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From launching their own business to battling endometriosis, Charissa Lucille (they/them) uses creativity to infuse meaning into every aspect of their life. A self-taught photographer, zinester and entrepreneur, Charissa works tirelessly to uplift the voices of others. Between working a full-time job outside of the arts, running Wasted Ink Zine Distro, and organizing Phoenix’s annual zine fest, they still finds time to make personal work.
In this episode of Creative Confessionals, Charissa shares how they prioritizes their many responsibilities, even through illness, pain, and surgery caused by endometriosis. Tune in to hear some freakin’ inspirational words of wisdom from Charissa’s Mom, learn about the inclusive and diverse world of zines, and why community is so important to this incredible artist!
About CharissaCharissa Lucille is the founder of Wasted Ink Zine Distro and an organizer for the Phx Zine Fest. They uses different art mediums like zine making, photography, and writing to share their ideas and to tell their story. They represents hundreds of artists through their zine distro and self-publishing in order to inspire change and create community impact. Charissa is currently working on a zine about endometriosis and how it's impacted them and their mother's life. You can find Charissa at Wasted Ink Zine Distro having a cup of coffee and reading zines.
What You’ll LearnHow Charissa got started with photography and zine-making
About their passion for working in the darkroom
Why Charissa’s Journalism degree led them to discover the zine community
How they started Wasted Ink Zine Distro (WIZD) without having a formal background in running a business
The importance of reaching out to people if and when you need help
The value that WIZD brings to the Phoenix Zine community
About Charissa’s experience as working as a professional photographer and why they’ve chosen to create more personal work instead
The difficulty of collaborations and how Charissa navigates those relationships successfully
How creative collaborations differ from group projects at work or school
How they balances work, art, zine-making, and running their own business
Why making personal art requires time and patience — but why it’s critical to do if you’re an artist who’s deeply devoted to supporting your community
Charissa’s battle with endometriosis and how it’s affected their creative practice
Why they photographed and wrote about their experience being chronically ill
What Charissa learned about their zine community after recovering from surgery for endometriosis
Why they started Wasted Ink Zine Distro to begin with
The importance of not “pre-canceling your life” because of your circumstances
What the traditional art and design world can learn from zine culture
Why zines are for everyone
The misogyny Charissa faced while they was working in photography
How to deal with toxic work environments and why “creative” jobs aren’t always right for creative people
How Charissa manages their time so that they can complete all the important work they does
What Charissa means by “matching attention and intention”
The methods Charissa uses to stay focused on each task at hand
Why both they and Mina chose not to medicate for ADHD
Zines about Endometriosis from Wasted Ink Zine Distro and Charissa’s personal collection.
Connect with Charissa and WIZDCharissa Lucille:
IG: @CharissaLucille
Website: http://www.charissalucille.com/
Wasted Ink Zine Distro:
IG: @WastedInkZineDistro
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wastedinkzinedistro/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/WastedInkDistro
Website: https://www.wizd-az.com/
Phx Zine Fest:
IG: @ PhxZineFest
Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/298089237649092
Website: https://www.phxzinefest.com/
Don’t miss the Phx Zine Fest on October 28 at Unexpected Gallery at 734 W. Polk Street in Phoenix, AZ. Click here to learn more about the event!
Watch our previous video interview with WIZD’s co-founders, Charissa Lucille and Marna Kay
