Summary
Workshop Number: 10
Leaders: Natalie Ramsland
Who May Register?: Open to All
Worship/Worship-Sharing: 10%
Lecture: 15%
Discussion: 10%
Experiential Activities: 65%
Who May Attend?
half gathering attenders welcome
Half-Gathering Attenders Welcome:
First half (Monday-Wednesday)
Zines are self-published, small-format booklets that arose from the need to share ideas not circulated in the mainstream. How might zines speak to the current condition of the Religious Society of Friends? Come explore zine-making as a creative, contemplative practice in this project-based workshop.
Workshop Description
In this workshop we will explore the theory and practice of zine-making in a Quaker context. I extend a robust invitation to those who might not *yet* think of themselves as creative powerhouses. Our projects will be approachable for new artists and authors. Much of our work will be collaborative; we will draw out and lean on one another’s gifts.
Over the course of the workshop we will make connections between the anti-authoritarian, DIY spirit of the zine and Quaker traditions and ministries. There is much to learn from and love about Punk zines of the 1970s or Riot Grrrl zines of the 1990s, but I believe that we are about to invent a whole new genre for the 2020s. We’ll experiment with grounding our work in contemplation, spiritual awareness, and group discernment. This could be considered radical for our times!
Together, we’ll sample a variety of zine-making construction methods and conceptual approaches. Zines can be written ministry, personal narrative, documentation of a shared experience, art journal, testimony, invitation to connection, and more. The zines that excite me most are yours: ones that can share your Light among Friends and can carry the gifts of Quaker spirituality to seekers beyond our meetings.
Participants will be asked to contribute towards the printing costs as they are able.
Leader Experience
A through line and great joy of my work – whether in the bike industry, in First Day School, or among F/friends – is leading people in learning experiences in which they come to a greater appreciation of their own strengths and creativity. I am bringing zine-making to Quakers and am excited to nurture our attunement to Spirit in the creative process.