if we saw it then others did, too. When it was constructive we made efforts to fix it, and we would have done the same this round were we to continue. When it was not, when it was just ugly and selfish, that is what finally broke us. The anons and the public spaces alike. It's not healthy for us, as individuals, to continue and so we’ve decided to no longer hold the exchange. That decision was not made lightly. We kept telling ourselves to look at all the people that were happy regardless of what they got. And it hurts, that joy we had for helping the community has flickered out.
This is the main reason as to why we’re stopping the exchange. A lot of people seem to miss the point of an art exchange. They get upset that the art given to them was not up to their standards for ‘good art.’ This was something for all artists, not just the ones who have been doing art for years and do commissions, all artists in the community. When you sign up for something like an art exchange you should go in knowing you could potentially get paired with a beginner artist and if that is not acceptable to you then you shouldn’t sign up. And think back to when you first picked up a crayon, pencil or tablet pen and imagine someone telling you that your art wasn’t good enough. If you do want art of a certain skill level you should find an artist you like and commission them or ask to do a private art trade. And I hope when you do they do not tell you that your art is not good enough (for a trade.)
That being said, we’ve done five art exchanges over the last two years, and each piece of art has been beautiful. We want to thank all of the artists who participated, whether it was one exchange or all five exchanges. Thank you for sharing your art with the community, thank you for giving your time to participate. And if there is anyone who would like to run their own exchange, we are more than willing to give you advice and pointers. (Please send any questions to @ffxiv-art, after this post we will no longer be checking this blog or the EAE email, nor will we be addressing concerns brought to us during this last exchange.)
For our part we will continue to encourage you on more personal levels, but as we started the EAE behind a face of anonymity, so shall we end it. We’re not going anywhere though. We will still be encouraging you as individuals. That flame won’t die.
For your part? Keep creating. Keep improving. Everyone starts somewhere. Don’t ever let anyone tell you you’re not good enough. And if they do? Ask them for constructive criticism that you can grow from because as an artist it’s important to be able to take honest critique (as well as to know the difference between constructive critique and negative criticism.) If they can’t do that then they’re only trying to tear you down. Refuse to be torn down. Know that these two people will always believe in you.
Thank you for all your hard work and for sharing with the community, The EAE
