‘Art for the fun of it’ Zine: 2026 is the new 2016 & what that means to me
Welcome to my first zine of the year!!
let’s first set the mood with a mixtape that I think best fits the energy of this zine <3
I’m genuinely soooo excited about this one, for at least two very specific reasons!! First, it’s my first zine in what feels like forever, which already makes it special to me <3 And second, the concept behind it feels very personal, almost like a quiet declaration to myself. That’s actually why I knew it had to be the first one of 2026.
This zine was built around the idea of deciding (very consciously) that 2026 will be the year I return to creating the way I did when I was younger. Before algorithms, before trends, before thinking about engagement or “what works.” Back when I made things simply because I felt like it, because it was fun, because it was beautiful to spend hours drawing on the floor of my room.
So there were three main threads I wanted to explore inside it:
The first was this idea that “2026 is the new 2016”, something I kept hearing everywhere and couldn’t stop thinking about. For me, that phrase isn’t just nostalgia, but it’s also about creating more freely, sharing things that aren’t perfectly polished, letting ideas exist even if they’re unfinished & embracing art that feels raw in the truest sense: imperfect, impulsive, alive.
The second thread was more vulnerable. Especially throughout 2025, I started feeling increasingly pressured and honestly a bit suffocated by everything happening online. The constant noise, the oversaturation, the unspoken expectation to stick to one recognizable style, to make your art look like a cohesive brand, to turn every drawing into a product, every moment into content. And somewhere in all of that, my impostor syndrome got louder. I wanted to subtly show that messy mental state in the zine, that overwhelming, cluttered feeling of trying to keep up.
And then, ultimately, the third thread is the shift / the perspective change. That nostalgic, playful energy of 17-year-old me drawing on the floor without overthinking it.
This zine kind of narrates that entire thought process, from feeling creatively stuck and overstimulated, to deciding to open a new account, to choosing to create more freely and boldly again. In a way, it documents the beginning of that transition.
Visually, I wanted to reflect that simplicity and softness. I didn’t want to dive into too many colors or make it overly intricate like some of my usual pieces. Instead, I aimed for something cute, breathable & intentional, almost like an introduction zine. Which, in many ways, it is. It’s setting the tone.
For the covers, I kept it simple on purpose. I chose to feature my new avatar as the main visual, which feels like a small but meaningful statement. It ties directly into this idea of reintroducing myself, not just to the internet, but to my own creativity.
I’m pretty happy with how it turned out and I just know that a lot of people resonate with the thoughts & feelings I presented in this piece so what can I say, I’m very excited to print it!!!
and here’s the full ‘Art for the fun of it’ Zine
