Welcome, dear reader, to our shared space.
I'm Isabella, the Founder & Editor-In-Chief of the magazine. I'll be the one writing these posts unless states otherwise.
A little bit about me:
I'm a current high school student (incoming junior), and I am planning on studying Film Directing & Screenwriting.
I'm a journalist, and I work with A Book of, All My Friends Zine, Aspirants.Co, Crybaby, Honey Punch, The Luna Collective, and Pulse Spikes.
My favorite color is baby pink (in case you couldn't tell from the color scheme.)
I created Sense of Self Zine kind of on a whim during this whole quarantine experience. I was on a video chat with my best friend (and editor) Nyla, when I mentioned the idea of making a publication to her, and she told me to go for it, so I did. I've worked for a few minor publications, and of course have grown up reading big publications, and maybe it's just me, but I never felt totally connected to what I was reading.I can probably count on one hand the interview features that have stayed with me. I think there's a sort of over-saturation in the editorial world, where everyone is just trying to create the next "moment". That kind of shock factor versus substance of words thing. But like all moments, they tend to fade away. I also think that there were no place that I could find that focused on personal growth in an approachable way. As a teenager, being bombarded with self-care threads and big media outlets trying to push sponsored content down my throat, I didn't know who truly was working in the best interest of helping me grow.
Therefore, I wanted to make a space that allows us to show off souls while still cultivating our own. The project is going to have the online portion and the magazine portion.
The magazine itself is split into 2 sections: Creative and Perspective, each made up of a mix of editorial columns, reader submissions, and interviews. The Creative section is dedicated to showing authentic humans in a creative field, i.e. musicians, poets, actors, content creators, artists. This space is made for you guys to get some creative inspiration, as well as get to know your favorite creative people through a more down-to-earth lens, something I like to call meaningful journalism. The Perspective section is where you really get to grow your soul and find your "sense of self" (buh-dum-tiss). This section is going to have columns, art, and interviews from people that will expand your mind, make you exposed to new perspectives and ideas to grow your understanding of the world and of yourself. Trust me, you'll love it.
The online portion is kind of going to go hand-in-hand with the magazine. Here, you can find all the information on our staff members, contributors, magazine, and how to be a part of our little family, as well as our online shop. I'll also post some sneak peeks of our upcoming features (Surprise! Issue 1 is out June 20th), some online-only features, and updates on us.
The last few months have been spent scheduling interviews, sorting through submissions, getting a staff together, crying in disbelief that I could possibly have put something so amazing together. I've made some close friends in our features, staff, and contributors, and strengthen my ties with some of my best friends. I am so excited to put this project into the world, for you all to have this piece of my heart in your hands.
The main thing I want you all to take away from this magazine is growth. I'm 16, and even though I do a lot, I truly don't have it all figured out yet. I'll let you in on a secret: Most People don't. What's important is to get to know yourself as intimately as possible so that the entire process isn't as scary. After all, you're the only you! I hope that you find something you can take with you on your journey through life in our pages.
I love you all so much, and I am so excited to build this community. If you ever need me, reach out through our Contact page.
As always, sending love & light,
Isabella V.
Cover Photo By Selina Farzaei, photographer, featured in Issue 1: Bloom