I love physical publications. I melt in a library, am an anti-Kindle type and am always keen to buy a new independent magazine to the small but growing collection. I had heard of zines but wasn’t aware of how much they offer in terms of creative potential. True creativity, too.

The possibilities are endless and I can appreciate how unpolished they look, mostly as they aren’t made to win over a mass audience, it’s a personal little project that can be used to express, well, anything that you want to- a thought, an interest, emotion. Zines can stem from something political and powerful, or a love of cake.

In fashion and art, it can be hard to put together something original, particularly when you’re trying to design something that’s aesthetically thought out and ends up looking beautiful and put together. The limitless nature of zines allow for freedom to be more original as it doesn’t need to be perfectly laid out or executed, in fact, it would be going against the style of zines, and the attitudes of the punks who helped them increase emerge into Britain’s culture in the 70s. They were an important tool for them to spread information and express their passionate views.

From a personal point of view, I’m excited to create my own zines because it forces me out of my usual habits of overthinking and scrutinising the way I’m putting things together. Scrapbooking has already seemed completely foreign to me. I feel as if I have to let go a bit and become experimental, going with whatever feels right and not abiding by design rules. This will really benefit me as a creative and aid me with my work going forward, even when I’m reverting back to more familiar techniques.