Elevating Visual Experiences With Pictas - 2024 and Beyond

What is in store for 2024 and how will this community look like a year from now?

What is in store for Pictas?

Hello everyone.

I’m sure there are many questions regarding the change in the community and what it means for PICTAS and, of course, for you. So, to put your minds at ease and perhaps even create some excitement, let me introduce myself and explain my vision for this platform in the future.

Before we get to that, I have to take a moment to acknowledge the massive amount of work and dedication Harry, Nikki, Matteo, and all the others have put in to develop this community. My head is spinning with everything that happens behind the scenes. It's a massive task, and they did it in their personal time. I have to applaud them for this. We’ve established that they are not gone; they are just changing their focus. I hope to see their input and engagement in the future, as they are the core of this community platform. 

Michelle and I. This sums us up perfectly.

I’m a lens-based artist hailing from the northeastern part of South Africa. I have an incredible wife and fellow artist, and we spend our days in our studio exploring our creativity and learning the process of being full-time artists. If you want my long-winded back story, read more on my Substack Shadows and Substance.

Preparing for a webinar

Why take over Pictas? I have had a long-time need to create an educational platform for photographers. There are many “quick-fix” promises out there and not enough guidance. “This is a way of being”. I believe it is. The practice is more critical to photographers and artists than the results if you’re in it for the long haul. I love everything about photography, so it is only natural that I would grab at it when an opportunity like this came by. I’m not the most qualified person for the job. However, I am dedicated to my craft and willing to share my failures and successes to inspire and ease the journey for others willing to learn.

The spot where I spend most of my time.

Over the next twelve months, I will work on developing Pictas into an online resource for photographers. I’m getting the website up and running again, which will house video guides, course resources, and some membership structure (I’m still working on how to do this right to benefit the community). Artists, you are not forgotten or excluded. I’m working on how to develop the platform for you as well. It’s a broad field, so I must take extra care as I begin my journey as an artist. Rest assured, this will not be a photography-exclusive platform. Below are the Vision and Mission statements. They serve as a heading while we navigate these next twelve months. 

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Vision:

Pictas will be a global community platform for traditional artists, photographers, and visual artists to learn, showcase, and contribute to each other’s practice. It aims to further personal and career growth for anyone willing to learn through education and representation.

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Mission:

To develop an ecosystem that creatives can learn from, showcase in, and contribute to. Building a multicultural, international community to broaden knowledge of each other and further the artistic practice. 

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I hope that a year from now, this Substack will be a bi-weekly regular read for many people, with two additional writers, numerous guest posts, and a website that has video courses, PDF guides, and other digital resources for the community. That it becomes a showcase of the incredible talent within the community and a space for people to communicate and enjoy each other’s creativity and cultures.

As I’m sure everyone can understand, there is the subject of sustainability. Pictas will have monetary needs to keep developing and improving as a venture. There are apparent costs, so I want to address the status of memberships. Everyone’s membership renewal status will be honored per the current renewal date. As Pictas currently operates on Substack, it will have a subscription fee for paid content once the renewal date lapses after 01 April 2024. In other words, anyone whose renewal date has passed will have paid access until April 2024. If you took an annual membership with Matteo in December 2023, your renewal date will only be Dec 2024. A new membership package will be created once the website is up and populated with resources. 

If you’ve read this far, the Pictas community is essential to you. I want to get to know the community better, so please answer the following poll. This will give me a better understanding of what type of content to create for future articles.

I hope this has clarified your concerns and given you peace of mind. I am always open to suggestions and willing to listen, so contact me if you’d like. You can find my details on my website or Instagram.

Until next time,

Géran.