What Making Zines Taught Me About Slowing Down

Somewhere along the way, creativity became another thing to optimize.

Post faster. Create more. Be consistent. Stay visible.

Sometimes it feels like we are expected to turn every idea into content before we even have time to fully live it.

Making zines changed that for me.

A zine is small. Quiet. Slow by nature.

You cannot really rush a handmade little book. Even when the pages are simple, there is something about folding paper, arranging memories, choosing colors, adding drawings or handwritten notes that asks you to pause for a moment.

And maybe that is exactly why I fell in love with them.

A Different Relationship With Creativity

Before I started making zines, I often approached creativity with pressure.

Pressure to finish. Pressure to share. Pressure to make something “useful.”

But zines taught me that creativity does not always need to perform.

Sometimes creativity can simply hold a memory.

A train ticket from a trip. A drawing made by your child. A conversation you never want to forget. Photos sitting unseen in your phone gallery. Tiny moments that would otherwise disappear.

A zine gives those moments a place to live.

Slowness Becomes Part of the Process

When I make a zine, I notice myself paying attention differently.

I look more carefully at details. I become more intentional with images and words. I stop thinking about algorithms for a while.

The process feels closer to journaling than producing.

And unlike endless scrolling online, a zine asks to be touched, folded, revisited. It exists physically in the world. Imperfectly.

Maybe with uneven cuts. Maybe with tape showing somewhere. Maybe with pages that wrinkle slightly over time.

I think that imperfection is part of what makes them feel human.

Small Projects Can Hold Big Meaning

One thing zines taught me is that meaningful creativity does not need to be grand.

A tiny folded booklet can carry an entire story.

A weekend trip. A season of life. A relationship. A pet you loved deeply. A collection of your child’s drawings.

We often think important stories need huge projects, but sometimes eight tiny pages are enough.

Choosing Keepsakes Over Content

I still love sharing online. Social media can connect people in beautiful ways.

But making zines reminded me that not everything needs to become fast-moving content.

Some things deserve to become keepsakes instead.

Things we can hold in our hands years later. Things that age with us. Things that feel personal rather than optimized.

In a very fast world, creating something small and tangible feels quietly rebellious.

And maybe slowing down is not about doing less.

Maybe it is about paying closer attention.

Love, Micol

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