Zine Scene

I want to talk for a moment about self publishing. Sure you can blog, tweet, or facebook your ideas to the world on the internet, but there's nothing more satisfying than holding your own published work in your hands. That's why I'm a huge fan of zines. It's hard for me to define a zine, so check out the Wikipedia entry on zines for a better idea.

Anything you're passionate about can be turned into a zine. If you don't fancy yourself a writer, you don't have to use words. You can draw a comic or showcase your art. Seriously--I can't stress this enough--there are no wrong answers when it comes to making a zine.

This last year pretty much all I did was paint my nails, so I wrote a zine about it. As I was in the final stage of finishing up my zine (just in time for the Portland Zine Symposium, which PZ proudly sponsored this year!), I unpacked the store's shipment of Halloween punches from Martha Stewart. The drippy goo punch had my name all over it! It was like Martha sent this punch to the store just for me.

Drippy Goo in full effect on the "helpful art tips" page of my zine. Just because we can tweet our every thought for all the world to hear, doesn't mean we should forget about the printed page. It's like the difference between an e-vite in your inbox and getting a beautiful handmade invitation delivered to your front door. They're both important, but some occasions call for a little extra attention to detail. If you're interested in learning more about making your own zines, pick up this very helpful book, Stolen Sharpie Revolution, and head on over to the PZ to see what you can come up with!

--Mayzie, Portland Paper Zone