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Each month, Community Groups across DeviantArt host creative challenges for their members, offering an opportunity to earn that month’s shared Profile badge.
This month is all about playful creativity, humor, and visual fun. Think bold ideas, joyful absurdity, and art made simply because, well, it’s delightful to make!
Participate in any of the challenges listed above and follow the instructions in that Group’s journal. When you’re done creating and ready to submit your deviation, make sure to include #WhimsyUnlocked under Tags before submission.
Once your deviation’s live, you can confirm that you’ve earned the badge by visiting the About tab on your Profile.
Here are two things to check:
Typos, a badge enthusiast’s worst enemy!
Make sure the tag was included the first time you submitted your piece. If you added it later, the badge won’t trigger, so you’ll need to delete and resubmit your deviation.
Everything looks correct, but still no badge? Submit a Help Desk ticket and our team will happily take a look!
ℹ️ This Profile badge is earned through community challenges hosted by DeviantArt Ambassadors. While different Ambassador-led Groups may offer similar challenges, each month’s shared badge can only be earned once.
You’re welcome to participate in as many challenges as you like!
Keep an eye out for next month’s Community Group challenges and a brand-new theme! ✨
Each of whom have won:
1,000 
from @Community
Diamond badge from @morbidman187, @BeckyKidus, or @AlexanderPaupoff
Hype badge from @KizukiTamura
Quartz badge from @Olgola, @KizukiTamura, @morbidman187, and @AlexanderPaupoff
by participating, getting the word out, and contributing prizes!
Remember to watch @Community for more opportunities to be involved 
Please note: Badge prizes will be handed out depending on individual donators' gem balance.
Cover image: Canva
March is all about energy, creativity, and diving headfirst into the fun of making. From colorful photo hunts to quirky challenges, fan fiction, and tutorials that push your skills, this month invites you to experiment, explore, and celebrate your imagination. Whether you’re creating for joy, community, or a little friendly chaos, there’s something here to inspire you.
Celebrating Deviousness - March 2026
For more than 16 years, @augenweide has been a steady and inspiring presence in the photography community. His black and white landscapes are studies in patience and restraint, inviting us to slow down and really see what’s in front of us. We’re proud to celebrate him as March’s Deviousness recipient.
Group-Led Events
Palette Photo Hunt Challenge
Spring is here, and so is Holi! Snap photos inspired by a free color palette, turn them into a collage, and show off your festival of colors.
Make a wish and bring it to life! Create or color a Wishing Well and add your prismatic touch to someone else’s world.
March gets chaotic. Write a story or poem where every word starts with the same letter and see if your creativity survives the madness. Bonus points for the truly absurd.
Join the adventure. Write a short fan fiction about Wall-E, EVE, or the unsung heroes who helped bring humanity back to Earth. Keep it under 250 words and see where your story takes this little robot’s next chapter.
Weekly Diamond and Hype badge Giveaways
Feeling lucky? Jump in for weekly chances to snag Diamonds and Hype badges just by participating and showing up.
Unlucky Leprechauns – DeviantAI Group Challenge
Put a mischievous twist on St. Patrick’s Day by creating a scene where luck runs out for a leprechaun, whether it’s broken gold, ruined rainbows, or a darker fairy tale altogether.
Shrink your favorite characters into chibi form and show off your cutest, quirkiest, most chaotic fan art for a chance to win prizes.
Submit your work, ask your questions, and join a community dedicated to lifting each other up through meaningful critique!
Tips, Tricks, and Tutorials the contest
Share your knowledge. Create a brand-new art tutorial—step-by-step, image or text—and help the community level up while entering for a chance to win.
Other Events
Greatest Wonders Challenge – FlutterbyLillyArt
Bring the world’s most monumental wonders to life—ancient, modern, or natural—through art, photography, 3D, or literature, and compete for DeviantArt Points, Diamonds, and Hype badges.
Photomanipulation Challenge – Castle-of-Manips
Mix, match, and manipulate photos to create a one-of-a-kind scene using provided stock—let your imagination run wild and show off your photomanipulation skills before the March 18th deadline.
Hidden Heroines of History – March Art Challenge
Celebrate Women’s History Month by bringing remarkable women past and present, famous or unsung, to life through art, illustration, photography, or literature. Each day offers a new prompt to inspire creativity and honor strength, courage, and brilliance.
❗️ For detailed information and participation guidelines, please visit the respective links provided for each event.
Thank you for your participation 
It's the Festival of Colours once again 
Holi heralds the arrival of Spring with all of its vitality and colour. And while it might be primarily an Indian celebration, it's observed in many parts of the world.
This year, we're celebrating Holi with a unique photo hunt challenge 
But don't worry, the rules are simple and everyone is welcome to participate!
Create a photo collage inspired by a free-to-use colour palette.
Select any free-to-use colour palette with at least 3 colours.
Use your mobile phone camera to click a photo for each colour in the palette.
Create a collage of the photos you take using any free app.
Upload it to your gallery with the #Holi2026 tag and the chosen colour palette in the description.
Submit it to the contest folder, and post your entry in the comments below.
This is a photo hunt, so it is a photography only challenge. You do not need fancy equipment to participate; your mobile phone camera is more than enough.
Your chosen palette should have at least 3 colours.
Use #Holi2026 among your tags.
Link the chosen colour palette with proper credit in the description of your submission.
Submit your entry to the contest folder. Membership to the @Community group is required to submit to the folder. All membership requests are automatically accepted.
Your work should be created specifically for this contest, which means no work submitted before March 03, 2026.
You may submit as many entries as you like, but only one of them may win a prize.
AI and AI-assisted images are not eligible for this challenge.
STARTS: March 03, 2026
ENDS: March 18, 2026 11:59 PM (UTC -07:00) (What time is that for me?)
There will be 3 winners, each of whom will win:
1,000 from @Community
Diamond badge from @morbidman187, @BeckyKidus, or @AlexanderPaupoff
Hype badge from @KizukiTamura
Quartz badge from @Olgola, @KizukiTamura, @morbidman187, and @AlexanderPaupoff
Journal feature from @KizukiTamura
Would you like to contribute a prize? Drop a comment below or DM @AlexanderPaupoff
#community #challenge #photohunt #photography #holi2026 #holi #contest #news
Cover image: Canva
What is Holi?
Holi is a Hindu festival. It celebrates Spring, love, colours, and the victory of good over evil. You can find out more about it here.
What is a photo hunt?
A photo hunt in the context of this challenge is a scavenger hunt. Once you pick a palette, you must take photographs that are focused on each of the colours of your chosen palette. For instance, if your palette is made up of 3 colours - blue, yellow, and black - you must look for objects (or subjects) to photograph that are of those colours and shades. Once you have a photograph for each of the colours of your palette, you must organise them into a collage and submit them per the rules of this challenge.
Do I have to use one of the palettes featured in this journal?
No. You can use any free-to-use palette available on DeviantArt.
Can I use any palette for this contest?
You can use any palette on DeviantArt that you have permission to use. Check for palettes that are marked 'free'/ 'free to use'/ 'F2U'/ 'FTU', etc.
Can I create my own palette for this contest?
Yes, provided it is uploaded separately as a free-to-use resource, in keeping with the spirit of the festival.
Where can I find palettes on DeviantArt?
You can search for 'free palettes' or check out dedicated groups, such as @Palettes and @Color-Palettes.
What kind of equipment will I need for this contest?
Your mobile phone camera is just fine.
How do I make a collage of the photos I click?
There are numerous dedicated collage maker apps and services available that you can use, like Picsart Collage Maker and Canva. You can also use InCollage (available on the Apple App Store) for your iOs device, or the built in collage tools on your android phone or Google Photos.
Can I upload the individual photographs?
Yes, of course! You can upload the individual photographs to your gallery or after your collage in a multi-image upload.
Are collaborations allowed?
Yes! But collaborators must decide who will submit to the contest and represent the submission.
Can I use AI to create my entry?
No, this challenge will not accept AI-generated or AI-assisted content. Entries made with AI-assistance will be summarily declined.
What if my entry is flagged as possibly AI-assisted?
All submissions to the contest folder will be carefully reviewed to ensure no AI-assisted work is accepted. If an entry raises concerns about possible AI involvement and doesn't pass review, it will not be accepted. All decisions are final; we don't have the bandwidth to accommodate discussions or appeals regarding declined entries.
Why has my submission to the contest folder not been accepted yet?
Since submissions are manually handled, there might be a delay. You submission request will not expire and will always be responded to before the contest is closed.
Is NSFW allowed?
No.
Each month, Community Groups across DeviantArt host creative challenges for their members, offering an opportunity to earn that month’s shared Profile badge.
Make art inspired by change, reflection, and the creative momentum that carries us from one season to the next. Experiment and capture the flow of transition in your work!
Participate in any of the challenges listed above and follow the instructions in that Group’s journal. When you’re done creating and ready to submit your deviation, make sure to include #ArtinMotion under Tags before submission.
Once your deviation’s live, you can confirm that you’ve earned the badge by visiting the About tab on your Profile.
Here are two things to check:
Typos, a badge enthusiast’s worst enemy!
Make sure the tag was included the first time you submitted your piece. If you added it later, the badge won’t trigger, so you’ll need to delete and resubmit your deviation.
Everything looks correct, but still no badge? Submit a Help Desk ticket and our team will happily take a look!
ℹ️ This Profile badge is earned through community challenges hosted by DeviantArt Ambassadors. While different Ambassador-led Groups may offer similar challenges, each month’s shared badge can only be earned once.
You’re welcome to participate in as many challenges as you like!
Keep an eye out for next month’s Community Group challenges and a brand-new theme! ✨
