The process was ok for me. I was quite nervous because I am a perfectionist . Having all these tools laid out in front of me I wanted to strategically follow each video. It didn’t work out that way. I freely did it my own way, sometimes pausing the video or just going along with it as it played . I would consider myself a very crafty girl so I had made things by hand in my spare time or for a class . DIYs, collages , vision boards. I’m down. I like to follow my creative spirit. I think that’s when the best work comes . The videos definitely taught me patience and appreciate the book even more knowing this was a strategy of the past many have used. I think engaging with the material objects that compose books is to create an intimate relationship between readers , writers , and any type of creators. I always had a deep appreciation of the book as content but not as materiality so this altered a new level of connection for me . Being able to be a part of the book production gives people a sense of possession and will hold the book to greater value. I think people are driven to zines because as the video states it allows “creative freedom .” Books are works of arts and are based on elaborate ideas. When one has no code to follow they make their ideas as inventive and authentically true to themselves. Zines seem different from pamphlets, magazines and even artist books. I feel like zines can incorporate all the elements of those forms and make their own twist. The role digital media plays in making this kind of embodied work possible is an efficiently quick one . Everything is more accessible and once on the internet it is spread through millions on several platforms. Anyone can DIY at their own pace .I think it would’ve been better to learn how to bind papers in real life. It creates discipline and more respect for book making .It takes a lot to record a successful how-to/instructional video like Joanna’s or the Making a Zine. Such as patience , knowledge of the practice ,actual modeling and being able to do it themselves , proper recording and resources .
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Hi Diamond,
I really enjoyed reading your post! I get how being a perfectionist can cause nervousness in a project like this, I was really worried I would mess it up! I think it’s great that you have so much hands-on experience with craftwork. That knowledge certainly seems like it would be beneficial for this type of assignment. I especially liked how you suggest that Zines allow greater creative freedom than other mediums, and I definitely agree with this sentiment.
Hi Diamond,
When you mentioned about being a perfectionist, I absolutely resonated with that sentiment because during my time binding the book, I had made many minor mistakes (such as poking the holes on the left side of my signature instead of down the middle), I wanted to restart the entire process all over again because for one, it didn’t look great and two, I knew those mistake would bite me in the butt at the end. I ended up restarting like I wanted to, and this time, I think the result is pretty good.
Diamond,
I too felt nervous the first time I bound my pages, though the process becomes easier after the first try!
I like your point that Zines combine aspects of multiple media such as pamphlets and artist books. In a way, I think the intent to copy and disseminate makes them especially unique from artist books, though they definitely share characteristics.
I’m also struck by the sense that “being able to be a part of the book production gives people a sense of possession” — is this because of the sense that what has been created is unique — even if others make similar projects it will never be the one *we* made? Is this also in part why people annotate, you think?