^RockstarVanity has just released an awesome news article "How to be a guiding light and a shining example" on how to promote your favorite gallery and inspire it's community. Some might see it as a "long read" but it isn't bad. Read the whole thing and you'll have learned something. I guarantee it .

Here are some things from the article I'd like to specifically address (I'll go by article headings) :

• Keeping the galleries clean


Wallpapers is a large gallery with many submissions to it each day. With the amount of submissions received, some will be placed in the wrong category or gallery. The most common miscats to the Wallpaper Gallery are "Desktop Screenshots" and "Game Screenshots". Both have specific other places to be submitted to.

Desktop Screenshots have their own gallery: Customization > Desktop Screenshots. From there, you can put them in the category that corresponds to your operating system such as Windows or MacOS.

Game Screenshots are to be submitted into your scrapbook.
FAQ #578: What does deviantART consider to be a proper desktop screenshot?
"Unaltered, unedited screenshots of video games in-progress are allowed to be placed into your Scrapbook only.
"

If you see a miscategorized deviation in Wallpapers, feel free to send me a note for it.
All I ask is that you follow these guidelines:


Subject: Wallpaper Miscat
Deviation: Provide Link
Current Cat:
Suggested Cat:



• Go Clubbing


There are several wallpaper clubs/groups here on dA. If you know of such a group, link me to them (not =Wallpaper-Lounge though as I'm running that.) Clubs are great ways to get your name out there as well as finding other artists with the same interests as you.

A note on the =Wallpaper-Lounge: with the release of the new userpages, the Journal css has gone a bit loony. I will be changing the css to the one used in this journal (same style, just works with the new userpages). The W-L will put out a new journal entry when everything gets fixed.



• Contests


If you are running a contest for wallpapers, give me a heads up. I'll do my best to get the word out to our community. Everyone likes contests right? You have the chance to make art that will be seen by many people (or at least the contest judges) and have the chance to win some prizes. Running a contest and need an extra judge? Let me know, I'd be glad to help out.



• Be a Teacher or Mentor


Wallpapers by nature are digital art. Digital art opens up a great many things that can be done to a piece of work. Do you have a popular wall that's been around for some time? Consider releasing a tutorial on how you created that piece. It doesn't need to explain everything. Just cover some of the basics and encourage others to experiment with the process. Look at the work of others and build upon that with your own style



• Make Yourself Known


"Say hi to a Gallery Moderator today! We aren't scary and unapproachable, and when you send us notes or leave comments talking about the galleries we look after you are NOT bothering us or annoying us." I really could quote this entire section as it is exactly how I feel. Don't be shy, say hello .

So if you somehow haven't read the article yet, do it! Here's the [link] [link] [link] again.