Traveling Mail Art Vs. Collection Mail Art: What's the Difference?

Beginners Guide to Trading Mail Art

What are the differences between the traveling Land Mail Art Object (LMAO) and the collection Land Mail Art Object (LMAO)?

There are some important differences to be aware of when starting to trade your paper crafts through mail art exchanges. One type of Land Mail Art Object (LMAO) may work better for you than the other.

What is a Traveling Land Mail Art Object?

A traveling Land Mail Art Object is paper crafts or artwork which originates with one artist, travels to a series of other artists, only to return back home to the original artist.

Any artist can start a traveling exchange.

First, decide which type of traveling Land Mail Art Object you want to start trading. The traveling LMAO could be an altered book, a jam card, a decorated booklet, a friendship book, camera art, a slam, or any other type of paper crafts that you want to have other other artists collaborate on with you.

Next, find an online community with other artists who trade LMAOs.

When setting up a traveling Land Mail Art Object exchange, be as detailed as possible in the "call for participants" as you can. A good LMAO host is clear, to the point of being transparent, about what is expected in the artwork exchange.

Details about the trade should include a request for mailing addresses of all participants, and that those addresses be made available to all participants, how long each artist will have to work on the artwork, how postage should be handled, which paper crafts areacceptable forms of art, and even what type of material is acceptable.

Another important factor to consider when hosting a traveling LMAO is how many artists can participate. The more artists involved, the longer the exchange may take, and the potential for mishaps increases.

A traveling LMAO may be hindered by an artist who is unavailable, or holds onto the paper craft object or artwork too long, one person can through the whole traveling LMAO out of sync.

At the end of the traveling LMAO, when the artwork reaches the host once again, the host should make copies for all participants and mail them out.