I fell in love with zines before I even knew what they were. I’ve always been drawn to interactive paper, collage, and “informational” art — the kind that feels playful, personal, and a little unconventional. Over the years, I’ve made quite a few zines, with varying levels of intention, polish, and seriousness.
While going through a bag of old mini zines recently, three of them stood out to me in particular. They’re definitely on the very-silly, low-effort end of the spectrum, but somehow they still manage to hold a lot of feeling. In a funny way, they capture complex emotions more honestly than some of my more “serious” projects ever did.
I’ve realized that my more carefully planned, highly produced zines often struggle to reach a true finished state — mostly because I place too many expectations on them. These tiny, scrappy ones don’t carry that pressure. They exist because I made them, and that’s enough.
So I wanted to share them here. I hope they make you smile, and maybe even inspire you to make your own shitty little zine too. Honestly — it’s fun, freeing, and very much worth it.
Happy holidays & happy crafting!
