Inspiration & Reference 2 -Magazines
Magazines, I have to force myself not to look at them in the stores, I don’t get subscriptions any more. They are so hard for me to throw away. I find that magazines are the most beautiful source of photography and the good ones are timeless.
Magazines are trendy. They are a snapshot of our culture, society and time. The information becomes dated rather quickly, however, becomes invaluable as a timecapsule. Even the paper that is used, indicates something about the readership and their values.
From time to time, I take on the MAJOR task of weeding through the magazines I have acquired and pull the inspiring photos and articles (sometimes the information really is timeless, most however is reporting on a trend) I have many flat boxes from Ikea with magazine clippings in them. Someday I will do something with them, I don’t know what... collages, style boards, I have even considered covering a small table with different magazine photos and glazing the heck out of it.
Some Magazines, I don’t tear apart. This happens when the valuable content (at least what is valuable to me) is more than 2/3s to 3/4s of the magazine. It is just easier to keep it intact for storage and retrieval than to take it apart.
This however is an area that I must become more disciplined with.
I have the first five years of every issue of Victoria Magazine when it debuted in 1987. (I think it was ’87, I am upstairs as I write and will need to reference that to be sure)
I am considering selling them off. They are vintage now. But then again.. the photography is so beautiful!
I also have many issues of Threads magazine. I have considered getting the archival DVD’s and this may happen. But there is something about a magazine. Maybe I should, then keeping others will be less of an imposition on my space.
Here is a list of magazines that I keep:
- Magazines
- Threads
- Victoria
- Artful Blogging
- Where Women Create
- Creative Studios
- Vintage Shelter
- Vintage Needlework
- Shelter
- Furniture & Furnishings
- Mixed Media
- Catalogues
Some are still just catagories, like vintage shelter magazines. I love to review these. In my design practice, it is important to me to preserve the historical and design integrity of a home. Understanding the purpose of certain elements assists me in bringing it into the modern day and repurposing for contemporary lifestyle.
Feel like you are drowing in creativity yet? I do. And this is just the beginning.. But we will keep going.
Do you keep magazines? Do you have a ritual around the arrival of the latest issue? Be aware of this ritual, we can incorporate it into the flow of your creative space. What magazines do you keep?
How many magazines are you comfortable keeping on hand? How do you store them? I have magazine binders from Ikea, red, white, black and some wood ones that I plan to do something decorative with... maybe cover with magazine photos...
I was a longtime subscriber to Gourmet magazine--30 years, amazingly--and I used to wait for that mail delivery every month. I loved looking at the elaborate menu and the gorgeous food photography and the travel articles. But at the time of Gourmet's demise I had been considering not renewing my subscription. I had gradually become more of an ambitious sewer than ambitious cook. I held onto those Gourmets for ages till I finally examined each issue and saved not really that many recipes. But it was an emotional thing to get rid of the Gourmets. I have almost the full run of Cook's Illustrated, but they're like a reference library and don't have the emotional pull Gourment had. (But I use MANY more of Cook's recipes.) Gourmet was a symbol; Cook's is a tool. (Hmmm--just realized that.)
ReplyDeleteGreat! That is exactly what I am discovering about the emotional attachment to many of these things we have absent-mindedly collected. We look forward to the next issue. We don't necessary have to take any action (other than subscribe) but how many of us begin or renew a subscription just for the sake of collecting? It is something that just happens.. those are the collections that tell us about ourselves and each other. Most other collections are why? Sounds like a good future posting... to delve into collecting and why?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment!