My Vision for this magazine began...
When I originally created The FANTASY magazine, it was as a tool to help put all of my work from a season in one place. I had been previously printing off endless 8X12" prints to put in a scrap book and it had filled up really quickly. The first magazine was created to test out a new printing firm who had the reputation as the world's best and it was one which continued to pop up in conversation after conversation with other photographers. They were ALL raving about the quality, the price points, the customer service, the materials, the craftsmanship... I couldn't stop the nagging thought in my head anymore so I put together the Spring 2020 edition and came up with the name, FANTASY (magazine) and off I went. Needless to say that first edition created everything I have done to date, plus albums, prints and so much more.
Over the past twelve months, the magazine has grown into such a beautiful space, one which I am very proud of.
I have watched as the kids who have images inside the magazine, pour over each issue to see 'their page' with great delight. New children to the studio adore flicking through their colourful pages, and I have been watching my own children, dream of ideas and think of things they can add to be part of its pages well.
From the kid's constant requests and suggestions, I decided to create their very own spreads this month for the anniversary issue, and it was a thrill to show them this morning what they looked like.
Today has been unreal. I have heard from so many families how their children were over the moon to see themselves in print, their colouring in was in the magazine, their stories were, bits of who they are were in the magazine for them to connect with. It has been one of the most heartwarming and beautiful moments reading the texts and emails. THIS is why I love what I do. For the kids. For their hearts. For their futures. For their imaginations.
Over the next few months, this magazine will play host to so many adventures for imagination. If you have a creative kid or know one please let their families know about our Facebook page by tagging them and sharing us with them. My son, Huey is running an amazing car drawing competition. My daughter, Taylor has another writing challenge ready to go. My son, Scott is always looking for the best kid-friendly jokes, reading, gardening, and playing lots of sport.
My vision for this magazine is to bring together our community through creativity, imagination, and adventure. It is to inspire the next generation of creatives and give them a space to create and be published. This is by far my most exciting adventure and I can't wait to grow it with you all.
