SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Ladies,

First of all let us express how incredibly overwhelmed we are at the outpouring of support and excitement that this project has already received in its short lifespan. We are so proud of all of you for your willingness to be vulnerable and to share encouragement with each other, and we are humbled by your incredible stories.

This project has grown farther than we ever expected it to, and as such, we're finding it necessary to clarify a few points, just to make sure that all of our many volunteers are on the same page, and to maintain the clarity of the project vision.

1. This project, while relevant to all genders, is specifically targeted toward women and the impact we can have on each other. We respect that many men have gone through similar struggles, and am deeply moved by the stories we have heard. However, since this project was birthed from a desire to see women crossing barriers to encourage each other, and because that vision remains critically important to me, only submissions from female contributors are being taken at this time.

2. This project is relevant to women of all ages, ethnicities, faiths, and walks of life. As such, we ask for contributors to be respectful of other participants. Those of you who were first approached know that the idea of women of faith reaching out to comfort and encourage one another is hugely important to us, but it is naïve to think that women from other walks of life have less wisdom to offer. Please speak from your hearts. Share what gives you hope. Remember that the strength and reach of this project comes from precisely this diversity.

3. Finally, a delicate distinction. This is such a vast topic, and we have intentionally left the prompts nebulous, because I believe that our experiences – both the beautiful and the horrific – are as unique and distinctive as we ourselves are. It is our dream for the desperate among us to see the incredible range and take courage -  as we announce boldly and compassionately that no matter where you hail from, whatever your circumstance, you are valued, and supported, and that there is hope for you to walk through whatever you are facing. That is admittedly a monumental task, and we recognize that this project will be but a facet of a larger whole. That said, the facet we have chosen to focus on is somewhat narrow. We are blown away by the survivor stories that we hear, and there are many heartrending experiences shared among us. We ask, however, that as you share your story in whatever medium you choose, you stay mindful that the end goal of this project is to highlight the hope that can be found in the darkest moments. While this necessitates that consideration be given to the horrific experiences many of us have walked through, we must not end there. We must take care to focus on how we have moved to confront, to heal, to look forward, to take another step – so that those who walk where we have already walked can see that there can be light again someday. After some consideration, we have reluctantly come to the conclusion that we must be more selective with our curation of this project, and reserve the right to turn away projects that do not meet these guidelines. There are many admirable projects that touch on facets of this issue that Curating Hope does not, and we are more than happy to suggest alternate outlets to any declined projects, so that they may still find a forum appropriate and meaningful to express their stories. Thank you for understanding!

Project Submission Guidelines: Written Works

1. Written works accepted in Microsoft Word or other compatible word processing documents. Poetry, short narrative, or essay are all acceptable.

2. Please submit only edited pieces. While we will do a final review and proof, our team is small, and submissions that require significant edits will be returned to the submitter, with a week to make any necessary corrections and return. If not resubmitted, submission will unfortunately no longer be considered. We're  afraid we simply can’t edit the sheer quantity of work all by ourselves, and appreciate your understanding.

3. Please do not submit overtly graphic or triggering content of sexual, violent, or self harming nature. We recognize that these are the experiences that many of us have walked through, but we challenge you to address it in a way that is respectful of the way that PTSD can be triggering for victims and survivors of numerous traumatic experiences. We believe that, as our goal is to share hope, it is possible to touch on our experiences in an honest, raw, powerful way, without damaging those we wish to extend encouragement to. If you believe that your work may push the bounds but believe that is still relevant and essential to this gallery, email us at curatinghope@gmail.com and we will carefully consider and discuss possibilities with you. Thank you for understanding!

4. If you want to pursue an alternate, unlisted written work, please shoot us an email at curatinghope@gmail.com and we’ll work out the details of how the gallery may be able to support the format.

5. We reserve the right to visually format written works for the gallery exhibition.

6. We reserve the right to decline a work if it does not meet the goals or guidelines of the project, as described. We will contact every submitter with personal explanation in such cases.

7. Rights to the original work will remain in possession of the submitter. The Curating Hope project has one time permission to display the works online, with full credit to the original author. In the event we pursue a physical gallery space, we will contact specific authors for their permission for the specific exhibit at that time.

8. Please include a brief bio – tell us who you are, what you care about, what walk of life you’re in. Keep it casual, be real. We want to showcase our volunteers to demonstrate the incredible diversity that we represent. If you are uncomfortable with credit, we are happy to list you as anonymous presenter. We understand the sensitive nature of many of these submissions and don’t wish that to be a barrier for anyone. Bio photos are welcome, in jpg format of 150 dpi or higher, but are not required. Participants who do not submit a photo will be typographically represented.

Project Submission Guidelines: Visual Works

1. Visual works are accepted in jpg format, with a 300dpi resolution, with a 1MB file limit. Original works will remain in the artist’s possession, as this is at present only a digital gallery. Painting, sketches, mixed media, and drawing (or other comparable mediums) will be accepted. Sculpture will be considered on an individual basis depending on the artist’s ability to submit high quality images that adequately capture the nature of the piece.

2. Please only submit high quality photos or scans of your artwork. Submitters of images that are unusable due to quality will be contacted with a week to adjust and resubmit. After that point, the image will unfortunately no longer be considered. If for any reason you are struggling to get the image quality you need, feel free to reach out to curatinghope@gmail.com and we will give any advice we can.

3. Please do not submit NSFW (graphic nudity, sexual, violent or otherwise triggering) content. We recognize that these are the experiences that many of us have walked through, but we challenge you to address it in a way that is respectful of the way that PTSD can be triggering for victims and survivors of numerous traumatic experiences. We believe that, as our goal is to share hope, it is possible to touch on our experiences in an honest, raw, powerful way, without damaging those we wish to extend encouragement to. If you believe that your work may push the bounds but believe that is still relevant and essential to this gallery, email us at curatinghope@gmail.com and we will carefully consider and discuss possibilities with you. Thank you for understanding!

4. Please accompany your work with a statement of explanation or exposition. Please limit to approximately 500-700 words, as we want to make sure it can be included in a readable format.

5. We reserve the right to decline a work if it does not meet the goals or guidelines of the project, as described. We will contact every submitter with personal explanation in such cases.

6. Rights to the original work will remain in possession of the submitter. The Curating Hope project has one time permission to display the works online, with full credit to the original artist. In the event we pursue a physical gallery space, we will contact specific artists for their permission for the specific exhibit at that time, and we will coordinate the transportation of physical pieces, as well as any other legal obligations. We’ll cross that bridge (thoroughly, I promise) if we get there. 

7. Please include a brief bio – tell us who you are, what you care about, what walk of life you’re in. Keep it casual, be real. We want to showcase our volunteers to demonstrate the incredible diversity that we represent. If you are uncomfortable with credit, we are happy to list you as anonymous presenter. We understand the sensitive nature of many of these submissions and don’t wish that to be a barrier for anyone. Bio photos are welcome, in jpg format of 150 dpi or higher, but are not required. Participants who do not submit a photo will be typographically represented.

Go get em, ladies! We're excited to see what you and your beautiful souls have to share.

— Jess and Alyssa