The roots of Wander: To hear the creative women behind Wander tell the story, it was all about the isolation of the Covid19 pandemic that inspired them to come up with Wander, a showcase of artwork by talented women from around the planet.
A project waiting to happen: However, the more I look at Wander, the more I believe that this is a project that needed to exist, a community that was waiting to be brought together, with or without the horrific pandemic.
This is Wander: An explosion of color, and, in this issue, the work of 34 women to illustrate their 2021 dreams. A poster on every page is how I would describe the banquet of inspiration that appears in Wander.
Amazing talent: To look at the work of these women from around the world is to sample a catalog of all that the imagination of the very creative is capable of. Indeed, the pandemic has inspired the pieces in the issue above, but they are examples of human emotions in a variety of colors, textures and genres. Some work with type, others with explosions of colors, or a collage, or simply an image that reminds us of 19th Century illustrations. I have chosen a few here, but every piece included is a poster I would want to have near me. Wander is easy to consume. Simply go to the website, https://wandermag.design/,download the pdf and click through the pages of Wander at your leisure.
Let’s hear it from the creators: Proof of how much this project was needed is the success of Wander . As my enthusiasm for this project grew, I contacted its three talented creators to a virtual chat. Read what Suzette Moyer, Sara Quinn,and Kris Viesselman, had to say about Wander. I wanted to know how the name Wander came to be, what they imagined as the audience for Wander and the feedback they are getting.
From Sara Quinn, co-founder of Wander, design educator and consultant.
“We published the first issue in late July.
“The three of us had been meeting up in different groups on Zoom every couple of weeks for an injection of creative energy. Sometimes we’d draw and paint while we talked — most often, we’d have a glass of wine. We were dreaming about traveling and going to museums.
“We started making lists of people we might contact to see if they’d like to participate. We decided to limit submissions to work by women and non-binary people. The simple parameter of an open, 11×17 inch canvas made the process fun and easy. I was thrilled to see each piece come in, one-by-one.”
From Suzette Moyer,co-founder of Wander:
“We bounced around several names but Wander seemed to fit what we intended to do – make viewers roam the magazine at their leisure and really study and appreciate the artwork. I was so honored to work with Sara and Kris – 2 of the best in the business and also women who are passionate about art and storytelling. We knew the art would bring job and hope to viewers during the early part of the pandemic- and for some artists it was a relief to work on something personal during this uncertain time. The second issue came more easily than the first. We all found our niche.”
From Kris Viesselman, co-founder of Wander:
What is the inspiration for Wander? We were seeking a way to provide inspiration during the lockdown’s isolation.
How did the name come about? (I think it’s perfect).Encouraging our minds to wander during physical isolation seeded our rationale.We desired a name that was general enough to accommodate a variety of potential applications–and one that reflected the diverse locations of our contributors. This project has helped create a wonderful community of creative people who may not have otherwise connected. “
Professors: get your review version of The Story on time for fall classes
As an academic, I know the importance of having the right tools to advance our students, especially on the important subject of mobile storytelling. Please drop me an email if you would like to sample The Story in its digital edition: mario@garciamedia.com
Start writing or type / to choose a block
The full trilogy of The Story now available–3 books to guide you through a mobile first strategy. Whether you’re a reporter, editor, designer, publisher, corporate communicator, The Story is for you! https://amazon
TheMarioBlog post # 3272