How to measure a feeling? To chart a moment? Or graph a relationship? In my second zine “Emotional Equations,” I’ve curated five years of pen & ink drawings that attempt to answer questions like these. Printed in four color Risograph with Cosmic Doghouse Press in Kingston, NY! Each copy of this 16-page zines is hand numbered out of 400 ⚡️
With roots in Cognitive and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, “Emotional Equations” plots out experiences, emotions, and how I move and change in the world. The zine mixes math and feelings, a nonbinary take on studies that are typically unrelated. (And yes, the math checks out, according to my expert fact checker Dr. Evan Variano). The blue book exam format is a nod and *insert offensive hand gesture here* to public school standardized tests and the way young kids are forced to quantify success and box in our ideas and dreams. The Scantron is a bonus for the first 200 editions! Knocking the project over the edge into “nostalgia nightmare,” this idea was thought up by my pal when we we’re brainstorming the project one night. See if you can crack the code 💙
This was my first Riso project, and I cannot thank Aurora of Cosmic Doghouse Press enough for their guidance and expertise. Drawing this bad boi by hand, in layers, each in grey scale, on sheets upon sheets of paper, was an act of love and resilience. Seeing the riso turn each grey page into a rainbow of emotion was something spiritual to behold. I’m especially proud of the oranges we created. And…that coffee stain. The coffee stain! I hope you can feel the love with every turn of the page.
