[Student Profile]
[Prompt & Essay]
As a kid, I was obsessed with the television program “How It’s Made”. For the uninitiated, the show explores how everyday objects like bubblegum, rice cookers, or electric guitars are created. I loved hearing engineers describe the evolution of the manufacturing processes. Watching this show lit a fire in me. I wanted to create something that would improve people’s lives or create a sense of delight.
Freshman year, I finally got my chance. It was a tough year for me. Feeling marginalized as one of only four girls on my robotics team, I also struggled to find friends in my massive school. Sitting alone at lunch is the worst feeling in the world when you are 15, so I started eating in the library to escape the hour of torture. Here, I entered the world of zines. Art and books had long been my greatest loves in life, and so it was a revelation to discover these self-published magazines featuring artwork, fanfiction, and comics. In zines, I connected with people that loved the same things I did and found acceptance. By the time summer rolled around, I had contributed to enough zines that I realized I was ready to take the next step; I was going to launch my own zine.
However, I soon discovered that zines are hard work. Contacting countless zine moderators to learn about the production process, I was regularly warned not to take this on. While teenagers are common in the zine scene, more often than not, they end up running their zines into the ground due to lack of time, inexperience with money, and irresponsibility.
I got hate messages because people thought I was too young. One artist tried to sabotage me, falsely accusing me of stealing her idea. It felt like I was failing before I’d even started. However, I refused to give up and give in to all those who thought I couldn’t take on such an ambitious project.
Coming up with content was the biggest problem. I needed to source and select artists to help me fill the pages. After a competitive application process, I selected 50 artists and writers and set up regularly scheduled editorial and planning meetings. To implement this well, I had to command enough respect to keep the contributors on schedule. All summer, I monitored the pace of development so that by August, we were ready to publish our first edition.
Two weeks before the print deadline, a few of the artists informed me that they would not complete their submissions on time, leaving me with content gaps. Thinking that we were doomed, I put out a call through social media to secure replacement artists. Disaster struck again when my printer stopped responding to emails. Countless calls later, I received an upgraded service at a discounted price, and we were ready to roll. Once finished, orders rolled in for the zine. My hard work was validated at last, and the feedback was positive. Despite a roller coaster of ups and downs, I had delivered a zine that people loved!
Creation can be challenging; not everyone will embrace your vision. However, I’ve learned the value of overcoming obstacles and self-doubt. It took me a summer of design to recognize that I am a community builder, a problem solver, an entrepreneur, an artist, and a quintessentially inspired “How It’s Made” fan. Yes, I’ll always be a bit quirky, maybe even a little unpredictable, but this project helped me build the confidence and connection I needed to walk back into the lunchroom.