Title
How We Changed
Description
“How We Changed” is a zine (a short form, informal magazine) that covers how the COVID-19 pandemic changed different aspects of our lives, from our relationships, to our work and education, to our personal identities. We draw from surveys and interviews we completed to supplement the zine and give context to how the pandemic changed us through both qualitative and quantitative data.
Reflection
Winning the CREATE! Micro-Grant gave us the ability to fulfill our artistic vision because we were able to purchase all of the materials necessary to complete the zine. From the background templates, to the text stickers, to the paints and collage materials, we could not have completed the zine without this grant. We were not limited in what we could create due to funds, so the CREATE! Grant was integral in giving us full artistic freedom.
While creating this zine, we both learned the importance of taking time to reflect. We realized that part of the creative process is absorbing the world around you and making observations, which will enhance your artwork. Had we not taken the time to reflect on survey results, our zine would not have turned out the same way.
It was also insightful to meet with the other grant winners to see everyone else’s creative process and the important projects the other artists were working on. It was also helpful for us to work around a deadline for this zine, as it gave us structure and motivation to complete the project. As we worked on the zine, it was satisfying to lay out the progression of our work and see how it fit together to make something cohesive. It’s especially satisfying to look at the finished product and recognize the effort and passion that went into bringing our ideas to life.
We definitely think that grants like this are important for student artists. Creating art can be expensive, and any grant or money that can be awarded to artists and students is a beneficial thing, especially because students usually struggle financially. We need art in the world, and we need to support artists in any way possible. Art gives us something to relate to and something to see ourselves in. Art is our way of making sense of a confusing world, and we need that now more than ever.