Why Create a Photography Magazine?
There’s much to be appreciated for the accessibility of art on the internet, which can be seen in the rise of feature accounts on social media. On the surface, the perceived inspiration for creating an account or online magazine may be superficial. Not necessarily presenting a negative position, but simply sharing posts on social media to garner attention for those who create their chosen medium. For me, exhibiting a shared passion for visual creativity and the wish to build a community highlighting process and inspiration is true, to a point. But there’s more…
“There’s a difference between interest and commitment. When you’re interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstances permit. When you’re committed to something, you accept no excuses. Only results.”
There is a universal truth for many people, particularly creatives, that we separate our interests from our commitments. This is something that I was reminded of in a video back in November 2021 from film photographer and Youtube film maker, Chris Chu. Like the masses spending more time consuming rather than creating, I felt a certain level of disdain for the endless cycle I found myself in. Self critical of the work I produced, and never truly satisfied by my own creativity. But I realized much of that was attributed to my lack of commitment to the process itself.
The concept for the magazine was inspired by the french word Pastiche which, on the surface, conjures the idea of someone’s art being a work of reiteration, plagiarism or facsimile. A simple carbon copy of creative work that came before it. The reality of this term, however, at least in the case of visual creativity, is that a pastiche is a celebration of art by creating works derived from multiple sources of inspiration. As cliche as it may sound, when hearing this word for the first time, it said everything I needed it to as the title for the magazine. Although this magazine is more of a point of reference to other artists and their creations, it’s also a nod to the endless inspirations we as artists draw from to build our own portfolios. That is to say, the debate that “there is no such thing as a new idea”, should be understood, and inspiration should be appreciated for what it is.
Pastiche magazine lives, in part, as a result of my need to display my passion and build a community of like minded artists, but also to make creativity more tangible in a space away from social media. A space that can slow the rate of consumption from swipe or double tap, to a pause (for effect)... Although I understand the irony of that sentence, social media plays an integral part in my creative career. But like many, I don’t want it to diminish my appreciation for the process itself. Who knows, maybe this is why you're here too.
