Welcome to this new and unique little corner of the Internet!
After agonizing for weeks about how I can make the best use of my subscription space and provide you with value, I decided to create a zine (pronounced /zeen/) about three topics that continuously inspire me and keep my interest as a creative : LOVE, ART and ASTROLOGY.
What is a Zine ?
Zines started out as informal underground publications focused on niche topics from social and political activism in the 60s to creative personal publications by various artists today. Since they tend to be informal, the pressure for them to be perfect is off the table (sorry Virgos) and enables the author to focus more on being real and raw rather than being grammatically perfect and polished.
Unlike traditional magazines, the main goal of zines is not to make a profit but rather to share different ideas that are often on the edge or even excluded from main stream thinking. So you're not going to find an ad for the best shampoo or the latest smart home gadget in the market in these digital publications.
The Love, Art & Astrology Zine - Subscribe Now!
With this digital zine, my intention is to share ideas and insights in the form of images, artwork, videos, text and an other medium that can best convey these ideas. In a way, this zine is the physical manifestation of my current artist statement.
With this zine my goal is to convey a sense of human connection, curiosity, wonder, awe, and peace. I create with words, sketches, drawings, paintings, and videos, uncovering connections and meanings with the intention of helping others (and myself) appreciate life for the many gifts it has to offer every day.
About Love...
Love is such a prevalent topic in our lives. We see it everywhere and yet it's hard to really understand what it is, how to find it, how to keep it, etc. Love is a topic I get to explore, think about and discuss about regularly, not only with my art but through conversations with various people.
The definition and demonstration of love seems to vary greatly from one person to another and also from one time period to another. What is love for you right now? Have you even taken the time to really think about it? Are you receiving the love you need or are you just settling for what's there? Are you expressing the love you have inside of you or are you withholding it to make others feel comfortable? Is what you think love is really love or is it just convenience or validation? Those are the kind of topics you can expect to explore in this zine and more.
A couple months ago, I co-hosted a conversation online with various experts. Here's a clip from our conversation when we asked the question : What is love?
About Art...
"Art is a spiritual transaction"
The first time I read this line from Julia Cameron's book The Artist's Way, I instantly felt like she understood me as an artist and I viscerally understood what she meant. There's something very spiritual about creating art from a place of receiving and collaborating with something bigger than yourself: turning an idea into a tangible manifestation (This concept is also beautifully illustrated in Alex Grey's artwork called Painting from 1998).
In my case, this spiritual transaction started with my cloud paintings and have continue to evolve ever since. In my experience, when it comes to art (or anything creative), you get an insight to do something you've never done before. It's always uncomfortable and you often have no idea where it's going. But if you commit to it and answer that call, you'll discover something new about yourself.
Right now I'm going back to The Artist's Way course so I'll be taking you along that journey as well almost as an accountability partner, especially if you're looking to be more creative in your day to day life.
About Astrology ...
Astrology is a field of study that’s been around for a very long time. It is the study of the movements and the relative positions of celestial bodies interpreted as having an influence on human affairs and the natural world. Whether we are aware of it or not, astrology influences our daily lives and affects our interactions on a regular basis. For example, you can find traces of astrology in every planners, in traditional religions, historic buildings, movies, tv shows and much more!
We know that the sun, for example, tends to affect our mood. Typically a sunny day will bring out the fun and playful side of people's personality while a cold and rainy day might bring out the melancholic side of a person. Similarly, the moon affects our mood too (some more than others... like Cancers) . I remember speaking to friends in the past who work in hospitals and shared that full moons days tend to be quite busy in emergency rooms and birth rooms compared to other days. It's not a far stretch to consider that every planet have some form of influence on our mood and personalities.
I never really paid too much attention to astrology until I started to create art more often. Now my astrology book collections is increasing as I uncovered more fascinating aspect of astrology and get to see its effect on my surroundings, myself and my peers. Going through my natal chart definitely took my understanding of myself to a whole new level and as I keep digging into it, I'd love to share that with you as well. Consider it a fun facts and insight section about astrology and how it might be affecting your life. :)
Stay tuned for more very soon ! And if there's a topic you would like to see in the future, don't hesitate to contact me.