While in a creative rut, I wanted to pursue a passion project that would inspire me to create solely for the purpose of expression. Throughout the past year, I’ve been keeping a journal of short introspective thoughts that aren’t quite poems or prose, rather a collection of short form text pieces. I wanted to create a DIY publication that would showcase these pieces that don’t really have a purpose otherwise, and allow me to explore different creative styles without being limited or dictated by the “rules” of good or proper design. As a designer, I’m extremely inspired by long format design: I think how a viewer interacts with a book or similar publication is the epitome of design in function. The zine format is the perfect medium, for me, to establish a playground setting to experiment with design trends and still make something with a purpose or message behind it. The first issue of drunk centers around the theme of “temporary”, although that isn’t listed anywhere in the book. I think the purpose of this zine is to be a constant, ever-changing dialogue, and someday these words and visuals might have a completely different meaning to me, so I don’t want to cement it as a specific theme (if that makes any sense at all). The design reinforces the temporary aspect of the visuals by making use of a halftone pattern that makes everything feel insignificant, like newspaper: something to simply be thrown away. The thematic elements carry thorough into the actual creation of the zine itself. I knew from the start that I wanted to print and bind these myself, so I made use of completely recycled and repurposed materials. The cover stock is cut from an old pad of drawing paper, and the interior spreads are a pad of newsprint cut down to size. This recycled aspect definitely adds to my embrace of vernacular materials in design and how I utilize and am inspired by zine culture and publishing overall. If you’d like a copy of this issue, or any future installments, feel free to reach out in any way.