21
July 2025
This zine explores the experience of growing older through music. Each chapter represents turning ages 16 to 21, with a song describing the emotions I felt during these time periods.
The ideation, writing, and design was completed within a day.
This zine was a challenge to create something in a day.
With no prior brainstorming, I jumped into the project by creating a moodboard: I wanted the project to feel nostalgic and bright, using elements associated with birthday parties. I built off of this idea, and adding the song element shortly after, the idea for the zine developed.
I used bold, bright colors, birthday party scrapbook elements, and photos from my childhood to visualize the nostalgic whimsy of growing up. Running with my initial idea, the zine is playful, spontaneous, and a self-expression of my thoughts. Though, I made sure to keep an ongoing, consistent story throughout.
The zine smoothly progresses to an abrupt stop. The design was intentional; The previous pages dissected the past. As my 21st birthday grew near, the final spread captures the future and its unknown contents. It finishes with uncertainty, but embraces it wholeheartedly.
