Postcards for Rewilding the Artist Field Guide by Gaia Redgrave, “In this hands-on field guide, artist Gaia Redgrave shares her Rewilding Journey as a neurodivergent, disabled person.”
A few years ago I wrote a post about neurodivergent boundaries. I had the idea to type it up into a zine and ended up completely re-writing it. I’m making this one available as a digital download. Feel free to print copies and give them away (just don’t charge for them.)
I made this zine for the NWA Maker Faire earlier this month. It’s a single sheet monochromatic zine that tells you how to get started if you’re brand new to zines.
August zine subscribers will be receiving a copy of How to Make a Zine along with September’s Hope zine. Thanks for your patience while I took compassionate leave last month.
Thanks to everyone who contributed their art and words to this issue.
Last month we had a death in the family and I took compassionate leave. I’ve been planning to do an annual collaborative zine so I opened up submissions to my newsletter subscribers.
Artists are credited below. The cover photograph and stamped letters are my own.
Last weekend I ran a “Make a Zine” booth at the NWA Maker Faire.
I brought supplies to make zines and also had a display of zines and books for sale. Lots of kids made zines! Three teens. One friend I invited.
And one college student who made this zine. (I have permission to share.)
Thanks to everyone who dropped by my table.
The whole event was a great experience.
Full transparency: I didn’t make any money. I lost about $27 based on the table fee alone. But the money goes to a good cause. I’ll participate again next year.*
The Autism Spectrum
The zine that was picked up most often during the Maker Faire was my Spectrum zine about neurodivergence. While our goverment leaders are spreading such harmful misinformation about autism it feels more important than ever to do the opposite.
You can read (and share) the blog version of the zine here.
I have a few misprints of my Spectrum zine printed on the wrong paper. Completely readable, but the images bleed through more than I like.
If you would like to distribute Spectrum zines (either publicly or to friends and family) let me know and I’ll send you a stack of misprints for free.
This second edition has minor edits (most notably an expanded section about purpose), my new headshot, updated bio, and they/them pronouns.
These paperbacks are printed by 48 Hour Books and live in my closet. They will each be packaged and mailed by me personally. So I’m happy to sign and personalize them if you like.
They are $15 – which is the lowest my book has ever been available for purchase.
Tap below to watch me flip through the spacious full color interior.
If you’ve bought the original edition I’ll be sending an ebook version of the updated text soon.
There was a printing issue with the hardcovers, but I should have those back in stock before the end of the month.
I’ll be updating Self Publishing 101 soon. I’ve nearly finished testing several Amazon alternatives. They all have pros and cons so which printer is best for your book depends on your goals and budget.
An invitation to draw together. 🍉
I’m sending this email earlier than usual because there’s an event this week I want you to know about. Hanna Keiner and Logan Juliano, PhD are hosting a meditative drawing livestream on Thursday, September 11 called Where Do You Draw the Line?
The event is free, but everyone will be invited to take action from my Palestine Advocacy page in lieu of payment. (There are many ways to make a difference even if you don’t have the budget to contribute financially.)
I’m really grateful for my advocacy library to be used in this way.
If you host a similar event or link to it please let me know.
Image Credit: Hanna Keiner
That’s all for this week.
Take care of yourselves. I appreciate you.
FOOTNOTES
* I enjoyed meeting the other vendors so much I’ve logged in to Instagram after 8 months off social media. I’d like to be able to more closely follow local events and those I met at NWA Maker Faire. This is a trial period to see if curation, boundaries, and tweaking advertisements can make it a more positive experience. I much prefer RSS, but when there is to RSS feed for certain groups and events I am just missing out.
A zine (pronounced ZEEN) is a handmade magazine about a specific topic.
“Zines have been around since the early 20th century, and have been an enormous part of underground and non-commercial publication.” *
I learned about zines from Austin Kleon who has a great collection of printables zines and resources on his website. He also has a tutorial to make a “mini zine” from a single sheet of paper.
Having tried both ways I prefer to make zines out of sheets folded in half. Sometimes I use a single page and other times I nest and staple them.
“Zines are characteristically cheap to make, often photocopied, and have a distinctly DIY look. Often, they represent the voices of people on the fringes, and their content is hyper local.” *
Zines were bore to share information and amplify voices that weren’t often represented in mainstream media. As a result, zine making has a rich history among marginalized communities, fandoms, and activists.
If you want a deep dive into the history of zines and how to make your own I recommend this free zine by The Public in Canada.
Zinesters (people who make zines) often value the act of sharing information over an potential profit. Zines are made cheaply so they can be easily sold, traded or given away.
Zines fall into the cheap art philosophy which I’m passionate about.
Zine making is just one kind of artist publishing. Any type of independently produced book or publication is a form of artist publishing. This can range from self publishing books, newspapers, zines, or artist books.
Artist books often embrace time intensive methods and archival quality materials. As a result they are often more highly priced.
If you’d like to learn more about artist publishing I’d recommend starting here. Or browsing my artist publishing board on are.na.
I’ve been focused on zine making, but collect both zines and artist books. I may explore creating an artist book when I complete my fine art collection.
My Zine Collection
Here’s a peek at my zine collection and links to the artist’s shops.
There are lots of places online and “IRL” (in real life) that are dedicated to archiving zines. If you’d like to archive your zine you can check with any of the organizations below, your local library, or upload to archive.org (like this.) Every archive has it’s own mission so be sure to make sure your zine is a good fit before submitting.
“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo.
“So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
We can’t single-handedly solve all of the world’s problems. But we can collaborate with others to make a difference. We each have our own unique strengths to contribute.
Art for Social Change
Tell a story to imagine a better world.
Draw, paint, collage, or print visual art to raise awareness of issues.
Write a zine, book, or blog post to educate others to share your own experience (especially powerful and needed for marginalized voices.)
Collaborate to paint a mural or create pubic art.
Hold a quilting bee or host a creative community to make blankets, hats, etc. for those who need them.
Tell a story, write a poem, or make art that encourages empathy.
Make a poster, zine, or postcard about a cause.
Make art to regulate your own nervous system.
Curate an art show, publication, or performance to support or educate about a cause.
Raffle or sell something you’ve made to raise funds.
Sell merch on Threadless with a percentage to charity.*
You can grab these designs on shirts, mugs, and several other things from my new Threadless shop. 10% of the profit will go to the ACLU.
Love snail mail?
This is a virtual edition of my Art for Social Change zine for my monthly subscribers.
If you’d like a printed copy (plus postcards + stamps to write your elected representatives) you can:
When we talk about autism or neurodivergence we often mention a spectrum. Sometimes this is misunderstood as a range of intensity from “more” to “less.”
But you cannot be “more” or “less” autistic or neurodivergent.
The spectrum is better represented by a color wheel.*
The spectrum is a reminder that every neurodivergent person is unique. Each color represents a neurodivergent trait: differences in sensory processing, language, socializing, focus, etc.
But even the color wheel is too static.
This is my attempt to illustrate the complexity and nuance of the spectrum of autism and neurodivergence.
For example, sometimes a person is described as sensory seeking or sensory avoidant.
Opposites on the color wheel.
But most of us are both.
Here is an example from my own spectrum. I experience water in my face as overstimulation… a sensation that, for me, is worse than physical pain. My nervous system completely floods with sensory input and enters a state of distress.
On the other hand, in the context of a warm bath I am “sensory seeking”. The feeling of being (almost) submerged in warm water calms my nervous system and helps me self regulate.
This is the same element.
Water.
But my internal experience is vastly different depending on the context. Supporting this sensitivity includes baths over showers, no sprinklers, pool splashing, or going underwater. When I interact with water on my own terms I find it deeply regulating and soothing.
Then we have a trait like focus. ADHD is often perceived as a deficit in the ability to focus (it’s right there in the name), but both people with autism and ADHD can experience hyperfocus.
This circle represents my hyperfocus.
I often enter hyperfocus when I am in creative flow or engaged with topics I am passionate about. Yet, I cannot reach hyperfocus without the necessary environment or supports.
This circle represents my difficulty focusing.
My ideal environment for focus is quiet and solitude. (For others it could be music and company… or body doubling.)
When I don’t have that I need supports like: a swivel chair for stimming, noise cancelling headphones, and more time. Because without access to hyperfocus I have to accept that tasks take more time. I can also become dysregulated by working in an overstimulating environment.
The spectrum becomes infinitely more complex when different traits overlap and intersect.
Not only is every neurodivergent human unique, but our spectrums may present differently from day to day and moment to moment, based on a variety of internal and external factors.
Some spectrums of neurodivergence may not fit the criteria for a diagnosis, but that does not make them any less valid.
Our world is technicolor.
Let’s stop imagining it as black and white.
Grab some art supplies and reflect on neurodiversity as you play with color. If you are neurodivergent what colors would you assign each of your traits? If you’re neurotypical how can you use this framework to support the spectrums in your life?
Love snail mail?
These watercolor washes were originally created for the Spectrum zine for my monthly subscribers. If you’d like a printed copy you can:
