Author: Nyx

the little zine of mindfulness
Amber is Blue
https://www.instagram.com/amberisblue/

The Little Zine of Mindfulness is an A7, full colour zine with tips for what you can try when you are depressed or dissociated.

I like a good self-care zine, but there is something really nice about a self-care mini because it’s something that I can take along with me easily anywhere. A bit of confidence and calm in my pocket wherever I go.

This mini-zine contains five useful tips – some even new to me despite all the self-care zines that I’ve read at this point. Each tip is framed in blue. I really liked this choice because I think that, along with each being on its own page, the ‘frame’ could be something to help the reader focus on one thing at a time (something I struggle with even at the best of times).

While simple in its nature, I think this is another handy mini to add to your collection of self-care zines.

Femme as in…
Sab and Anni?
https://www.instagram.com/queer_marshmallow/

Femme as in… is a full colour A7 mini-zine about what it means to be femme to the zinemaker.

Femme has a collection of short, strong statements that would remind anyone about self-care and speaking for themselves. Place on backgrounds of delicate flowers, these statements feel even stronger and more confidence-inspiring.

I was talking to a friend the other day about how nice mini-zines are because you can just slip them in your pocket for whenever you need them. With Femme, I can easily see this being someone’s ‘confidence in my pocket’ booklet.

This mini zine didn’t have any contact details, but I do remember where it came from, so at least there’s that…

Some of the statements were a bit aggressive for me personally, but I completely understand where it’s coming from.

If you’re a femme and want some strong statements to keep close, this may be the mini-zine for you.

Inspo: What I Find Inspiring
Latibule Art
https://www.instagram.com/latibule_art/

Inspo is an A7 full colour mini zine about finding inspiration.

Inspiration can be a flighty creature, so I welcome anything that helps me with finding it. This zine is definitely a good source for doing so. There are written ideas to help guide you as well as an assortment of bits and bobs to help you feel creative.

I really love the sense of texture in this zine with yarn, mini origami, pictures and all sorts put into the copy so the slightest shadows are picked up. There are so many different colours as well that I love flipping through it again and again. It’s so much fun to look at.

This little zine is about inspiration but is inspiring in and of itself. Grab a copy and let the inspiration flow.

Sensitive Adult
Darcy Rock
FB & IG: @sensitiveadultdaily
www.sensitiveadultdaily.com

Sensitive Adult is a free, A6, black and white zine series about emotional sensitivity and being a sensitive adult.

There is a strange sort of comraderie to be found in mutual unease with the world. I’ve always considered myself to be a bit too sensitive for the world, so this series was immediately appealing.

Through this series, Darcy touches on different subjects in a sort of ‘thoughts of the moment’ style rather than necessarily something that follows one to the next or needs to be read in any particular order. Medication, unemployment, unhealthy coping skills – Darcy covers many subjects with a writing style that is contemplative while also not getting lost within the subject at hand.

I identified a lot with what Darcy wrote on everything, marking bits here and there that resonated with me in every single issue.

What started off as (and still, in many ways, is) as a smiling, nodding along ‘that’s so me’ series of zine reads became very serious for me with the last one I read “On Death: How I imagine the end of my life”. I once again had to tip my hat to the realisations that perzines can bring in how it changed my perspective on what I thought was a good way to live my life.

If you see these zines, pick them up. It’s always a good thing to take in different perspectives, and you might just find out a thing or two that you didn’t know before.

Exhaustion Is
Keira
https://www.instagram.com/k.huolohan/
https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/ZinesByKeira

Exhaustion Is is an A7 black (or rather, grey) and white mini-zine about exhaustion.

Oh, wow do I have all the empathy for this zine and for Keira.

In a collection of images and metaphors, Keira takes us through their interpretations of exhaustion. I love the images Keira shares like driving your body like a vehicle as well as the moments (only moments?) of distraction that come with the brain fog of exhaustion.

I felt so sad but understood all too well the ‘everyone’s tired – get over it’ attitudes faced by those who try to speak up about what they are dealing with.

This is another great zine that will help people to not feel so alone in what they are dealing with. If you’re always exhausted, then I think you will enjoy this zine.

Side Note: If you are exhausted all the time, don’t let anyone dismiss you saying ‘everyone feels like that’. Constant exhaustion is not normal, and there are multiple possibilities from vitamin deficiencies to sleep disturbances. It’s worth talking to a doctor who will take your concerns seriously.