The Ask
As a contributing team member for INK, VCU’s arts and culture magazine, conceptualize, pitch, and execute an article for the online publication.
The Process
For my first article with INK magazine, I knew I wanted to focus on textile art. At the time, I had been developing my own textile skills within sewing, knitting, and weaving. I found the practice to be exceptionally challenging, a confrontation with my own impatience and stubbornness. Despite the opposition, I found this struggle to be rewarding- a way to fight myself and win. However, I soon remembered that this admiration for the craft was not universal. My piece focused on the dismissal of this rich practice.
Additionally, I knew I wanted to create an art piece as the visual component of the article. As an experimentation with tapestry crochet, I planned to create a piece that embodied the sentiments of my writing- one that called for reflection on the medium and the message. The phrase, “Am I Serious Enough”, which later became the title of the article, came to me during my ideation process for the article. I found that while the phrase did end up holding a different personal meaning, it took on a strong message fit for the publication.
The Product
The article and art piece were published in conjunction on September 3, 2022 on INK magazine’s online publication.