Groups are a platform on deviantART which allow you to share your art - what it is primarily used for. Immediately, once your art is accepted into the Gallery, your art is sent to the message centres of many members of that particular group, gaining you instant and wider exposure. However, to really enhance your deviantART experience, and to get the most out of deviantART, +Groups shouldn't, and aren't, simply used for that.

There are many roles you can play within a group. By taking up a role, you immediately get more out of deviantART than if you had not done so.

Let's start with being a...

          Member

Not only do you get the chance to submit your art to the group, as a Member, you also the many happenings within the group too. This means you can read about the immediate happenings as soon as they are launched through the group, such as contests, projects and more in between. As a member, seizing these opportunities thrusts you into the spirit of the community. You get more out of deviantART by participating in the community, regardless of whether you win anything or not at the end of the day. Events like contests and projects have their own benefits (which will be mentioned later on in this week), but alongside those, there may be additional happenings like interviews, features, and more that you can take part in. All of these can help you if you choose to grasp it. As a member of a group, you come across members of deviantART that share the same interests as you, immediately breaking down a barrier for you to reach across and experience new things, be it friendships or art.

          Contributor

A Contributor is just like a member with additional duties to the group. They play a significant role in the running of a group from the variety of ways they can contribute to the group as part of the admin team. As stated in my article yesterday, we get what we put in. By giving our time, effort and more to the group, or just the community in general, we also receive certain rewards for that, and we get something back that isn't necessarily tangible in any shape or form. Nevertheless, we do our bit for the group as a contributor and contribute in a way that is helpful. It is an act of kindness that is sometimes rare and few in between. Everyone needs support, and groups are no different. Members support the group plenty, but contributors support the inner workings of a group from the backstage, something that is vital and should never be taken for granted. It's difficult to find members willing to become good contributors for a group. If you have free time, why not consider being a contributor yourself?

          Founder

Skipping the co-founder position (as that is very similar to a contributor), the Founder is someone that has created the group, and/or runs it. I can't possibly explain all the reasons why people decide to be founders, or even contributors, but when you are a founder of a successful group, or a founder of a group you have great faith in, it is both an incredible feeling and a truly rewarding experience too. You learn a lot about yourself, about others, and your strengths and weaknesses. The many situations you enter in can really deepen your sense of self, who and what you are, and can broaden your mind in so many different ways. There is nothing like creating something from scratch and watching it grow as not only your own creation, but others too. Every single member of your group contributes to the growth of the group, and if you really think about it, it's an amazing feat, bringing everyone together under a common interest, or purpose, and striving for a common goal together.

Not only do you come across some awesome people when you are in a group, your knowledge and your experience also increase, aiding you both online and offline when the situation rises.


          Discussion

As a short activity, lets get those thoughts whirring and opinions coming with these questions! Please don't hesitate to answer any or all of them in a reply to this article.

• What role(s) do you play in the groups you are most active in, and why?
• What is your favourite role and why?
• What do you like best about your favourite groups?

...and lastly, don't forget to ask yourself, what do you get out of being part of a group?


Thank you all for reading!

^3wyl, posting on behalf of the "Getting the most out of dA" PE Team; ^3wyl | ^Astralseed | $namenotrequired