Since then the world has become a much scarier place for me and for my friends in the queer community. I’ll share some resources at the bottom of this post for allies to lend their support this month.
But this post isn’t for the allies.
This one is for the queers.
I’m stepping out the comfort zone of educating others to revel in some queer joy.
This month I made a very playful and joyous zine. It celebrates queer artists whose work has impacted me in a profound way.
Here are links to everything I mentioned inside it.
Over the last decade I have been neuroqueering my creative practice. Setting aside neurotypical, able bodied, and capitalist expectations for consistency, branding, and profit like the ill fitting shoes they are.*
Looking back, the times in my life I was rigidly consistent I was run deeply outside my own capacity, which over time took a toll on my health (both mental and physical.)
Allowing my creative projects to fluctuate with my capacity, as a chronically ill autistic caregiver means that they ebb & flow. Seasons when my time and energetic capacity expand so does my creative practice. When I am experiencing a pain flare or focusing on caregiving challenges my projects shift into dormancy or ideation.
Having many different mediums means there is always something to fit my capacity.
I NEED ART TO LIVE.
Art is how I self regulate, how I co-regulate with my child, and how I process lived experience and the world around me.
Without art I go to a dark place.
For years, I had inflexible routines and self imposed deadlines that did not serve me. But the newly discovered fluidity of my creative ecosystem has allowed me to flourish in unexpected ways.
This meander map is based on my 2025 Artist’s Log which tracked the time spent on each creative project over the course of the year.
These undulating ribbons represent the four main streams of creativity I pursued in 2025.
Yellow: visual art
Green: self publishing and writing
Blue: redesigning website & blogging
Purple: zines
The process of crafting these prints took several months. Calculating stats, making a graph, drafting the meanders, testing printmaking techniques, paper & inks, creating collagraph plates with unraveling cotton twine, and printing each plate onto wet paper using the Provisional Press.
The prints were digitally combined for the zine cover and overlaid with a key on transparent vellum. This layer can be removed to display the zine as a diptych. The zine was hand typed on my 1950s Smith-Corona typewriter.
The concept and color palette were inspired by the meander maps of geologist and cartographer Harold Fisk.
The above text is from February’s zine. If you’d like a copy you can subscribe for $5 a month or buy a single zine in my shop.
Here’s a peek at how the layers work together with the transparency.
Here’s a peek at how the prints are coming out (ignore the buckled untrimmed paper). They will all be flattened, signed, and numbered. Each print is unique. Remaining prints will be added to my shop, and will be priced at $65.
Collagraph is a printmaking process I learned in university. It feels good to return to it after so much time. I shared more about the process (along with a few other test prints) on the blog a few weeks ago.
Thank You
To everyone who sent kind messages and preordered books after last week’s post about illustrating neurodivergence. Gracie & I really appreciate you and very excited to get this picture book into your hands.
If you’d like to preorder a limited edition hardcover you can do so here.
(Paperbacks will be coming soon at a lower price point.)
In Case You Missed It
If you’re having a hard time with the state of the world I wrote this for you a couple weeks ago.
* Neuroqueering is used here as the verb meaning, “the practice of queering (subverting, defying, disrupting, liberating oneself from) neuronormativity and heteronormativity simultaneously” as coined by Nick Walker Ph. D.
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:
