Media Process: Zines
Population: Children
Disorder: Adjustment Disorders
The experience of creating a zine was one that I am honestly still trying to figure out. I think a part of that is because the actual creation of my contribution to the zine was one done in isolation, when the creation of zines is historically done to connect together. Knowing that my piece would eventually be compiled with my peers was a comfort though. Based on the theme of exhaustion, the piece that I created kind of spilled out. I initially anticipated that the experience would be very cognitive, but because I was feeling particularly connected to the theme at the time, it ended up being more of an affective, gut-response, that then transformed into something more symbolic. After I created it I began to wonder about how my perception of it would change once I see it in the context of everyone else’s. I am looking forward to seeing the zine compiled together, as it will be a tangible reminder of connection to others when things currently feel so separate.
Something that I did not experience in my own creation of a zine was a connection to activism and social justice, which is embedded in the history of zine creation (Marshall & Rogers, 2017; Leone, 2020). I think that was perhaps related to the theme and purpose of our particular zine. Something that I did somewhat experience, and likely will experience further, is the connection to community that is intrinsic in the shared zine creation (Marshall & Rogers, 2017, Leone, 2020). At the forefront of my mind when reflecting on this experience, are the clients that I am working with at internship. I am working virtually with children, and while not necessarily their primary diagnosis, a lot of them are struggling with adjusting to the realities of life under the precautions of COVID. They are impacted by virtual schooling, by not being able to see their peers, and by confined living situations. Despite other concerns that they have, the first and most prevalent have been issues in response to the pandemic. I would be interested in utilizing zines with some of the children I work with as a way to increase connection to others, while also providing a space for them to feel validated in their experiences.
Leone, L. (Ed.). (2020). Craft in Art Therapy: Diverse Approaches to the Transformative Power of Craft Materials and Methods. Routledge.
Marshall, E. & Rogers, T., (2017). Youth, poetry, and zines: Rewriting the streets as home. Bookbird: A journal of international children’s literature, 55(2). https://doi.org/10.1353/bkb.2017.0021
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