Issues #1 &2 of Identity Issue Zine by Nico Lund
Here in the Pacific Northwest, autumn has dropped abruptly on top of the summer that I was just getting used to.
Even though I have lived here more years than my native Southern California, the feeling of being warm and sun bleached will always be a happy Feeling for me. (even though I moved to Seattle when I was 20 because I craved the weather changes)!
I just can’t fight my need for blue skies and warm days! It’s part of my identity I guess! The irony is how I tried to Goth it up in my teens with layers of black clothing and boots in beach weather. I still love my black clothing and boots…but since there are plenty of boot wearing days, I am ready to kick them off in favor of my flip-flops whenever possible.
Concepts and Brainstorms for Identity Issue #2 ( working draft mock-up of #1 and #2 in background)
I do love fall though. It seems to be the perfect weather to bring myself back to focus. While the days get shorter and colder, I find myself with more time inside to motivate me into my studio to reflect on my creative goals and my art process and get thee to work!
illustrations sketches and mock-up for Identity Issue #3: Coming soon!
This most recent chilly September day I decided I wanted to take some time to share a little about one of my projects: Identity Issue Zine. This zine came out of my work with Kelda Martensen in her BookArts Class ( my 3rd year taking it) at North Seattle College. This year was a little different as it was part of an Inter-cultural Communications Integrated Studies Course. It was a big Spring Quarter emotionally and academically for me. This class helped me to break into some unknown territory for me (can you say academic thesis paper?!?!). It ruffled my feathers as a student, artist, citizen and friend—just to be clear—this is what I wanted to happen.
My art has always come from a very personal place, but I often use abstraction, surrealism, metaphor, and other tactics to obscure my intentions and meanings behind my work. Sometimes intentionally, but often unconsciously.
This class challenged me to be more transparent and take some risks by being vulnerable in my choices. That is how Identity Issue #1 came about. It is about my experiences of having a long history of depression.
First draft mock-up of Identity Issue Zine #1
I wanted this project to reveal a snapshot of what it’s like in the moment of feeling depressed —not the overarching storyline of depression or its causes. It was important to me to share in an artistic way that depression is more than just a feeling a person experiences—it can be physical and all-encompassing and it can also be transient. I wanted to expose some of the intimate moments of being in a depression that are hard for people to understand who haven’t be affected by it.
After completing Identity Issue #1 ‘depression’, I already had the next Identity Issue on my mind. I began working on ‘self-perception’ which is about my process of dealing with finding myself in middle-age and my experience of how the process of aging is affecting me. Although I am expressing myself from my experiences, it is my hope that the Identity Issues I focus on are issues or challenges that other people have had or are currently experiencing. Additionally, I think it makes a great gift for a friend who might need a little reminder that they are not alone! (no time like the present to start collecting those stocking stuffers)!
Beginings of #3 layout and drawing layers in Procreate on Ipad Pro
Identity Issue Zine has also been a way for me to hone in on my digital art skills. My ability to use Procreate, using an Ipad Pro and an Apple Pencil has greatly improved and with each new issue I am finding new ways to streamline the process a little more. My goal is to find a way to quickly produce zines and small publications since these methods are a great way to covey some of the more intimate parts of my creative process and life.
With Issue #3 on it’s way to completion, I already have issue #4 spinning in my mind. Since you took the time to read, I’ll share with you that my 4th Identity issue is: Artist. You’ll just have to stay tuned for Issue #3….it’s gonna be good!
I look forward to sharing more insights with you and release dates of future work! Please Subscribe!