As promised please find my first ever zine below, its called
'Flotsam & Jetsam'
Now take a wild guess as to the subject matter, jacket potatoes, 80's music, robots?
No, dear blog reader. Nay I say!
Its a SURFING zine :)
I've left notes about each page as a little context never hurt anyone.
FRONT PAGE
I'd been reading a book called the Saltwater Buddha by Jaimal Yogis who made a correlation between surfing and Buddhism. Being a Buddhist who is trying to surf the book really resonated with me and resulted in this collage. According to the Oxford dictionary Flotsam & Jetsam refers to discarded things which made real sense to me being that it reflects my current status in life!
PAGE ONE
The photgraphs are recycled from surfer girl magazine naturally one of my favourite subscriptions. This is not purely because it centres around my favourite subject, but because it portrays women as strong, capable people with the right to dream.
PAGE TWO
There is a multitude of literature paying homage to the water and it was a big influence in the creation of this zine. I find the metaphors for water tend to help you make sense of life in a really simple but beautiful way.
PAGE THREE
Did you know when a starfish is stressed it can fill itself with gas and explode, push their stomachs out of their bodies to eat and according to my marine biologist sister they also have been called ballerinas of the sea, on account of their abiltiy to balance on point during substanntial orgasms?!
Whats not to love about starfish?!
I'm slightly obsessed with them at the moment because of their beautiful shape, their biology and the fact I really want a starfish neckalce/earrings, for this reason I decided to make a collage with them as the focus.
PAGE FOUR
Its always scary exposing your inner thoughts but I've always maintained that this blog is supposed to be a place of honesty. I don't think I've ever truly been depressed but I have felt sadness, that human condition that unites us all. If my story can make just a little bit of a difference to someone who is feeling low, then I'd feel like I'd really accomplished something.
PAGE FIVE
The above quote is a Sophia original, I really believe surfing is more than just a hobby or a tribe, it is a way of life which is precisely why surfers can come across as very Bodhi esq if you ask them anything.
PAGE SIX
I love the fusion of surfing and spirituality which is why I used a big Buddha picture in this collage. I also am fascinated by the evolution of surfing which is why I included vintage photogrpahs from the 1970s, the picture of the surfing baby and the woman ripping up a wave bottom right.
PAGE SEVEN & EIGHT
The zine was supposed to be a homily to all types of water which is why I included a section on British canals. As a Midland girl completely landlocked, canals were my ocean, they were moments of escapism when the British family seaside holiday didn't come around soon enough!
PAGE NINE
In respect to Antonio and your gag reflexes I try not to wax lyrical about my relationship too often, that being said its playing a big role in shaping me as a person and I guess you talk about things that make you happy.(Obviously as a Buddhist I see happiness as a fleeting thing that cannot be possessed...)
PAGE TEN
Its pretty. Its got flowers. Thats why I made this page.
PAGE ELEVEN
This is supposed to be my attempt at a joke. Obviously I don't look like this (my love handles will tell you that), but its certainly a body type to aspire to. Surfer girls are awesome because you can be pretty much any shape to surf, that being said surfers tend to have amazing strong arms and a rock hard core so for that reason I'm hitting the swimming pool pronto!
PAGE TWELVE
I tend to like uncool music. That being said I think this music list is actually pretty neat. Go on have a listen.
PAGE THIRTEEN
Fish are cool and I really hate that people think of them as unintelligent or somehow unfeeling. A fish is alive, it has a nervous system therefore it feels pain.
PAGE FOURTEEN
Just a shameless name plug really.
BACK PAGE
Having a Point Break poster as the back page is the only way to finish a zine, didn't they tell you?
Voila one finished zine.
Now should this ramshackle approach to a zine interest you please feel free to leave a comment I really appreciate your thoughts and opinions. I have this in a pdf should you want your own copy
Aloha readers!
I love it. :) You've created an amazing first zine, full of heart and humour. Your next trip to the coast should definitely wind up as a zine!
ReplyDeleteAnd, yes, a .PDF copy would be brilliant. (You have my email address.)
Well done, Sophia.