JILL.DESIGN

Joy, a heartbreaking choice, & the birth of new idea.

I launched my new photography magazine last month — JOURNAL —No. 1 and it’s been a wild ride.

First, the fun stuff:

• JOURNAL found its way into 9 countries: U.S., Canada, Switzerland, U.K., France, Spain, Germany, Sweden, Australia. (Thank you!)

• JOURNAL peaked on Amazon Best Sellers list at #4 in Individual Artist Essays, #70 in Individual Artist Monographs, and #514 in Photography & Video (!).

• I sold out my limited Collector Edition in 4 days!

• I sold it in person at my first photo market.

• Many readers shared photos and nice words about JOURNAL on social media. This is the ultimate joy and thrill — seeing my work in people’s hands and homes and hearing their thoughts.

I plan on releasing JOURNAL twice a year, on spring and autumnal equinoxes. This is the perfect cadence for staying fresh while including only the best of my visual and written work.

Collector Edition: Geopolitics & a difficult choice.

This is tough to write about and I’ve struggled with whether or not to share this at all — but am doing so to shed light on something that is affecting independent artists and creatives everywhere right now.

I launched JOURNAL on August 20 — the one-year anniversary of coming to Switzerland. In addition to selling on Amazon and Blurb, I created for the first time a Collector Edition: limited edition of 10 copies, premium printed in Switzerland, hand-signed and shipped, and included an A4 archival limited signed print of the collector’s choice. It was priced at $82USD + shipping (~$20). And it sold out in 4 days.

I was elated! I was thrilled. I was humbled and honored. I’d worked so hard on it and people wanted it.

And I was actually going to make a profit on my art.

And then, Trump happened.

I had to cancel and refund all of my U.S. orders. Here’s the fine print on my letters to my American collectors:

U.S. Executive Orders regarding tariffs have created chaos in global trade and I can no longer ship to USA. Specifically, the De Minimus announcement this month to begin 8/29 removes duty-free import for small items. Postal services around the world (incl. Swiss Post) are no longer shipping to the United States. Even if the shipping ban is lifted, the U.S. restriction creates a high-risk/cost scenario vis-à-vis tariffs, delays, and myriad unpleasant surprises for everyone.

Didn’t I know this before launching on the 20th? No — because while the punitive tariffs slapped on Europe and elsewhere (Switzerland 39%, the highest) made the news headlines — the De Minimus order was snuck in in early August for global compliance by 8/29 (insane) that will effectively kill off many small businesses and independent artist livelihoods that do business with U.S. customers. Including mine. The best way I can put it is a Monty Python reference: No one expects the Spanish Inquisition. The De Minimus order undid something in place since 1938.

I was horrified by the prospect of my collectors getting slapped with surprise duties upon receipt, extreme customs delays, and such. Due to the petty rashness of the orders, things would be chaos for awhile.

I hold my collectors’ trust in me above all matters and so, in good faith, I felt there was only one option. I wrote this — heartbroken and enraged — to each U.S. collector of my very first edition:

I received several thoughtful responses, and shipped all my collector gifts in small flat C6 envelopes that all made it to their proper homes.

It is unfortunate and infuriating — and it has become a form of alchemy that is fueling a new project: PhotoMail.

PhotoMail to launch this year.

I deeply enjoyed preparing those collector gifts and I got to thinking: What if I do more of this? After all, the main value of the Collector Edition was human, tangible — that something I made would travel from my hands to yours.

During the early pandemic, I made and mailed many, many handmade cards and small art to my friends — photo greeting cards, watercolor postcards, small lithographs. I had penpals as a child and teen. I love paper and sending beautiful things in the mail.

I am right now working on a project called PhotoMail — a club/subscription where I send small prints and inspirational photo prompts by mail, from wherever I’m working around the world. Yay for stamps! Stay tuned.

Until the next time!

Keep shooting. :)