Page 33 - Vo Vo 5

We’’ve discussed before about how things have changed for you in the past few months. Tell us about your journey with community-building, nding your- self, how that affects your self-determination, etc. Despite the trouble I have encountered in organizing with folks and traveling and touring and shit I still be- lieve in our power to transform communities through the arts. I have been working with activist/punk/anarchist communities for 10 plus years and have been through many phases of apathy and feeling inspired and hon- estly now that I am older I am finding myself the most hopeful I have ever been.
This is a hard question for me to answer because this could be a zine in and of itself. So I’’ll highlight what I think are the most important lessons I have learned in the last 15 years.
Having patience for people and meeting them where they are at in their lives and growing your relationship with them from there; this has been the biggest lesson. This is not to say I put up with their bullshit, but more or less that I try to dig deep and see the good before I give up on a relationship.
Leaving room for your own personal growth is really important too. I have shot myself in the foot I don’’t know how many times being so resolute and not leaving room for the fact that I will most definitely change my mind. And last but not least standing up for myself. Once you
stand up for yourself you find it easier to stand up for others too. Does this answer this question? I hope so? Can we talk more about this later? Fuck.
I rst read an earlier issue of your Skinned Heart zine, and noticed that it’’s changed alot in layout/con- tent. For people who want to write/make zines, but may not feel prepared, can you outline how the evolution of your zine-making has gone over time? Don’’t be afraid to suck, because you are going to suck at first. I still think I suck. Someone will find merit and inspiration in your work. My first zine was garbage but had a great layout. It took years to develop into a writer that I could tolerate. And over time my zines got better. I am looking forward to the next 5 years and what Ill produce and hopefully it will be better.
The content in my zine has changed and grown with me. I write about what I know and experience, so my zine is reflective of those changes. I think as I have matured a little so has the style of my zine. As far as visual artistic content goes I think that my zine as be- come more cleaned up and I am liking the direction it is going in. It is less cluttered. Maybe that is personal reflection. I think I am less cluttered. I think my 30’’s will be less cluttered and maybe I’’ll stop being a drunken scumbag and make better quality zines?
www.brownreclusezinedistro.com