In celebration of teaching my first group photo zine class here in Switzerland tonight, I share with you an excerpt of the workbook I made. I know many of you out there are wanting to make your own zines and books — so here’s a bit of mid-week inspo for you!
Here’s why you should:
1. Joy.
The simple joy of holding your work in your hands.
2. Books are mini galleries.
Create your own portable exhibition.
3. Tell a story.
What story do you want (or need) to tell? Is it the story of a place, a person, a day in your life, a cause, an event, a feeling, an imagined world?
4. Pattern recognition.
Curating a theme from your work trains your eye to find patterns and strengths in your work.
5. Design muscle.
Learn how to think about layouts, whitespace, typography, and how they come together photography to create an experience.
6. Connection.
Make a zine, give a zine, sell a zine, trade a zine, leave a zine in a café. We are physical creatures. Zines are a profoundly human way to connect and share something you love.
7. Artistic self-discovery.
Pausing to review and think about your body of work is a wonderful meditation on what you value, how you’ve evolved, and who you are as a photographer.
8. Curiosity.
Once you make your own zine, you start to notice new things in the world. You start to see in stories and themes, to wonder how a book was designed or bound, and to think about the next zine you will make.
9. Gateway to photo books.
Whether it’s new appreciation for photography books, or an insatiable new need to make more zines — making your first zine opens up a new world of creative appreciation and expression.
10. Freedom.
Zines are an opportunity to play, to experiment, to be wild and free from aesthetic or social constraints. Try something new, create strange new combinations, tell true stories. It’s your own world.
When I started preparing the class, I initially started to make a presentation deck (e.g. PowerPoint) then stopped myself — we’re here in person to make books, let’s work with something in our hands. The workbook includes a small foldable mini zine template. I also bring in many examples of photo zines and books for inspiration from my own collection — from minis, to hand-bound, to canvas- and hard-bound monographs by celebrated artists.
My goal for the class is: “Our goal today is for you to be inspired and have a clear path forward to making your own photo zine or book a reality.”
If you are wanting to make your own and feel stuck, what is standing in your way? I’m happy to answer questions in the comments.
JILL.DESIGN 
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