It’s 10:48 p.m. on a Tuesday night and I’ve only just returned home from putting Wednesday’s Herald to bed.

On the TV I managed to find “Gangs of New York,” on some channel deep in the Charter lineup. To the right of me I have Buster, one of our two cats, settling in for the night. To the left of me I have a beer. No, you aren’t reading some poor man’s attempt at being the next Hunter S. Thompson. I’m not so introspective as that, nor do I do the required drugs Hunter did.

Either way, the feel is right. Art.

Art is one of those things that can bind us all together. You could be in a room filled with people from different backgrounds and countries all speaking different languages and not understanding a word the other says, but we can all look at a Rembrandt, a Picaso or Da Vinci and know the beauty such talented hands could bring into the world.

That’s what makes this upcoming edition of Austin Living so much fun. May-June has hardly been on the shelves and here we are already looking ahead to the July-August edition. Not simply because it needs to be done anyway, but because of how special this issue is.

July-August is our Austin Expressions issue where we celebrate the art of Austin and the surrounding area. We write features on those in a variety of art mediums, but more importantly, we feature those pieces — both visual and written — sent in by our readers.

It’s a fine example of not only the talented artists we have in our area, but the art scene in general.

Over the recent years, an art scene that already had a considerable following in Austin has grown by leaps and bounds. The Austin ArtWorks Center has turned into a hub for the arts on Main Street, the Austin ArtWorks Festival continues to grow in just a short amount of time and  and existing things like Summerset Theatre and Austin Symphony Orchestra give everything a nice base on which to continue growing.

It’s part of why we take Austin Expressions and the stage it offers to artists of all kinds so seriously.

We get everything — photos, drawings, paintings, short stories and poems, just to name a few. All are welcome to submit.

So, I sincerely urge you, if you have even the smallest artist itch, to take a look through your collection and see if there is anything you want to submit. I’m including below those requirements we have installed as well as instruction on how to do it.

Art is fun, not only for the people that are creating, but for those who can appreciate those works.

And if you haven’t already, stop on in and pick up the latest edition of what we have to offer in Austin Living.

How to submit

Submissions should be sent to photodesk@austindailyherald.com with “Austin Expression” in the subject line. Please include a short bio that includes ties to Austin/Mower County and be sure to include name and contact information (phone number and email) with submissions.

We are accepting essentially anything that can be printed or represented in a magazine format. If you’re not sure, submit anyway. Because of the high interest in the past we have extended the deadline to submit to May 25.

Visual pieces: Each piece must be submitted as print-ready .jpgs.

•Those items accepted include illustrations, photos, paintings, etc.

•We will also accept submissions of images of mixed media, sculptures, clay and other such pieces.

•Graphic novels: 1-2 page previews or snippets

•Please submit largest possible file sizes, even if that means sending photos in multiple emails.

Text: Must be submitted electronically either in the body of the email or .doc.

•Poetry/song lyrics

•Short fiction/nonfiction (up to 1,500 words)

•We would also take selected pieces from a larger book or work as long as they fit the guidelines [up to 1,500]