On Saturday, September 6th, Atlanta artist Catlanta created six “Cat Lanterns” and hid them around the Beltline Lantern Parade.  Those who found the lanterns Tweeted, Facebooked and Instragrammed pictures of themselves with the Cat Lantern and #TEDxPT for a chance to win two free tickets to the event. Well, it’s happening again!

On Friday 9/19 – Sunday 9/21 Catlanta will be hiding six new Cat Lanterns for people to find. Again, if you find one, Tweet, FB or Instagram a picture of yourself with the Cat with #TEDxPT for a chance to win two tickets to TEDxPeachtree.

We were able to ask Catlanta a few questions about why he does what he does!

When did you begin?  And what was the genesis of the creating, hiding and giving away your cats?

I somewhat accidentally began Catlanta during the snowstorm of 2011. Bored and off work, I illegally painted a few cats I had been doodling for years around the city with Catlanta written nearby. I saw that people were responding to the graffiti on social media outlets, and there that there was an opportunity to develop a character that the residents of Atlanta could both recognize and interact with. I wanted the full support of the city and was far from being a graffiti artist, so I quickly traded in the spray paint for a paintbrush and started creating works of art that people could find and take home using social networks.  The first time I left pieces of art around town, people quickly snatched them up, and I saw that there were people who appreciated this kind of art experience.

Our theme this year implies the discovery of something that was before unseen. Tell us about a pure unexpected change in your life that was the illumination of a revelation.

A few years ago when this project was just beginning, my car died and I was left without any form of transportation besides walking. Anyone who’s spent more than a layover at Hartsfield-Jackson knows that Atlanta isn’t very well-suited for the pedestrian, but I kept it up and spent hours walking to get to my destinations. Exploring Atlanta as a pedestrian completely changed my view of this city and helped me really fall in love with my environment. I’ve lived in or around Atlanta all my life, but had missed so much of the in-between using a car to get from one place to the next. I’m no longer solely a pedestrian, but that time has inspired my desire to continue to explore this city and everything it has to offer. I’ve since discovered nature preserves, historical sites, and abandoned properties that have been right in my backyard this whole time. Exploring your city in a new way can make your environment new and exciting all over again. No matter how long you’ve lived somewhere, there’s bound to be something you haven’t seen before.

At the end of the day, what is it about your work that keeps you going?  

The residents of Atlanta and beyond! If you can’t tell, I love this city and want to do my part to encourage folks to get out and explore where they live. I’ve gotten so much support and love from the people here that I feel like I gotta keep painting for them. I never set out to paint cats all the time, but I feel a sense of obligation to keep painting cats until everyone in the city who wants one, has one. I think I still have a ways to go…

Which talent would you most like to have?

The ability to cross everything off my daily to-do lists.