pixels to paper
I often wonder how to reimagine some of my blog posts, thoughts, and musings into tactile form.
Blogs are ephemeral. Posts get buried in feeds and archives. While there's a certain freedom in knowing each post represents a fresh start, this reminded me of a post I wrote echoing a blogger's thoughts on the transient nature of writing on the web.
Ironically, when I tried to click on the writer's original post, I discovered it was gone. There's something so sad about these digital ghosts that fade away with zero warning. There've been other posts, too, that I've counted on for inspiration and comfort, only to discover that they've been deleted and lost to the internet underworld.
Over the years, a few other of my favorite bloggers have deleted their entire blogs, and it felt like losing a comfort-crutch.
Maybe that's why physical zines are so important. They offer a permanent artifact of your work, thoughts, state of mind. A paper capsule. Something to hold in your hands. Something to pull off the shelf when you'd like to revisit someone's world.
Zines offer connections through offline spaces.
Last night, we had a huge snowstorm with blinding lightning and sky rumbles. It was 2 am, and the doggo was panting and pacing, so I decided to get my notebook out and freeflow some writing. I ended up thinking of zines, of course, lol. Compiling lists is my jam and perhaps a soothing activity.
Here are a few zine ideas :)
Gather best of writing pieces from your blog, maybe around a specific blog category.
Annual review that captures your blog's evolution. Style, writing tone, and subject matter. Document how you're evolving as a writer.
One-page zine about daily observations from your day: sensory walks, drives, or transit commute. Think about visuals, smells, weather, and songs you heard.
Personal maps—charting emotional connections to physical places. Print out a map of your city (or draw it!), and pin/color/mark all the places you had an emotional experience. A breakup, returning to your childhood home, visiting a hospital room where you said goodbye to someone you loved, visiting a restaurant where you had a special milestone, or the spot you stood when you had a first kiss with someone.
Neighborhood history. Are there any cool stories, myths, facts, or famous happenings surrounding your home? What about the vibe of certain areas in your city?
MORE: I wrote a huge list of zine ideas for supporters on my ko-fi page if that interests you!
FURTHER READING: