Welcome to the very first issue of Inksight! My name is Aleksandra, and I would like to tell you a little bit about what this magazine and issue are about.
The idea to launch my own magazine came to me out of the desire to improve my writing and editing, and out of the lockdown frustration that felt like an endless limbo of aimlessness. I needed to focus all of my energy (and anxiety) on something productive and creative, so I decided it was time for Inksight to come into existence. Originally, I wanted to go for the print format but I thought it might be wiser to leave that for a more viable time. Instead, I decided to spice things up and meet print and digital halfway. The result – each monthly ‘issue’ will have its own special theme, and all of the articles will be published in bulk to imitate the print magazine feel. Of course, that might change as we progress and find out what works and what doesn’t.
In general, Inksight will primarily explore art and culture but you can also expect to see other topics such as creative writing, history, and plenty of book reviews and recommendations. There is also a miscellaneous category for the times when I won’t be able to stop myself from sharing something exciting or important that doesn’t fit the theme.
ISSUE 1: COMMUNITY
At first, I thought it would be interesting to look at ‘Community in Isolation’ as a theme, but I was so fed up with hearing about the pandemic and lockdown all the time, that I decided the topic needed to be broader. I decided ‘Community’ on its own was a good theme to explore art and culture through, and still relevant to the world’s current affairs.
To be clear, this issue is not about communities struggling with the pandemic. Sure, there will be mentions of it, but the theme is about community’s broader definition – about groups of people with something or some place in common. This month’s issue seeks to bring you an inksight (pun absolutely intended) into some of today’s most pressing matters, brilliant art, and exciting ideas and books.
Eventually, I hope for this magazine to be a collaborative project. A place for creative, passionate individuals to write about things they find interesting or beautiful, and about things that don’t get enough attention in the media. So, I hope you enjoy the fruit of my lockdown experience, and that you feel encouraged to get involved.
Head over to the submissions page to read about how you can get involved. We would love to hear from you!
Featured image: Catherine Cordasco for United Nations COVID-19 Response, via Unsplash.
