Artist trading cards are small works of art (the size of a baseball card) that are made and traded by a community of artists. Nowadays there are lots of different sizes and types of ATCs and they are traded both in person and through the mail. I have participated in many ATC trades via facebook groups and elsewhere and have been able to swap art with creators all over the world!

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For me, ATCs were a way back into art after perfectionism and burnout had made it a struggle to create anything at all. The small size of the artwork meant I could do small quick pieces without committing to a huge project. The range of skill and style within the ATC trading groups I was a part of alleviated my worry about being good enough as, at the time, I was heavily comparing my work and myself to others. The freedom in media allowed me to try and practice new techniques to build confidence for later larger art. And the interactions with other members as we sent and received these tiny works of art handmade with such care was a breath of fresh air after the stress of art school and the strain of mental health issues.

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If you resonate with any of the struggles above, or just want a new way to make art friends and create things casually, I recommend ATCs! There are websites, Facebook groups, group swaps and other ways to make and post and trade your creations. Of course, do your research and make sure the site is reputable and the people you are trading with are on the up and up. If you have friends who like to make art, you can always do a trade with them too.

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Check out this article on Wikipedia to learn the history of ATCs.

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Below are some of the ATCs I have created and/or traded. Happy Making!