Well gee, it’s that time of year again. The days are short, the music is jolly, and a general sense of wholesomeness fills one’s lungs. Time has flown by like snow from a furious blizzard. But speaking of furious blizzards and the outside damage they cause, it’s time to snuggle up in a warm cabin, drink some hot chocolate, and make things for other people over the internet. That’s right, it’s time for…
The 8th Annual SCP Holiday Art Exchange!!!
(Many thanks to 
DarkStuff who ran this last year)
General Information
Wait, what is this?
A yearly secret-Santa program where SCP wiki members ask for gifts, other SCP wiki members provide said gifts, and all the while the Giftee doesn’t know who their gifter is (even when receiving the gift)! It’s a chance for authors, artists, musicians, and whoever else alike to express their talents with surprise for both the recipient and the giver. It’s anonymous, fun, and festive!
Well, what exactly can be exchanged?
The sky’s the limit, really, but you must be able to answer yes to two very important questions regarding your gift before you send it.
“Did I make this?”
&
“Can I send this solely over the internet?” (No shipping things via plane, train, or automobile)
The gifts that people have sent to each other in the past range from tales to skips to art to music to readings to Wikidot avatars and games! Also, unofficial rule, have fun while making it.
I’m sold, how do I start?
Make a new post on this thread following this exact format:
**What I Can Give:** What you can give
**What I Am Looking For:** What you are looking for
Please make what you want at least somewhat specific. Saying “a tale about [insert subject here]” or something along those lines is fine, but saying you’ll take “anything” is simply too vague and is actually more stressing than if you were uber-specific. Also:
Don't sign up if you are iffy on being able to make the deadlines, laid out below!
That being said, if something unplanned comes up in your personal life and you can’t make a deadline, we can’t blame you for that and we’ll understand. There are two contingency plans for not finishing a gift on time. You can A) Send a WiP to your giftee and promise to finish it later, or B) Contact us and we’ll get a pinch-hitter on the case. More on that in a bit.
Schedule
Stage 1: Signing up (Nov. 15th - Nov. 28th)
From the time this is posted to November 28th, 8 AM EST, simply follow the instructions for joining as spelled out above. When this stage is done, I'll post on this thread with a notification that no one else can sign up.
Stage 2: Names are assigned, work is conducted (Nov. 30th - Dec. 22nd)
Between Stages 1 and 2, I will use the ancient, arcane power of EXCEL SPREADSHEETS to make sure everyone is assigned to someone else. On the 30th, you will receive a PM from me assigning that someone to you with a link to their post on this thread.
You shall read your giftee's post and, from then until the 22nd of December at the latest, work on a project that fits the parameters of said post.
Remember that this is all anonymous. Therefore, don't tell your or anyone else's giftee their gifter, and work on your project in a way where your giftee won't know you're making it. The most common method if you're writing something is to use an anonymous Pastebin (if you're using this method, make sure, if you have one, you aren't logged onto your Pastebin account). There's also nifty CSS that can remove the history button from a Wikidot page, so if you sent someone a sandbox, they wouldn't be able to tell who made it. If that's easier for you, use this code:
[[module css]]
a#history-button, a#files-button {
display: none;
}
[[/module]]
To turn a project in, send a Wikidot PM to me containing a link to the gift you made, with a title such as "Art Exchange Gift for [insert giftee's name here]" to make it easier on me. You may turn your gift in at any point between your giftee being assigned and December 22nd, 8 AM EST.
As mentioned earlier, if you cannot turn in your gift in the allotted timeframe, tell me so I can get something arranged early. Please do not ghost the Art Exchange. It's more stress for everyone involved if you do that, and it's a certified Scrooge Move™. Seriously, don't do it.
Stage 2.5: Last Minute Ensuring of Holiday Joy (Dec. 22nd - Dec. 24th)
Because it's almost guaranteed that someone will need to be fulfilled for without preliminary warning of the gifter being unavailable, this is the time where a pinch-hitter will work on your gift if your gifter has dropped off the face of the earth. While the loose deadline is the end of the 24th, a gift may require more time, and I'll alert you if that's the case.
I stress this once more, tell me if you cannot make the deadline beforehand. Try your absolute best to not, just, ghost the Art Exchange. It's a disservice to me, the pinch-hitters, and your giftee.
Stage 3: Receiving the Gifts, Wondering Who Made it (Dec. 25th - Dec. 28th)
Sometime on the 25th (I can't guarantee certain times, but I'll attempt to get to it as quickly as possible), you shall receive a PM from me containing your gift! This is the stage where you get to enjoy your gift while not knowing who made it. Post a comment on this thread with a link to your gift so others can see it. Pretty simple!
Remember to keep up the anonymity during this stage! Gifters: Don't post anything to the site, or do anything to indicate to your giftee that you made their gift. Assorted Individuals: If you know who made someone's gift, do not spoil it. Behind ghosting the exchange, this is the second worst certified Scrooge Move™, and is simply no good.
Stage 4: Lifting the Veil (Dec. 29th)
On this date, I shall make a post on this thread revealing who made who's gift! Hot chocolate and eggnog for all!
Stage 5: Optional Posting of Gifts (Anytime after Dec. 29th)
If you believe the gift you made could be posted to the site, then you are within your right to do so! Post it to the site normally, add your article to the Art Exchange Hub, and tag your article with "art-exchange". And voilà! The 2019 Art Exchange is officially over!
Become a Pinch-Hitter! (And Other Reminders)
Beyond being a regular gifter, you can also be a pinch-hitter. A pinch-hitter will make gifts for people who I haven't received gifts for from their assigned gifters. Note you'll essentially have 2 days to make however many gifts you need to make (which will, hopefully, be very little). Thus…
Only become a pinch-hitter if you're very confident in your ability. Note that I may refuse you as a pinch-hitter if I don't believe you can fulfill that role. I know it's sorta harsh, but it's necessary to ensure quality of gifts. If you'd like to be a pinch-hitter, state so at the bottom of your forum post on this thread.
You should be able to make the deadline, but if you cannot make the deadline, then I won't hold it against you. Instead, as stated above, the giftees will receive a PM stating the situation, and the pinch-hitter can either give the giftee their finished gift later, or they can give the giftee a WiP of their gift, with a promise to finish it later.
Some final (friendly) reminders:
- Don't ghost the exchange. If you can't make a deadline, send a PM to me beforehand
- It's Secret-Santa. Keep everything anonymous and secretive until Stage 4.
- Let's keep it jolly! Don't make intentionally shitty gifts or gifts that don't fulfill the giftee's wishes. It's against the whole point of the exchange!
Be merry, be festive, and most importantly, have fun! Happy 8th Annual Holiday Art Exchange, everyone!
