Hi everyone! The dissociative community zine jam will take place from June 1st - June 30th (at 11:59 pm Eastern Time)! This will be an opportunity to showcase art, writing, and mixed media from our community of complex dissociative disorders. 

The theme of this year’s zine jam will be “Dissociative Living.” 

Discord server (optional): https://discord.gg/TVW3euj8pM

What’s this project?

The dissociative community has long faced ableism, disablism, and misinformation. One particularly problematic area is media representation, where large cultural producers such as Hollywood have a history of making content that conflates DID with blatant sensationalism and violence. As a result of the stigma created by public perception, dissociative communities are often isolated and scattered, and there exists little representation of dissociation that is free from some amount of prejudice. I want to be able to highlight perspectives that we don’t usually get to see in media about dissociative disorders, including BIPOC and youth perspectives!

Who can join?

Anyone who identifies as being part of the dissociative community, or experiences related to complex dissociative disorders. Newcomers and beginners are welcome. No prior experience making zines is needed, and there is no sign up application.

Who am I?

My name is Yume. I'm 23, and use they/them pronouns. I also use we/our sometimes when referring to my system. I identify as having Partial-DID, BPD, C-PTSD, autism, and ADHD. I am a Third Culture immigrant, currently residing in Canada, with Chinese heritage and grew up partially in the Middle East as a child. I'm also non-binary and on the aromantic and asexual spectrums. I'm currently studying for my Masters of English at the English and Cultural Studies department at McMaster University. This zine jam is part of my final project for my program. My interests are anime/manga, drawing, music, education, mental health and disability advocacy, and 2SLGBTQIA+ advocacy. Nice to meet you all!

What is a zine?

A zine is a typically DIY “magazine,” created with the purpose of easy distribution. Zines can have a mix of words, poetry, pictures, drawings, art, collages, or other mixed media. A zine can be about any topic, and can be made by yourself or with other people. Think of a zine like a personalized little book, journal, or sketchbook!

What is a zine jam?

A zine jam is a period of time where people get together to make zines together. It helps to trade ideas and work with others as well. At the end of the zine jam, the zines will be collected and displayed.

Submission guidelines

The zines will be hosted on itch.io and must be published by July 1st (Works-In-Progress accepted) as free or pay-what-you-want. You will retain ownership of zines you contribute to the zine jam, and thus can opt out at any time from the project.

No AI-generated content will be permitted.

If you are submitting something with mature themes, such as explicit depictions of trauma or sexual content, please include some kind of content warning near the start of the zine and/or on the page of the jam so that viewers are aware of the contents before viewing. Trauma-informed practices will help keep everyone safe and cared for. Thank you!

Submissions can be any size, but strive for readability on digital screens (so please don’t make your canvas/page too small. An acceptable size would be A4, 300 dpi resolution).

Please be wary about what kinds of personal information you want to share online, including personal information, and information about your dissociative experiences.

Anonymous submissions to the zine jam are also OK. Please contact me if you want to submit something anonymously. 

email: yumewuconed@gmail.com

discord: @yumehop

Timeline

• June 1st - Dissociative zine jam begins!
• June 7th or 8th weekend - Yume will host a zine workshop (time and format TBD) virtually for those who want to make a zine together!
• June 14th - halfway check-in. You’re encouraged to have an idea formulated by this time.
• June 25th - late-stage check-in. Any requests for extensions and submissions can be addressed at this time.
• June 30th - submission day, where you will have to approve your zine for publication.
• July 30th - Yume (organizer) will present this project as part of their Master's degree project at an in-person symposium at McMaster University.

Prompts and Idea, feel free to come up with your own!

• Navigating relationships or friendships with dissociation
• How do youth and age differ with dissociation?
•  What’s it like going to school with dissociation?
• How do BIPOC identities intersect with dissociation?
• What are some unique challenges about living with dissociation that you’d like people to know about?
• What does ‘dissociative joy’ mean to you?
• What are some tips or tricks other people with dissociation like you could use?
• Funny things that happen related to dissociation
• What hobbies do you partake in that are nuanced by dissociation?

Resources  (Thank you to Metaparadox for making this list!)

• Reddit thread about Zine making, tutorials, examples, and history
• Let's Make a Zine by Metaparadox
• Affinity Publisher Zine Templates by Metaparadox
• Scribus Zine Templates by Metaparadox
• Guide to Zine Making - Instructables
• How to Make a Zine - The Creative Independent
• Intro to Zines - zine libraries info
• Youtube Video on how to make a zine
  
• How to design a zine on canva - Youtube