More About 'What I am Not' - Zine Project (Part II)
As we reach the deadline to join the Zine Project “What I am Not”, it was time for a new update on the project. In this post, Veronica also tells us more about what this project means to her, and gives us an overview or her personal work.
If you’d like to read the first part of this blog post series, click here! >>
Part II of ‘What I am Not'
In the past weeks we have been receiving ‘submission of interest’ from various illustrators around the world and we are excited to see the written pieces starting to come in!
The Project “What I am Not” aims to create a publication/a zine, where participants are given a space to freely talk about their individual struggles and any confusion that comes with that.
So what’s next?
Once the submission form is closed (10 Aug 12am), we will review the pieces sent to us as well as the work of the illustrators.
We will match stories with illustrators. This means, our fabulous illustrators, you will be receiving a mail very soon!
On the 1st of September we will be starting the printing process.
Remember that even if you don’t make it to the printed version, your work will still be showcased online through the blog & social media!
Getting to know more
about Veronica
Why the Project Name - ‘What I am Not’?
This project started out with me breaking down my racial identity and figuring out how I could possibly find pride and worth in myself being a Chinese-American even though I have no physical ties to my culture. I wanted to reflect on how I feel as a Chinese-American and what I’ve done personally to strengthen the connection to my cultural heritage.
There have been countless stories of people who have felt like the “other” in different situations, and I can feel for them. I am also a part of this “other” group that is looked at differently, or made to feel differently based on appearance, race, or sexuality. I am so proud of the way the United States is moving toward a more accepting future, but I am always interested in learning more about others who have felt the same way I have- struggling to identify with their race or with themselves in other ways.
This internship to me represents two things: 1. My first step into the real world of design where anything can happen… and 2. A beautiful way to express the feelings I’ve been confused about and want to explain/share with the world. I hope you all can follow me on this journey through a confusing and weird time.
What do you want to achieve with this zine?
The outcome of this project has always been to bring people together using a common theme– and I’ve purposely made this theme broad enough so that more people are able to participate. This project becomes a learning experience too. Some people may only see the “other” in terms of race, gender, or sexuality. But the truth is– if you can find meaning in something, then that’s what matters. That is what is important. It could be masculinity and femininity, feeling different because of your hair, feeling like the other because you were raised learning a different language, growing up in an economically diverse home, and the list goes on. With the current political climate, I think now is a better time than ever to really be showing people the true hardships that others experience and how they overcame that. Empathy seems scarce, and that is something we should be trying really hard to reinstate in the world.
I think it’s important to remember that everybody comes from such different backgrounds, and it’s easy to judge somebody based of a quick remark or body language, but in the end, we’re all here trying to do the same thing– survive this world and do our best job at it. I would also like to illuminate that the people whom I’ve called on for this project have more than likely faced some level of adversity that they’ve overcome and conquered, and for that, I am so happy that I get to read your story and share it with the world. This part of your life that had happened, or is currently happening also does not have to define you. You are more than your problems or your worries. Don’t let people put you in a box, be proud of yourself.
Tell us about your project Slanted Editions
I’ve always been interested in layout design and books. I find artist books and more creative zine-type publications interesting. One of my projects during my last year of school dealt with designing a book every week in hopes of becoming a quicker designer as well as a more efficient worker. This project is called Slanted Editions, and I worked on this alongside my collaborator Nikki Richardson (@nikkirichardsondesigns on Instagram) for the entire semester.
I play with the idea of speed in my work, trying to push how quickly I can create something in a short amount of time. This is reflected in my Slanted Editions project as well as the 500-Page Book Project, one that was given to us in Senior Seminar. The 500-Page Book Project was a two-week project where we had to design 500 pages of content that was completely up to us. We had complete creative freedom, which made it even more difficult. There’s something about holding the final project in your hands at the end that you can’t quite replicate with digital design. There is no better feeling than seeing your ideas manifest in a physical object. It’s rewarding, and it adds to my personal artist book collection. Love it!
You can find my work in the collaborative website slantededitions.cargo.site or on my personal portfolio site vxromerodesign.cargo.site.
