We have been waiting for this. For a new day to come where we find unsolicited emails in the inbox, asking to be involved with FOLKLIFE. Because when you’re working with a blank page--that could be finding 8 big productions for a theatre festival, a weekend of music to book, 70 artists to give workshops, or a blank word doc where your novel should be--you can fill it with A LOT of hard work and many unsolicited emails.
And then when you have to do it again, people are more open to the idea. And then AGAIN, and they’re contacting YOU. Oh, how we dreamed about this moment back in September. Wishing that we had the sorts of connections one needs to get unsolicited submissions. And now here we are, emails in our inbox, in our IG messages, in our fB messages, with writers and photographers wanting to be involved (couldn’t it all be in one place? haha). From the beginning, many people have warned that there is a reason you don’t get into publishing…especially print publishing… especially mag publishing…
The more push back we receive, the more we want to prove them wrong. Thing is, the more we learn about this industry, the more we learn they’re not wrong. Lol! The margins are tiny little niggly things, that don’t grow much bigger than a caterpillar’s width. But deep down, as people who have always worked in the arts thinking that ‘sure, money would be nice,’ that is never what it’s been about. And these artists, reaching out, wanting to be a part of something…well, that’s the magic. That’s the reason to do this. That’s the reason to ignore student loans, live rent-free with parents, weather the west coast storms on a scooter for $4 tanks of gas….
All for the magic that lies in connection and in stories and in new growth as hard work continues and as time passes. Thank you for following along on this journey, and for wanting to be involved. For art is at the heART of everything. Thank you <3
Purchase FOLKLIFE here: https://www.folklifemag.ca
