Welcome to the first issue of 2018, the 24th issue since Halfstack came into existence and 6 years since we had our fateful Kickstarter campaign that set my life on a new path. What started off as a seed of an idea has blossomed into a spark of a movement that I am so honored that I have had the chance to nurture to life. Over the last 6 years I have the opportunity to work with an amazing team of people who have believed in me and the mission of Halfstack.
Devon, Sarah & Flavia - Feature Story & Cover Photography by: Bianca Garcia
Photos Edited by: Flavia Borges Hair and Makeup by: Jacquee Meller-Vogt
Photos Edited by: Flavia Borges Hair and Makeup by: Jacquee Meller-Vogt
It’s been a beautiful 6 years, but it hasn’t been easy. I always highlight the realities behind the scenes in creative business. It’s a constant message in the podcasts and articles we share because I want to keep it real. There’s no sugar coating the hard work that needs to be put in to bring a dream and idea to life or the hardships that sometimes come along with it. The last 6 years I have gone through a metamorphosis. I have seen some of my highest highs and lowest lows in both my personal and professional life, but I haven’t given up. Halfstack has been my consistent outlet. The place I go to share a vision and a reminder that I am going in the right direction, even when it feels that the world is pulling me down. When I want to run and hide, my kids and family remind me to show up and my creative work is always right there waiting for me to breathe life into it. I’ve gone from working in the retail world, being a freelance writer and creative, to working in corporate world, back to pursuing freelance all the while always having 2 side jobs as an adjunct professor at local colleges, being a mom and always releasing an issue of Halfstack every quarter even if I have to go days on end running on 2-3 hours of sleep. I shut down my other business this year and shed the weight of failure it held over me and brought myself back to focus on what I believed in: Halfstack. I’m still freelancing and teaching because a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do, but I’m working on prioritizing the growth this indie zine needs.
Erin Ryan - Reiki Master - Photographed by: Dwight Bejec
Even though Halfstack hasn’t paid the bills and I have invested so much sweat, tears and money, I haven’t stopped. I’ve believed in the message and I keep doing what I can to nurture it. I worked other jobs so that I could find a way to keep bringing this to life because I think the message that we share is important right now. Yet, I won’t lie I’ve struggled this last year with my health, with my spiritual growth, with being spread to thin on top of being a mom, a provider and a working parent. I’ve questioned whether or not I should continue on doing this or if I do, in what capacity and what does that mean for Halfstack. I’ve gone through an evolution over the years and because of that so has this publication. It’s stretched and grown and changed because I along with the people who work on it have evolved. I’ve never been a quitter and I will not start now, but this year is going to be a year of continued change for us. I couldn’t do this without the amazing team of people who have consistently posted on the blog, covered events for us, shared their art and photography in the issues and on our site. I couldn’t keep bringing this zine to life if it wasn’t for people like Danielle who has literally been here since day one or Laura and Shirin, Stella, Perry, Rob, Teresa, Pearl, Jennie, Iesha, Olivia, Michelle, Kali, Aira, Kandy, Lauren, Avante, Nisha, Louis and Tyronita. We run on their creative energy and fuel. I just keep it all running.
Feature Story & Cover Photography by: Bianca Garcia | Photos Edited by: Flavia Borges
Hair and Makeup by: Jacquee Meller-Vogt
My biggest hope for Halfstack is to be able to make a positive impact on the Chicago community and beyond as well as the people who pour so much of their creative souls into it. I like to think that we have inspired people to keep moving forward towards their goals and dreams. Yet, I’ve held myself back from my own. I’ve wanted to bring this brand into full time status for so long, but find myself scared of putting myself out there. So, here I am sharing the raw reality behind what we do here. I’ve wanted to give my friends, colleagues and fellow artists jobs that are fulfilling to them, that valued their time and paid them what they are worth. I’ll know I have made it and made my dreams come true when I can help others make their dreams come true. I’m not sure how we will get there, but I will continue working on it. I’m working harder on listening to my intuition and following my gut. When I feel scared or nervous about things, they’re typically things that I should be forging ahead on. That is what I did with this issue. We shared stories and ideas that were uncomfortable and different, but they all culminated into a vision of strength in connection.
This year is the year of break through, Halfstack is breaking through the chrysalis and sharing thoughts, ideas and content that will continue to push the boundaries and I hope you will come along on this ride with us. This issue was inspired by the #MeToo Movement. It was an opportunity to take all the shitty things that came with that and see how the women who have been through the ringer owned their empowerment. How they didn’t allow themselves to be victimized any longer. They took back their night. Growing up my mother, a single Latina mom who was looking for love in all the wrong places, often suffered through one too many abusive relationships. As the eldest I had to be the one to help her pick up the pieces when things came crashing down. I was often mad and angry at her, not fully understanding how she would get herself and us into the messes we were a part of. Yet, when I got older and experienced similar traumas in past relationships as a young woman, I finally realized why it was so hard for my mother.
Ladybossblogger.com founder: Elaine Rau Photographed by: Daniel Lopez Perez
I realized how the hardships of growing up in a turbulent home with a parent who suffered from her own demons and addictions impacted the way my mother approached our life. Yet, despite the hardships, not once did she ever give up. Even in my darkest moments, like my mom, I continued on. It took so much of me to break through that darkness in my early adult years, but I did. It took my mother a bit longer, but I look at the woman she is now and I realize where I got my strength. I want to dedicate this issue to her and to every woman, mother, grandmother and aunt who never gave up, who stood by their young people in their dark moments and reminded them to keep going. I want to dedicate this issue to every person at any age who is part of a victimized group, whether you are Black, Latino, Hispanic, part of any diaspora, gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, transgender, binary, gender non-conforming, on the spectrum of all abilities or disabilities. I see you. I believe in you. We will continue to share your stories. I also want to dedicate this issue to the young men of the world. To the strong men of color, to our white brothers, and those men from the beautiful diverse countries and neighborhoods all over our beautiful Chicago and beyond, thank you for your support. Thank you for walking alongside us in our pursuance of equality, excellence and for believing that we should all be elevated together. That’s what intersectional feminism is all about <3.
It is together that we will create the change we need to see in this world. I only hope I can continue to document it on the pages of Halfstack. In this issue we are promoting individuals who are taking back their night and some amazing bad ass babes who are doing things their way. Our cover features the trio behind Instagram’s newest micro-series: MENACE. Flavia, Devon and Sarah share their journey in developing the series and talk with me about how feminism and the election influenced the direction of the series. I feature another amazing female founder and share the story behind launching the trade show app: Behind the Booth. Laura recently released a book with Evelen Lauer and we share the story behind SKYLINED: A Story of Love & Loss in the City. And I share a very intimate feature with Erin Ryan: a Reiki Master and TCM Practitioner that explores the themes of overcoming family trauma, spirituality, alternative medicines and energy work.
Danielle has an amazing round up of empowering beauty features. Avante has a recap of Spring Runway shows and Teresa is bringing us the runway looks for less. Liv shares the latest in her sustainable lifestyle column and we spotlight some local Chicagoans doing great things for the Latino communities here and in Latin and South America. Louis shares an interview with a music industry icon: Amy Wolter and Nisha closes out this issue for us with an inspiring take on uplifting women.
I hope we can continue to inspire for 6 more years to come. If you believe in what we are doing, download a digital copy here: https://www.issuu.com/halfstackmag or become a digital subscriber here: https://issuu.com/store/publishers/halfstackmag/subscribe You can also consider supporting our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/halfstackmag or you can always just buy us a cup of coffee here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/4vyJDPe9z! If you would like to get your hands on a physical copy of this issue you can purchase it here: http://www.blurb.com/b/8603545-halfstack-magazine-spring-2018
Thank you for your support,
Jennifer M. Veguilla-Lezan
Editor-in-Chief & Founder
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