In about two weeks' time, I made four simple 8-page zines. This nice little exercise has opened many doors and broken many blocks for me. Please listen, I am a full-time art teacher and in my spare time, I am an artist. It took me years to overcome artist block and actually start my work.
Creating a simple eight-page zine taught me so much about bookmaking and storytelling.
If you don't know what chapbooks and zines are, you are not alone. They are small books and magazines that are often: "self-published". Typically they are published on copy machines at home. Zines have a dedicated following of "zinesters" that make, trade and buy other zines.
I made this zine in about an hour. I made about 50 copies to share. I gave one to the John Dwyer the lead singer of Thee Oh Sees, cuz I keep them in my fanny pack.
One thing that has been great about learning how to make zines, is now I realize I can finally use the poetry I have written over the past few years and create zines and chapbooks with them. All while using my visual art as a vehicle to express and illustrate them.
My brain wasn't making the connection between writing a book and art because my hands weren't making the connection first. Everything changed after I created my first poetry zine, Remote Control Civil War. Let me explain…
I always felt that poetry was something different and separate from what I was doing as an ‘artist’ and for whatever reason, I never made the connection. Poetry and art seemed like two separate worlds, two separate places, two types of paper that could never mix together… now I know that is not true.
With zines, I feel a whole new world has opened up for me and I want to make many many more. I have over 10 years' worth of journals and sketchbooks full of poems and writing (and other far-out ideas and creations)…
Until I MADE SOMETHING and DID THE WORK, my mind couldn’t make the connection. I can be a collage artist AND a poet. I can be a collage artist AND make comic strips.
Making things is the most important part of being an artist is the act of making. Being good is also not important. Doing, making, learning. That’s important. Expression and exploration through craft.
I think what is so helpful about zine making is that the idea of making small eight-page books is very disarming compared to its alternative: PUBLISH YOUR FIRST BOOK AND MAKE OPRAH AND STEVEN KING WEAP IMMEDIATELY. (at least that is how my brain works)
Do you want to make a book? Make a tiny one today. Finish it, today. Do you want to get more readers for your poetry? Give them your tiny book. Let your ideas propagate. Let them spread. Isn't that more important than perfecting them? Our job as an artist is first to get the idea out of our heads and into the tangible world. The next most important step is to share it. Make the whole process easier for yourself: I recommend making a simple 8-page zine.
Zine making was never and is still not my ultimate goal. However, I know in my bones that it is helping me get there. I am now writing my full-length book confident, un-blocked, and confident.
-Red Wizard
About Me
Red Wizard is a contemporary collage artist and NYS certified teacher from Buffalo, New York. His past clients include Mountain Dew, OLFA, and Liten Buffel Winery.