This is uplifting, well done T and D! That info ‘chalet’ is so lucky to benefit from your deposited prints and zines and will be the richer for them. Looks like you’ve received some interesting pieces of graphics too.
This is inspirational. I have been busy as Hec. Hec who you might ask and why is he so busy? But I digress. I'm busy creating a new life for myself and to some extent, it's working. But one thing that has fallen by the wayside is printing. I bought the printer before Christmas with the best of intentions, but it seems to be the last thing I get around to. Somewhere behind not keeping up with my Substack subscriptions or invoicing my web host clients. I've been thinking about Zines for a while, but haven't been sure where to start. Giving them away might just be the answer I am looking for. I'm sure our local cafe would be interested as would the members of my grief group. I certainly wouldn't be doing it for the money, so the benefits remain to be seen, but I am encouraged by your enthusiasm and how you feel it brings positive energy into your life. Yes, please. I want more of that.
Hi John! There are some beautiful zines out there that people rightly charge money for and who knows, maybe one day we'll make some of those. I feel so strapped financially right now and know that I am not alone, so why not put something out there as a gift for others to receive instead of a something we need to sell? Also the design is pretty casual and low budget... and that takes the pressure off of it, for me, big time. I figured out the layout with folded paper and pencil and didn't obsess about it being perfect. I just made it and got it out there and then had a template to work from to make another. And we have refined it from there. I will say too we are using inexpensive paper that we found at a local art school that was selling leftover materials from their classes. The initial prints given away were prints I had already made and didn't sell at that disastrous crafts fair we attended in November. I already had the protective sleeves. All I'm saying is that it doesn't have to be a big lift to make a zine. Low pressure, low budget, but lots of positive energy as you so rightly point out. I love that you have been busy creating a new life for yourself, now THAT is inspirational.
Thanks Diana. I hear you with the tight finances. Hopefully a few more zine takers will be lead to print sales. Buying a new house and property is no picnic. Fingers crossed for you to build on what you have over the next few years. I spent part of the morning looking at zine folding techniques on YT. Some very clever designs from a single sheet of 8.5x11.
I've used the single sheet format for a zine that I produced in an edition of twelve. The edition was based on the zodiac system, so you could, for example, have purchased Leo/12. I charged $8 per, including postage, and have sold half of them. I loved doing it, kept my hands and mind busy for a day, and I don't mind that I've received money for them. I'd have been perfectly happy to give them away, too. But I like the fact of assigning some modest quantitative value to them, so that those who acquire the zine will recognize that the work is valuable. I will make a new zine in a "rainbow" edition of 7 (ROYGBIV). I like the idea of using the mail for distribution, too. Payment comes in via Venmo. So I cover my costs and get some signed, editioned pieces out to the world. A satisfying little economy. If only I could scale up...
I'm so inspired by this post! Making a zine has been on my bucket list forever, and I feel moved to finally check it off. I hate my photo printer, though - it's slow, eats ink, and never gets the colors quite right. Would you be willing to share which one you use?
Hi Parikha - happy to share! We are using the Epson P700, and it's definitely doing the job for us both for our smaller photography prints (13 x 19" and smaller) and the zines too. Thanks so much for your comment, I hope you can make the zine happen!
Thanks Emily! I like to imagine tourists coming through on a rainy day, their plans dashed by the weather, and they get a little treat in the info booth and a souvenir to being back from their trip too!
Awesome! Sure it doesn't pay the bills but I guess this is way more satisfying than anything else 👍 Btw you can start a similar thing like Ted Forbes does on his The Art Of Photography channel showing all the great thing people send you 😄😉
It really is. If you are interested in digging in more, The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer will spell it out for you, and Fruition Seeds changed their whole business model to be a gifting practice. Really eye-opening and thought provoking ideas here...
Wow, well done! I love what you did with your approach to the zines. Such a great way to get the word out and not worrying about what happens to the work. It just lives on however it does.
Thank you, Tim! It feels like the beginning of something, and in the meantime I feel a lot of freedom around gifting work in this way. We'll see what happens from here!
This is uplifting, well done T and D! That info ‘chalet’ is so lucky to benefit from your deposited prints and zines and will be the richer for them. Looks like you’ve received some interesting pieces of graphics too.
Ha yes, it is an info chalet! We are in and out of that place at least 4 times a week - it is so cute and well situated.
This makes my heart sing! 🩷
Thanks for the inspiration, Jen and the permission to just MAKE.
If there's anything for me to be proud of - it's that darn signature. Lol.
Seriously a work of art!
Took hours of work 😂
I love all of this so much!
Thanks, Davin!
Happy to see the cards arrived!
Loved getting them, truly! And I'm guessing you rounded the corners yourself based on your recent video and that makes them all the more special.
Chris is a great exponent of the gift practice. He and I have traded cards. And if you like his card, you may really like his book!
This is inspirational. I have been busy as Hec. Hec who you might ask and why is he so busy? But I digress. I'm busy creating a new life for myself and to some extent, it's working. But one thing that has fallen by the wayside is printing. I bought the printer before Christmas with the best of intentions, but it seems to be the last thing I get around to. Somewhere behind not keeping up with my Substack subscriptions or invoicing my web host clients. I've been thinking about Zines for a while, but haven't been sure where to start. Giving them away might just be the answer I am looking for. I'm sure our local cafe would be interested as would the members of my grief group. I certainly wouldn't be doing it for the money, so the benefits remain to be seen, but I am encouraged by your enthusiasm and how you feel it brings positive energy into your life. Yes, please. I want more of that.
Hi John! There are some beautiful zines out there that people rightly charge money for and who knows, maybe one day we'll make some of those. I feel so strapped financially right now and know that I am not alone, so why not put something out there as a gift for others to receive instead of a something we need to sell? Also the design is pretty casual and low budget... and that takes the pressure off of it, for me, big time. I figured out the layout with folded paper and pencil and didn't obsess about it being perfect. I just made it and got it out there and then had a template to work from to make another. And we have refined it from there. I will say too we are using inexpensive paper that we found at a local art school that was selling leftover materials from their classes. The initial prints given away were prints I had already made and didn't sell at that disastrous crafts fair we attended in November. I already had the protective sleeves. All I'm saying is that it doesn't have to be a big lift to make a zine. Low pressure, low budget, but lots of positive energy as you so rightly point out. I love that you have been busy creating a new life for yourself, now THAT is inspirational.
Thanks Diana. I hear you with the tight finances. Hopefully a few more zine takers will be lead to print sales. Buying a new house and property is no picnic. Fingers crossed for you to build on what you have over the next few years. I spent part of the morning looking at zine folding techniques on YT. Some very clever designs from a single sheet of 8.5x11.
I've used the single sheet format for a zine that I produced in an edition of twelve. The edition was based on the zodiac system, so you could, for example, have purchased Leo/12. I charged $8 per, including postage, and have sold half of them. I loved doing it, kept my hands and mind busy for a day, and I don't mind that I've received money for them. I'd have been perfectly happy to give them away, too. But I like the fact of assigning some modest quantitative value to them, so that those who acquire the zine will recognize that the work is valuable. I will make a new zine in a "rainbow" edition of 7 (ROYGBIV). I like the idea of using the mail for distribution, too. Payment comes in via Venmo. So I cover my costs and get some signed, editioned pieces out to the world. A satisfying little economy. If only I could scale up...
I'm so inspired by this post! Making a zine has been on my bucket list forever, and I feel moved to finally check it off. I hate my photo printer, though - it's slow, eats ink, and never gets the colors quite right. Would you be willing to share which one you use?
Hi Parikha - happy to share! We are using the Epson P700, and it's definitely doing the job for us both for our smaller photography prints (13 x 19" and smaller) and the zines too. Thanks so much for your comment, I hope you can make the zine happen!
Thank you so much!
Beautiful and inspiring!
Thank you, Susanne!
Love this so much. These zines sound like a real treat for those who stumble across them! 💙
Thanks Emily! I like to imagine tourists coming through on a rainy day, their plans dashed by the weather, and they get a little treat in the info booth and a souvenir to being back from their trip too!
Awesome! Sure it doesn't pay the bills but I guess this is way more satisfying than anything else 👍 Btw you can start a similar thing like Ted Forbes does on his The Art Of Photography channel showing all the great thing people send you 😄😉
The gift economy. Fascinating.
It really is. If you are interested in digging in more, The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer will spell it out for you, and Fruition Seeds changed their whole business model to be a gifting practice. Really eye-opening and thought provoking ideas here...
Mauss, and also Ted Gioia in his Substack very recently.
Ted Gioia: https://www.honest-broker.com/p/why-i-take-gifts-seriously?lli=1
The Serviceberry sounds like a must read.
Wow, well done! I love what you did with your approach to the zines. Such a great way to get the word out and not worrying about what happens to the work. It just lives on however it does.
Thank you, Tim! It feels like the beginning of something, and in the meantime I feel a lot of freedom around gifting work in this way. We'll see what happens from here!
Have you read Mauss' The Gift? An older text, but from what I've seen of it it seems fascinatingly on point with the implications of gift giving.