I made a Zine about Art Journaling
Every man’s work, whether it be literature or music or pictures or architecture or anything else, is always a portrait of himself.
Samuel Butler
I have wanted to do a zine of my own for a few years now. It’s been a longing in my chest that could not be silenced, that shouldn’t have to be silenced. Its not a big dream to make a small homemade publication, right? Everyone who loves to publish should have a go, at least once, that’s what I thought. I’ve hesitated to post about it for a while, but now its time. I have made a zine! Big news!
I wanted it to be mostly filled with my own writing and also a bit of professional layout. I am a writer at heart after all – among many things. I chose a subject that I?m passionate about, Art Journaling, and opened a document and started writing. Just wrote, and then wrote some more. I’ve already noticed on my blog that when I start to write about this subject I’ve got a lot to say!
My zine is very personal. It has a very distinct iHanna tone and it’s about how I got started with Art Journaling, a bit about my process of filling a page and what it has come to mean to me. Me me me, yes it’s true. It?s my personal Art Journaling Story so to speak, and I realize I could?ve done this zine in many ways, but my story is as good as any and it?s the one I know best. Start where you are, and right now I?m here. With a huge love for mixed media art created inside a bound book, and a willingness to share that love with you and the rest of the world. So why not publish a zine?
Set your goals
I read a lot about setting goals and how important it is to your success. In Lisa Sonora Beam’s book The Creative Entrepreneur she talks about being SMART about your goals. That means your goals should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound. I think that is so smart! My goal while making a zine were simple but huge (and oh, I never set time boundaries and that is a big problem, but anyway…):
1) to write extensively about a topic that I?m passionate about (the first issue is about my love for visual journaling, next issue if there is one might be about something else)
2) to experiment with desktop publishing and layout (I made my first zine using Adobe InDesign)
3) to make a interesting & fun little publication that you would want to save and maybe even keep & re-read (zines are such a cool art form)
and
4) to give the reader a lot of information and ideas away from the computer (oh, yummy text), something that inspires (including prompts, ideas, images and words, but still keep it b/w and simple)!
Illustration close up.
I must say I’m both excited and proud about my first zine. Inspired by zine-sisters (like Sister Diane who makes a Christmas Digest, a zine for her friends each December, and by Alma Stoller who crafts her beautiful Odd Ball Charm among a few others) I?ve longed to make a zine of my own for years! I know many of you have this dream too. For me the time to make one was now. Participating and signing up for the zine swap at iheartzines.com helped push me to get going and to finish a zine. Plus, I got mail art zines and other cool zines about art in the mail which was a big bonus!
A bonus in each zine is always fun. In my zine you’ll get some fun papers to play with, each zine will be slightly different and you might get pages from Swedish interior design magazines, pieces of wall paper, vintage labels, prints, or some other bits and pieces from my (too large) stash of papers. I hope they will evoke you to do some collage play in your own Art Journal.
A peak inside. This is the table of content on the right and the Editor’s (thats me!) Letter! :-)
Please note that the zine I made for the swap was printed at home but the copies I’m selling will be photocopies in black and white print only! Although when printing it again I couldn’t resist using colored papers here and there… hehe. Just for fun.
I will write more about the process of making this zine next week! For now, feel free to order your copy in my Etsy Shop, I just added it this week. :-)
More spreads from the zine:
SuziBlu inspired portrait
My favorite things
You can write about anything in your journal!
Last spread in the zine.
I ordered my copy of the zine, and can’t wait to receive it! Also looking forward to learning more about the process! Thanks so much for sharing your creativity with us, iHannah.
Oh, I want! *eyes bank account* My artjournaling has been sadly slack lately, and I could use inspiration.
I’ve had blog readers tell me I should write a book on t-shirt reconstruction lately, and I’ve been considering a zine instead, if only because I’ve heard multiple people say they’ve taken a loss working with publishers, particularly in the craft book market (t-shirt books are particularly saturated, I think). Zine-wise, I’m at a bit of a loss on getting started (I’ve got all sorts of excuses, though).
ooh beautiful! i can’t wait to see it :)
It looks wonderful! You’re always so inspiring ;) thank you
I can’t wait to get my copy! And to start my own after that!
Hugs,
Sophie
If you’re selling BW photocopies and as I see from the Etsy is already sold out, how about a full-colored .pdf for us foreigners? :) We’d love that!
Darn – that went fast!
Congratulations on achieving one of your goals :)
Very cool ! I especially love that it is distinctively Hanna in its voice and content. And it sold out too!!! I want one….will you reload ?
Here’s to listening to those creative voices loud and clear ! You go girl !!!!
Jag s?g zinet i din etsy-shop i veckan, och drabbades av ett enormt ha-beg?r. Jag kan tyv?rr inte k?pa det nu, s? jag h?ller tummarna f?r att det kommer att finnas kvar ett ex till mig i slutet av m?naden… Jag h?ller ocks? p? med ett zine, tanken ?r ocks? att s?lja det p? etsy n?r det ?r klart – du ?r definitivt en av mina stora zine-inspirationer!
ACK!! They are sold out!!! :((( Will you be making more?
Thanks everyone, you’re too kind!
Corvus, why not join the I love zine swap? It will give you a deadline and get you started. I’d love to read a zine about t-shirt re-designing for sure!
Everyone: I’ve re-listed the zine, check out my etsy shop. Thank you!
Yay!!! I just ordered one last night and can’t wait to get it!!! xoxo
Hi Hanna! Do you plan to do this zine as a e-zine too? It seems really wonderful, but till I can’t make money transfers through the net, then… I would be still interested in your story.
I just received mine today – so excited. It’s beautiful and absolutely inspirational!
Oh, Hanna, I love the fact that it’s so personal! I read it cover to cover as soon as I got it, and loved looking at and feeling all the papers you included! I haven’t done any collaging since my trip, but your zine is a great inspiration and nurturing of taking papers and having FUN!
Thanks for taking this plunge!
Hi, I just stumbled across your blog by accident and it is amazing! :) Very inspiring. I’m currently in the process of making a zine as a college project and was searching art zines on the web and found this, I will definatley come back and look through everything again cos I thought it was brilliant! Just thought I’d let you know :) x
i just bought a copy! YAY!!
justine
What a fabulous idea…I love zines… please add more to the shop! :)
Just found this post today. Is there any way I can get a copy of your zine, either in PDF or hard copy form? I didn’t see any in your Etsy shoppe. Thanks so much!