Gallimaufry, a zine about mixed up creatures

Getting this zine done over the past month has been a small win for me. It maybe a tiny, inexpensive item and I'm not imagining it's going to be a huge seller but it's been the only creative project I've been able to focus on lately and the full outpouring of my imagination.

The freelance gig I stared in February is still full on and I'm finding fitting in my Dear Colleen work next to impossible, beyond making sure orders get packed up in a timely manner. I find myself questioning a lot lately if it's really worth my time, if this is the career I want? Anyhow doing work like 'Gallimaufry' reminds me why I love being an independent designer. I can not imagine ever getting paid to produce work like this.

Gallimaufry [gal.uh.maw.free]; hodgepodge; jumble; confused medley
A zine about the left over elements from mythical creatures. This is very much a publication for my 12 year old self who was obsessed with reading and re-reading the 'kid friendly' greek mythology book in my special needs class (I'm hopelessly dyslexic so spent about 25% of high school in special ed).

For me, at least, it feels like concepts can be forming in my brain for years before they become fully rounded ideas, and I think the seeds for this were differently planted a long time ago. Anyway I'm pleased it's out of my head for this issue at least. 

Somethings on my mind

It's been a roller coster week, I know that's one of those phrases that gets a bit over used but really I can't think how else to sum it up. On Wednesday I did my first bit of public speaking for yonks. Thank you everyone who came and to She's Motivated who organising it. The talk wasn't the fully formed finished product I had hoped it would be but like I said it's been a crazy week. It was great to do the talk in the run up to speaking in Wellington, in three weeks (wow that's coming round soon) I feel like I now have a good base to build on. If you're coming along please feel free to suggest areas/topics you would like me to cover. Even if I can't fit it into the talk at least I can think it over for Q&A at the end.

Anyway today, incase some how you have missed it, it's Mother's day (here in New Zealand at least) and I wanted to take a moment to talk about that. Mother's day this year is feeling like a hard day for me. My Mum is in hospital on the other side of the world recovering from a hip replacement op. I wanted/want desperately to be in the UK with her to help out and just genrally hug her and let her know she's loved. Sadly due to work commitments and lack of money it's not posible. Luckily as it turned out it was fortunate I didn't up stick and disappear as my partners Mum was taken unexpectedly and gravely sick at the start of the week. For the first time ever I had a scene of what Mother's day would be like without your Mum and it's given't the day a whole new edge. Not to take anything away from all those amazing mums out there being celebrated but my thoughts today are with all those who don't have their mothers anymore. Sorry if that's a bit of a sad note I just know it must be a very hard day for lots of people. It's been a tough week in my world but at least we got happy endings.

Above is an awful out of focus picture of my parents when they were much younger than I am now. I'm very much a louder, fatter, worse version of my Mum (we look, sound and think alike) so even though we are apart I carry her with me in my genes and in my heart. My partner and I are working incredible hard at the moment to save the funds to visit my family before the end of the year, I can't wait to see them again. Although I love New Zealand I wish it wasn't quite so far away from my family, it's definitely the hardest part of living on the other side of the world.