happiful september 2021

Zine better days
Something on your mind? Why not produce, publish, and
distribute your own magazine about it? All that creativity is
therapeutic, empowering, and fun
Writing | Caroline Butterwick
Lots of us love getting
creative, as a way
of supporting our
wellbeing and
expressing ourselves. And
alongside more notable artistic
outlets, such as painting and
poetry, is the world of zines.
In his fascinating book on zine
culture, Notes from Underground,
author Stephen Duncombe
defines zines as “non-commercial,
non-professional, smallcirculation
magazines which their
creators produce, publish, and
distribute by themselves”.
Zines often contain a mix
of materials: poetry, collage,
sketches, first person reflections,
advice pieces, photos, lyrics –
anything the maker feels like
including. There’s no set way to
produce them either, as zines
may be handmade, with items
glued or drawn directly on to the
pages, photocopied, or created
entirely digitally.
Some people make zines just
for themselves, or as gifts for
friends. Others print copies
to distribute more widely.
Increasingly, zines are available
to view or buy online on
platforms such as Etsy.
For decades, zines have been
used to share interests and
experiences, from the science
fiction zines of the 1930s to the
Riot Grrrl zines popular in the
90s. They can be on literally any
subject: there are zines available
on everything from The Tiny
Little Book of Bunny Behaviour to
Doing Stuff Outside – a guide for
anxious autistics.
Being self-published, zines are
a place where we can control
the content. This makes them
perfect for sharing a diverse
range of experiences, such as
experiences of marginalised
communities.
“We don’t need to fit into anyone
else’s framework or rules when
we have creative outlets such as
zines,” explains counsellor Jane
Fellowes. “If we feel passionate
about sharing a part of our
identity or story, we can then
express this in a creative way.
This gives us space to tell our
own story in a way of our own
choosing, not someone else’s.
There is great therapeutic value
in telling our story, and in this
being welcomed and accepted
by others.”
Mental health is a common
theme in contemporary zines.
Author and journalist Erica
Crompton started Hopezine after
losing two childhood friends to
suicide. “I wanted to use my own,
and others’, experiences to give
hope to all people feeling low or
suicidal,” she says. Erica publishes
Hopezine quarterly, and it includes
a combination of articles, short
stories, poetry, and artwork.
“I’ve always believed that
writing can help us process
difficult feelings,” Erica explains.
She also sees Hopezine as an
opportunity to give a voice to
her friends and colleagues, who
may sometimes be overlooked by
more traditional forms of media.
42 | September 2021 | happiful.com