{"id":1080,"date":"2025-11-12T07:44:10","date_gmt":"2025-11-12T08:44:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.texasalcohollicensing.com\/?p=1080"},"modified":"2025-11-13T16:00:28","modified_gmt":"2025-11-13T16:00:28","slug":"iamc26-challenge-step-7-the-schisme","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.texasalcohollicensing.com\/index.php\/2025\/11\/12\/iamc26-challenge-step-7-the-schisme\/","title":{"rendered":"IAMC26 Challenge &#8211; Step 7 : The Schisme"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n<figure data-align=\"center\" data-size=\"full\" data-id=\"tgJDsgpqaBzG6V0axFeVq\" data-version=\"v2\" data-type=\"image\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-id=\"tgJDsgpqaBzG6V0axFeVq\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\" data-src=\"http:\/\/www.texasalcohollicensing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/tgJDsgpqaBzG6V0axFeVq\"><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"text-xl\" data-toc-id=\"8481ce78-e5ba-4160-944f-77a3aecad851\" id=\"8481ce78-e5ba-4160-944f-77a3aecad851\">&#8220;The opposition is undeniable. But the keepers cannot agree.&#8221;<\/h2>\n<p>Every system has its shadow. Every rhythm faces silence.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"text-xl\" data-toc-id=\"90e8fae8-d4d8-4f6a-b177-70dbaf452de3\" id=\"90e8fae8-d4d8-4f6a-b177-70dbaf452de3\"><strong>Please read all instructions carefully before posting your work or asking any questions.<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>If you&#8217;ve missed previous steps, you can still enter. Catch up via these Links<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p>STEP 1: <a class=\"text-interactive hover:text-interactive-hovered\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/iamagcommunity.iamag.co\/announcements\/post\/iamc26-challenge-step-1---the-trace-ZiBzDMiEWIDDsSS\">The Trace<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>STEP 2: <a class=\"text-interactive hover:text-interactive-hovered\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/iamagcommunity.iamag.co\/announcements\/post\/iamc26-challenge-step-2---the-landform-vr4yGJ3LXrXvwn5\">The Landform<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>STEP 3: <a class=\"text-interactive hover:text-interactive-hovered\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/iamagcommunity.iamag.co\/announcements\/post\/iamc26-challenge-step-3---the-breathing-rite-ncJmRMkPDUubxtA\">The Breathing Rite<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>STEP 4: <a class=\"text-interactive hover:text-interactive-hovered\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/iamagcommunity.iamag.co\/announcements\/post\/iamc26-challenge---step-4---the-keepers-n38ekCKuu8ueWnN\">The Keepers<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>STEP 5 : <a class=\"text-interactive hover:text-interactive-hovered\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/iamagcommunity.iamag.co\/announcements\/post\/iamc26-challenge---step-5---the-network-i2wLgPWno6qUB0s\">The Network<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>STEP 6 : <a class=\"text-interactive hover:text-interactive-hovered\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/iamagcommunity.iamag.co\/announcements\/post\/iamc26-challenge---step-6---the-opposition-zzt4TzJZ31elTqx\">The Opposition<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"text-xl\" data-toc-id=\"5d53ca08-77ae-4f76-847e-0e5a3f7b1f5b\" id=\"5d53ca08-77ae-4f76-847e-0e5a3f7b1f5b\"><strong>Synopsis<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h2 class=\"text-xl\" data-toc-id=\"bf97099f-5fc1-4929-86bd-f062d45315cb\" id=\"bf97099f-5fc1-4929-86bd-f062d45315cb\">The opposition has been revealed. The threat is real.<\/h2>\n<p>But the network does not break from external force; it fractures from within.<\/p>\n<p>Some keepers strengthen their bonds. Others sever theirs.<br \/>Some sites adapt the breathing rite. Others refuse any change.<br \/>Some seek to understand the threat. Others prepare to resist it.<\/p>\n<p>The question is no longer &#8220;What threatens us?&#8221;<br \/>It becomes &#8220;Who are we?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>This is your world&#8217;s first internal division \u2014 a philosophical, strategic, or spiritual split that changes the network forever. Different approaches emerge. Competing rituals form. Sites diverge. The keepers, once unified in purpose, now face each other across an invisible boundary.<\/p>\n<p>The opposition created pressure. The schism is the response.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"text-xl\" data-toc-id=\"ac761df8-e00c-4a04-842a-8c30d9b0a80f\" id=\"ac761df8-e00c-4a04-842a-8c30d9b0a80f\"><strong>\ud83d\udd39 <\/strong>Focus: Division Through Choice<\/h2>\n<h2 class=\"text-xl\" data-toc-id=\"6b5037ef-b3df-4612-8358-9e801c4b7865\" id=\"6b5037ef-b3df-4612-8358-9e801c4b7865\">How does unity break?<\/h2>\n<p>The schism isn&#8217;t necessarily violent; it&#8217;s the moment when agreement becomes impossible.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p>Do some keepers embrace the opposition&#8217;s presence while others resist?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Does one faction strengthen the network, while another believes it should be dissolved?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Are there competing interpretations of the breathing rite&#8217;s purpose?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Has the opposition revealed a fundamental disagreement that was always there?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Show the split visually:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p>Two contrasting sites side-by-side (one adapted, one unchanged)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>A single site mid-transformation (old methods vs. new, visible tension)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Symbolic division (a broken connection, diverging paths, competing signals)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Keepers in confrontation (two approaches meeting at a boundary)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>The land itself reflects the fracture<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Don&#8217;t explain the entire conflict. Let the viewer sense the division through architecture, light, gesture, symbol, or the silence between sites.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"text-xl\" data-toc-id=\"b71711e1-8277-440e-bd40-6c83ec24087e\" id=\"b71711e1-8277-440e-bd40-6c83ec24087e\"><strong>Color + Mood<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3 class=\"text-lg\" data-toc-id=\"9d8844a1-4524-4fc5-bccf-4ef9103d1fbd\" id=\"9d8844a1-4524-4fc5-bccf-4ef9103d1fbd\">Your visual language now contains rupture.<\/h3>\n<p>How does your established palette express internal division?<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p>Do the two approaches use different colors, or has one side&#8217;s palette shifted?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Does the schism drain vibrancy, or does it create stark contrast?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Are there visual echoes of your earlier steps now appearing in opposition to each other?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Let color and composition show philosophical distance, not through chaos, but through divergence. This is a structured disagreement, not a collapse.<\/p>\n<p>The network still breathes. But not in unison.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"text-xl\" data-toc-id=\"200450b9-756f-485e-b437-6652d3a8642d\" id=\"200450b9-756f-485e-b437-6652d3a8642d\"><strong>Meaning and Intention<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h2 class=\"text-xl\" data-toc-id=\"a2ccc14b-09ad-4c4f-b531-48f0c8fe1ec4\" id=\"a2ccc14b-09ad-4c4f-b531-48f0c8fe1ec4\">In 1\u20133 sentences:<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p>What divides the keepers or the network?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>What are the two (or more) approaches that have emerged?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>How does this schism relate to the opposition you established in Step 6?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Keep the conflict ideological, mysterious, inevitable. A schism isn&#8217;t a villain; it&#8217;s a choice that cannot be unmade.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"text-xl\" data-toc-id=\"4dccb0b4-e8dd-4584-b47c-6905cef57c92\" id=\"4dccb0b4-e8dd-4584-b47c-6905cef57c92\"><strong>\u26a0\ufe0f Avoid:<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p>Showing a complete battle or war scene<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Making it simple, &#8220;good vs. evil&#8221;,  both sides should have valid reasoning<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Over-explaining the division, show it through contrast, not exposition<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Creating generic factions unless they serve your world&#8217;s logic<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Forgetting your previous steps, the schism must emerge from what you&#8217;ve built<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"text-xl\" data-toc-id=\"5ec49fca-88fb-4d26-93b1-ab63818e5e51\" id=\"5ec49fca-88fb-4d26-93b1-ab63818e5e51\"><strong>Step 7 Checklist<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>\u2705 One image depicting the schism, division, or contrasting approaches<br \/>\u2705 Consistent or evolving visual identity from Steps 1-6<br \/>\u2705 1\u20133 sentence description<br \/>\u2705 Optional: contrasting rituals, divided sites, keeper confrontations, symbolic breaks<\/p>\n<p>\u26a0\ufe0f <strong>Tag your post: Challenge Step 7<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>\ud83d\udcca Scoring &amp; Timeline<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"text-xl\" data-toc-id=\"78af000e-e365-432d-9f37-1a244209ed8d\" id=\"78af000e-e365-432d-9f37-1a244209ed8d\"><strong>Scoring &amp; Timeline<\/strong><\/h2>\n<table style=\"width: 240px\" class=\"w-fit min-w-(--thread-content-width)\">\n<colgroup>\n<col style=\"width: 120px\" \/>\n<col style=\"width: 120px\" \/><\/colgroup>\n<tbody>\n<tr class=\"isolation-auto\">\n<th class=\"relative bg-background border text-left font-bold p-2 [&amp;_p]:m-0\" style=\"width: 120px;min-width: 120px\" rowspan=\"1\" colspan=\"1\">\n<p>Category<\/p>\n<\/th>\n<th class=\"relative bg-background border text-left font-bold p-2 [&amp;_p]:m-0\" style=\"width: 120px;min-width: 120px\" rowspan=\"1\" colspan=\"1\">\n<p>Points<\/p>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"isolation-auto\">\n<td class=\"relative border p-2 min-h-6 align-top [&amp;_p]:m-0\" rowspan=\"1\" colspan=\"1\">\n<p>Visual Quality<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td class=\"relative border p-2 min-h-6 align-top [&amp;_p]:m-0\" rowspan=\"1\" colspan=\"1\">\n<p>10 pts<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"isolation-auto\">\n<td class=\"relative border p-2 min-h-6 align-top [&amp;_p]:m-0\" rowspan=\"1\" colspan=\"1\">\n<p>Creativity \/ Concept<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td class=\"relative border p-2 min-h-6 align-top [&amp;_p]:m-0\" rowspan=\"1\" colspan=\"1\">\n<p>10 pts<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"isolation-auto\">\n<td class=\"relative border p-2 min-h-6 align-top [&amp;_p]:m-0\" rowspan=\"1\" colspan=\"1\">\n<p>Jury Score (avg.)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td class=\"relative border p-2 min-h-6 align-top [&amp;_p]:m-0\" rowspan=\"1\" colspan=\"1\">\n<p>15 pts<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"isolation-auto\">\n<td class=\"relative border p-2 min-h-6 align-top [&amp;_p]:m-0\" rowspan=\"1\" colspan=\"1\">\n<p>Bonus Content<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td class=\"relative border p-2 min-h-6 align-top [&amp;_p]:m-0\" rowspan=\"1\" colspan=\"1\">\n<p>+3 pts<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2 class=\"text-xl\" data-toc-id=\"0c007132-63a2-4b49-86c5-5e9b8cef1b96\" id=\"0c007132-63a2-4b49-86c5-5e9b8cef1b96\"><strong>\ud83d\udd17 SPECIAL NOTE: Connected Challenge<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h2 class=\"text-xl\" data-toc-id=\"0d260e4f-5cb1-4c47-abbe-6611779896e8\" id=\"0d260e4f-5cb1-4c47-abbe-6611779896e8\">Connected Challenge Arc<\/h2>\n<p>Steps 6 and 7 complete a two-step narrative arc. The opposition you established in Step 6 directly informs the schism in Step 7.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Extended Deadline for Steps 1-7:<\/strong><br \/>All steps from 1 to 7 can be submitted until December 8th, 5:00 PM CET.<\/p>\n<p><strong>New Participant Entry:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Artists entering the challenge for the first time at this stage (who have not submitted any previous steps) may join with a 5-point total penalty (approximately 1.8% of the maximum possible score of 280 points).<\/p>\n<p>\u26a0\ufe0f IMPORTANT: To be eligible, new participants must submit ALL steps from 1 through 7 before the December 8th deadline. Partial submissions (Step 7 only, or Steps 6-7 only) will not be eligible for scoring. The complete journey from trace to schism is required.<\/p>\n<p>Holiday Break:<\/p>\n<p>After Step 7, the challenge will pause for the holidays.<br \/>Step 8 will open: January 5th, 2026<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"text-xl\" data-toc-id=\"8863f9af-8db7-4a7f-94fc-727f9a55b68e\" id=\"8863f9af-8db7-4a7f-94fc-727f9a55b68e\"><strong>Submission Instructions<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p>One submission per artist<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Upload to the <a class=\"text-interactive hover:text-interactive-hovered\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/iamagcommunity.iamag.co\/submit-your-entry-ax0xahgk\">Submit an IAMC26 Entry space<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Use any format or dimensions<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Include your written description in the caption<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Tag with: Challenge Step 6<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a class=\"text-interactive hover:text-interactive-hovered\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/iamagcommunity.iamag.co\/announcements\/post\/iamc26-challenge---official-rules-and-terms-of-participation-vH4GoVO1DWaC1Pu\">General Rules and FAQ, available here<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Questions? <a class=\"text-interactive hover:text-interactive-hovered\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/iamagcommunity.iamag.co\/questions-wjrf61o8\">Use the IAMC26 Challenge Q&amp;A space.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;The opposition is undeniable. But the keepers cannot agree.&#8221; Every system has its shadow. Every rhythm faces silence. Please read all instructions carefully before posting <a href=\"http:\/\/www.texasalcohollicensing.com\/index.php\/2025\/11\/12\/iamc26-challenge-step-7-the-schisme\/\" class=\"read-more-link\">[Read More&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1082,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1080","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-inspiration"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.texasalcohollicensing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1080","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.texasalcohollicensing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.texasalcohollicensing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.texasalcohollicensing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.texasalcohollicensing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1080"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.texasalcohollicensing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1080\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1083,"href":"http:\/\/www.texasalcohollicensing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1080\/revisions\/1083"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.texasalcohollicensing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1082"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.texasalcohollicensing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1080"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.texasalcohollicensing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1080"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.texasalcohollicensing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1080"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}