3 Questions Every Zine-Maker Should Ask

Hey, how’s it going?
This week I’ve got some things to share that I hope will spark your creativity. Let’s go!

Pick of the Week: Instagram POST

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Have you heard of Craig Mammano?
I’ve been following his Instagram for a long time, and the handmade photo zines he creates are always incredible. Go check out his feed—you’ll see what I mean.

Pick of the Week: YouTube VIDEO

You probably already know Ted Forbes’ YouTube channel The Art of Photography. (He actually featured my zine 404 CONTACT SHEETS a while back—if you missed it, you can still watch it here.)

Now Ted just dropped a new video: “When is a photo zine really a book?”

Here are the four main takeaways from his talk:

1. Play with the line between zine and book
   It’s not always about being one or the other. You can use zine-like fragments or collections of material, then present them with the structure and design of a book.
   

2. Lean into the handmade feel
   Things like hand-stitched binding or lo-fi finishing add value in their own way and can make the work stand out.
   

3. Tell a story through editing
   Meaning comes from how you group and sequence photos. Not just by subject, but also by rhythm, color, form, or other abstract criteria. That’s where new ways of seeing can happen.
   

4. From “pile of photos” to “project”
   It’s not about single perfect shots. What matters is the bigger message or story you’re telling across the whole work.

That last point especially—what your project as a whole is trying to say—is so important. If your zine is just a sequence of photos with no bigger message, Instagram already exists for that.

Once you’re clear on the message you want to put out there, the rest follows: structure, sequencing, layout ideas… all of it starts to fall into place.

3 questions to boost your creativity

Q1. Put your current project into words. If you don’t have one yet, write down an idea for a project you’d like to start.

Q2. What message do you want people to take away from that project?

Q3. What kind of visuals (zine size, binding method, photo sequencing, page layout, etc.) could best amplify that message? Write down every idea that comes to mind.

And hey—if you want to share your answers with me, just hit reply to this email. I might not be able to respond to everyone, but I do read every single one.

Escaping a Boring Life

People sometimes ask me, “Why did you start photography?”

The short answer is a three-month trip to New York. But the real answer is that I just wanted to escape a boring life.

Before picking up a camera, I was stuck in a 9-to-5 office job. Every day felt empty, like I wasn’t really alive. I envied artists, actors, anyone doing something creative. But I also believed those jobs were impossible for me, since I never went to art school or had formal training.

Then I found the camera. Suddenly I realized that even without an art degree, I could still create. And that’s when my new life began.

As I kept making work, I started meeting creative people. When people found my work interesting, those connections turned into friendships. Zine-making became part of that—publishing a zine brought me new friends in a way that just taking photos never did. That’s been the best part of all.

And I want to keep meeting more creative, interesting people. That’s why I push myself to keep making and experimenting.

This newsletter just hit its first anniversary, and I think it’s time for a little refresh.
Going forward, I’ll still focus on zines, but I also want to share more that could resonate with anyone who feels stuck or bored with life, just like I once did.

I’ll keep writing about the challenges I take on to become more creative, and the lessons I learn along the way. Hopefully, it helps me grow into a more interesting person—and maybe sparks something for you too.

So come along with me. Let’s keep finding ways to live more creatively.

See you next week!

My Instagram: @_nuts.tokyo_
My YouTube: @fareastdarkroom