Ana Hernandez, Rebecca Gaffney, Suzanne Hansen Ofeldt, Alyssa McNees, Jenna Nienhuis, Jennifer Boyd
Wanderlings The Zine is a photography and writing-driven magazine that promotes an intersectional group of creatives through a platform that elevates our collective perspectives and shines a light on our unique differences. Suzanne is Creative Director and Co-Founder, and proud to have created a labor of love that supports the voices of emerging and established artists on an exploratory playground.
Wanderlings has released three journal-style zines: Happenstance, Joyride, and Flipside. Each issue is a collection of unexpected adventures — stories and art that evoke creative wonder, connection, and a healthy dose of wanderlust.
The zine was developed as a response to a cry from the creative wilderness: Suzanne was healing from three failed IVF treatments, and my dear friend and co-founder, Jenna Nienhuis, was grieving the sudden loss of her father. Over the past two years, we have grown the magazine over a third in size each issue through the diversification of its content. One of our values is bringing more voices to the table, and this is how we grew from five to 14 to 21 contributors from the first to the third issues.
We also produced a Wanderlings Art Date in June 2020, in collaboration with the NTC Foundation; San Diego Writer’s Ink; MK Envision; Whimsique; painter Peggy Fishback; and over a dozen artists from the Liberty Station Barracks. Pivoting in response to the global pandemic, we supported 50 creatives on a Zoom meeting, holding space for the intention and spirit of the original grant by promoting the work of the artists and their collective spirit in a way that was more relevant to an at home audience experience. Response to the event was astounding.
We hope other creatives and heart seekers find a home in Wanderlings and uncover a new side of themselves when creativity is allowed to run free.