Volume 3

Here we are, another leap in retrospection. While in the moment of creating Volume 3, everything felt fast and loose. Creative energy was flowing through weekly meetings and a great influx of submissions. This volume had already surpassed our expectations before the submission deadline even arrived.

We had an internal goal arise once we received Volume 2, and that was that we really wanted a spine. It was all some of us talked about. Thanks to these amazing artists, we were able to fill 62 pages with the beauty of expression and finally get that coveted spine. It felt way bigger than it actually was. We also introduced a soft-touch laminate, now one of our favorite materials when it comes to hand texture. We wanted this magazine to not only be jam-packed, but comfortable to hold. A new staple for us.

As we now had 50 selected artists, the next challenge was how we were going to curate this much art. It was honestly so beautiful once we laid it all out. A multi-day process, but beautiful nonetheless. Internally, we gained more insight into the magazine and started to call this process The Beast, in the most respectful sense of the word, to describe the sheer amount of creative chaos. As we had this themeless, open call to artists, we were left with this gorgeous accumulation of different mediums, filled with color, insightful words, shapes, and form. The idea felt like it was begging to truly come to life. Awakening, so to speak.

This is where we begin to see the motif of masks in our discography, now a far cry from its initial concept. We started to consider the mask as something all-encompassing. Everyone wears a mask. Maybe we came to the conclusion that art itself is a mask—a fleeting explanation to an age-old question, expressed through different contexts, cultures, shapes, and forms.

Whether a digital mask or a physical one, even if we can take it off or not, we still create. Resilience. Resistance. What do you think?

I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone who supported us in any way during this critical stage. As we grew into this new creative space, there was still so much room we had to fill. Many conversations about art, physical media, and what our role was in all of this. The more we worked, the more questions appeared. And the more questions we thought we had answered no longer felt as simple as they once did.