Today I came to my mom. I was looking for something in the cupboard. There I came across an old accomplishment of mine. Looking at it, I thought it is the apt time to have it in the hand when there is a prompt by Hive Learner’s Community to write about a contest we participated in.
The story is 20 years old. It belongs to the time when I studied in school and was a student of class 8. During my whole academic life, this particular year keeps its own unique importance. I participated in all the opportunities at hand with passion and dedication and emerged as one of the most famous students of the school. Be it curriculum, speech, science or arts and creativity, I made a name for my self.
While taking part in many other activities I took part in newspaper-making competition organized by our English Teacher. She wanted us to write something about the school along with other articles.
Upon careful consideration of the subject, I decided to create a magazine with book-style format rather than a broadsheet newspaper with wide pages.
In the beginning I was of an idea that everything I would be writing in the magazine would be about the school. However, as I started working on it, more and more ideas came to me and I kept on adding them to my work.
It is important to mention here that at that time there was no internet facility available at my home or school. Everything I had to do was to be done with resources available off-line.
I carefully observed the few magazines available at my home and drove some ideas out of them like how should the opening and organization be, what sections should be added etc.
Something worth mentioning about this art piece (I consider it so 😄) is that all the 54 pages were handwritten. Headings, pictures, colours and other drawings were drawn by me. At some spots I cut the pictures from other newspapers and magazines and pasted them according to my need.
For instance, look at this picture of a house. I took several pictures of people from different pages of newspapers and pasted them together in this shape.
It was to demonstrate the staff of the school. The following pages contained interviews of some of the staff members.
Here is the editorial page of the magazine.
The title of the magazine (Reality), heart-bordered frame for editorial and the column for content were drawn, designed and written by my hands.
On each page I drew a border at all the corners and coloured it with a highlighter. On the top of the page, on every page, I wrote a saying/quotation. The saying wasn’t written randomly but a prudent effort was made to select the saying according to the subject matter on the given page. Besides, at the bottom of the page, I mentioned page number, the magazine’s name and the section’s name. All of these things are evident in the picture given below.
I coloured most of the pages either with pencil colours or highlighters.
On some of the pages, I designed them with a background image, no need to say “drawn by me".
I had also composed some poems and made them a part of the magazine. Here is how I presented them.
Something that put my principal in awe was the drawing of the school building. Though it was a drawing but not a photograph it looked pretty much similar to how the school building appeared.
For making it a part of magazine , I took the interview of my principal. It was an experience of its own kind.
The time when I prepared the magazine, my resources for content were quite limited as I have mentioned there was no internet facility. Furthermore, the scarcity of English-language content compounded the challenge. With primarily Urdu newspapers and magazines at my disposal, I opted to extract articles from them undertaking the arduous task of translating them into English. Though it was an exhaustive work, but it served as a valuable catalyst for enhancing my English writing skills.
As I held this old accomplishment in my hands, memories flooded back from a time two decades ago. What started as a plan to spotlight our school evolved into the meticulous crafting of a magazine. Notably, this creative journey unfolded without the convenience of the internet, relying solely on offline limited resources.
The process, involving 54 handwritten pages adorned with drawings, colors and carefully chosen quotations, was both laborious and gratifying. Beyond encapsulating the spirit of the school, this artistic endeavor became a personal odyssey, contributing significantly to the refinement of my English writing skills.
Holding this tangible relic today, it signifies not just a magazine but a cherished artifact marking a transformative phase in my life.
It brings me immense pride to share that this creation earned me the prestigious title of “BEST MODEL MAGAZINE,” a testament to the passion and dedication poured into its pages.
This is my participation for Hive Learner’s featured contest prompt.
All the images belong to me. Photographed using my mobile
Wow... Amber. You see why you are a Superwoman, right? This is incredible and it's a pure work of passion and creativity. Now I know that the passion you always display and the meticulousness you show when doing things didn't start yesterday. It's something you've been doing for years.
I've worked in a magazine committee in this internet era with other 4-6 people and we didn't necessarily have to prepare a handwritten magazine like you did. Yet, the workload was incredibly tedious.
Wow! You are such a creative genius. I'm impressed with this magazine of yours. I never knew you were also good at visual arts. Those drawings are incredible.
Yeah, I do. And you see why you are an inspirational person,Kene. 🤩
Perhaps, it is something I am born with 😜. Well, I think I have very much compromised in the perfection during the recent years.
Never knew this. Good to know about your experience
Honestly speaking, Kene, I myself wonder how I did this all. It was the time I was doing several projects and duties simultaneously. Along with that I secured 98.36% marks in final exam. I really wonder how I did it. Lolz.
School was my love. School and me, me and school. Nothing in between us to distract me 😂. It feels like a Dreem today
Thanks for your !LUVly comment. Sometimes, one desires to be flirted 😉
And how did you forget about my visual art. Didn't you remember the dirty sweater design I made for you during uptrennd days.....!
Lol... I see you still have your comedic element intact. I'm having a really good laugh right now. Haha.
Seriously, the things you did to bring this magazine to life are incredible. If I didn't know any better, I would just say you are making things up, but I know you wouldn't do that.
I'm genuinely impressed. Keep up the good work. Hehe.
Still.......! Did you assume I lost it somewhere 😏
I am happy for this 😊
Have a wonderful day
!LUV
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You mean no internet here?
What an incredible find!!! I'm so glad you did and took the time to record it here :)
Yeah. Back in my day (and I can hear my son laughing now) desktop publishing had only just begun. A lot of the layout for papers and deep-etching for products was still done by hand. 👀
In fact... when I began as a textile designer we still handpainted the designs for clients to considerfor ranges. Hand painted colorways. Geesh! What a mission! 😆
Brilliant post and so glad I found this 💥💯
Certainly, I meant there was no internet facility. Thanks for grabbing the typo. Lemme edit the post.
At my time, internet and printing wasn't that scarce a thing. However, everyone didn't have the access as it is these days. Moreover, it was expensive.
Computing and apps have made the work easier and a lot faster but I feel like it has snatched a level of satisfaction and gratification that we would get after doing them with hands. What's your opinion.
It's a pleasure to see you on my post. Much !LUV
Totally agree. The satisfaction of making.
But, in all honesty, with the textile design, it was such a relief to go digital!!! I mean... one slip on the acetate paper, and we'd sometimes have to start over.
It's just not productive.
Also... we were the first manufacturer who offered as many colorations of a design as a retailer wanted. I could create a new colourway in minutes!
Totally blew the competition out of the water and our sales increased 60% in six months.
So I guess it depends then. On the reason and arena?
If it simplifies tasks and takes pressure off humans awesome.
If it destroys creativity then hmmm.
p.s. I think only good textile designers could translate the painting techniques in digital format for rotary printing by the way. So, to be good at it, you kinda had to know more than just Photoshop. You had to know how to paint by hand first. If that makes sense?
Hmmmm. I haven’t done anything in textile designing so no idea. As you have explained it makes perfect sense how going digital is a blessing.
In general I just feel that availablilty of digital tools hampers the creativity for many of us, if not for all.
I hear you.
I think maybe because we forgot our skills or people don't have to learn them so much anymore.
😬
I know my drawing and painting abilities have declined/been forgotten since I started to create digitally. So I'd agree with you, yes.
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I can only imagine the legwork that you did almost two decades ago on this magazine. The effort in taking pictures, creating write-ups and even the interview. My 10 year old self wouldn't be able to do that for sure and even my adult version haha.
If I think of the efforts put, I myself feel amazed how I got it fone amidst many other responsibilities. The passion makes us do things, doesn’t it?
Thanks for stopping by !LUV
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Wow, I cannot imagine that you did this in 8th grade; it is so beautiful. You don't need to say drawn by me 😅. You have such beautiful handwriting, and yet you can draw. This means there are so many great wonders about you yet to be known.
Hi, Star. It's such a pleasure seeing you on my post. !LUV
Honestly speaking, today it feels amazing how I accomplished it that time. When we are focussed and determined, wonders happen, don't they?
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Yay! 🤗
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