A New Zine and Starting Over
Three months ago I moved to New York City with my daughter and someone I desperately wanted to trust. Long story short, I'm finally feeling at home in a city I never wanted to live in. Two months into my new life in NYC my relationship ended—then I was given an opportunity to start over on my own with new friends and new creative energy.
Searching For My Face by Kylie Scheller
Read Searching For My Face for free—it's for you.
I'm two semesters into my master's degree program, and it's had a major influence on my zine-making. My newest zine, Searching for My Face, was an idea I'd been sitting with for a while, but an essay I wrote for class turned out to be the perfect fit for the concept.
This zine is about Native identity and not fitting the expectations mainstream society has for Indigenous peoples. It's filled with writing, family photos, artwork, and QR codes connecting you to important videos and webpages. Searching for My Face came together fast during a very emotional period—homesick for Oklahoma, missing the days I'd hang out at the Choctaw Cultural Center for work and fun with my daughter.
It feels fitting that my first completed zine in NYC is about Oklahoma and my Native heritage. And I don't think it was a coincidence that my sweater with the Great Seal of the Choctaw Nation led me to my new friends and, ultimately, my freedom to be happy here in New York City.
Is there a place, object, or piece of clothing—like my sweater—that's ever unexpectedly connected you to your community?
Share your story in the comments.
Chi pisa la chike! See you soon!
