Your body is a garden
a bfrb awareness and charity zine
Your Body is a Garden is a body-focused repetitive behavior (BFRB) awareness and charity zine centered around feel good themes of self-love, plants, BFRBs, and the physical body. Proceeds from the zine will go towards the The TLC Foundation for Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors.
FAQ
ABOUT THE ZINE
1. What is Your Body is a Garden?
2. What is a zine?
3. What is a BFRB?
4. What formats will the zine be available in?
5. Why "Your Body is a Garden" ?
ABOUT THE MODERATOR
1. Who is managing the zine?
ABOUT CONTRIBUTING
1. How will the moderator communicate with contributors?
2. Will there be a discord for contributors?
3. What are the contributor check-in's for?
4. Do I retain ownership of my work that appears in the zine?
ABOUT PURCHASING
1. How much will the zine cost?
2. Are you making money off of this?
3. How much money from each purchase will be donated?
4. When will preorders open up?
5. When will the zine ship?
6. Will contributors receive a free copy of the zine?
ABOUT THE APPLICATION (CLOSED)
1. What kind of work are you looking for?
2. Who can apply?
3. Do I need to have any BFRBs to apply?
4. What kind of work will you publish?
5. If accepted, will I have to put my real/full name on my work?
6. What if I don't have an online portfolio/published pieces/etc?
7. When will I hear back from you?
ABOUT THE ZINE
What is Your Body is a Garden?
Your Body is a Garden is an original art zine focusing on feel good themes of plants, self-love, and BFRBs. Your Body is a Garden seeks to encourage conversations about BFRBs via wholesome visual and written art as well as personal experiences.
What is a zine?
A zine (pronounced "zeen") is a shortened version of the word "magazine." Typically it is a self-published, non-commercial publication of original text and images. Zines also usually center around a specific topic and are published on small-scale printing quantities.
What is a BFRB?
Pulled from bfrb.org, "Body-focused repetitive behavior (BFRB) is a general term for a group of related disorders that includes hair pulling, skin picking, and nail-biting, affected at least 5% of the population. These behaviors are not habits or tics; rather, they are complex disorders that cause people to repeatedly touch their hair and body in ways that result in physical damage."
What formats will the zine be available in?
Digital PDF and print formats.
Why "Your Body is a Garden" ?
In 2017, I posted awareness artwork about BFRBs that substituted images of hair for plants. The plant aesthetics allowed me to open up a conversation about BFRBs without the initial shame of showing potentially sensitive images of hair or skin.
The zine seeks to support people with BFRBs through optimistic writing and art. People who live with BFRBs often struggle with low self-esteem and embarrassment with their condition. Treatment and maintenance of BFRBs is a process that requires patience and support, similar to that of tending a garden. The metaphor encourages people to celebrate their diverse bodies and allow themselves to grow. I hope that this zine will encourage people with BFRBs to feel less alone as we all take care of our own gardens.
ABOUT THE MODERATOR
Who is managing the zine?
My name is Samie. I am an undergraduate student undertaking this zine as my senior year Capstone project. I have an interest in visual art, project management, and BFRB awareness.
ABOUT CONTRIBUTING
How will the moderator communicate with contributors?
Prior to the application deadline (February 13, 2021), I am happy to communicate with interested artists via email. Feel free to contact me at [email protected]. Following the application deadline, I will prefer email or Discord. I plan to set up a Discord that contributors can use for zine discussion and feedback.
Will there be a Discord for contributors?
Yes.
What is the contributor check-in deadline for?
The check-in is an opportunity for the moderator to do a progress check and for contributors to receive feedback on their work. I am happy to provide any guidance on any pieces.
Do I retain ownership of my work that appears in the zine?
Yes. Contributors retain ownership of their work published in the zine. Submitting work grants Your Body is a Garden permission to publish your work in the zine only. I will not publish the work in any other form (ex: social media marketing previews) without written consent of the artist. While I may ask artists to share previews of their work for marketing purposes, I request that you do not distribute your original pieces until zine orders have shipped.
How much will the zine cost?
$15 for pre-ordered physical copies, $5 for digital copies. Shipping will affect prices. You can find the latest updates on the Twitter and Instagram.
Are you making money off of this?
No. After covering production costs, all proceeds will go to the TLC Foundation for Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors.
How much money from each purchase will be donated?
I plan to be completely transparent with costs once they are finalized so that you know where the money is going. You can find the latest updates on the Twitter and Instagram.
When will preorders open up?
Preorders open on March 15, 2021. You can find the latest updates on the Twitter and Instagram.
When will the zine ship?
I expect to ship all zines out on April 11, 2021. You can find the latest updates on the Twitter and Instagram.
Will contributors receive a free copy of the zine?
Contributors will receive a free digital copy of the zine. If contributors wish to receive a physical copy of the zine, I request that you purchase it so that you can help contribute to the TLC Foundation.
ABOUT THE APPLICATION (now closed)
What kind of work are you looking for?
Your Body is a Garden seeks to showcase a variety of visual arts and writing related to the themes of plants, self-love and BFRB awareness. The zine welcomes all work that falls into these themes regardless of style or skill level.
The work does not necessarily have to be about BFRBs. It could simply be optimistic, feel-good imagery or writing related to the themes.
I also encourage people who live with BFRBs to share their personal accounts and experiences with BFRBs.
I’d like your submitted work to debut for the first time in the zine – so all works must be previously unpublished!
Who can apply?
Any creator can apply! You do not necessarily have to have any BFRBs if you want to apply to the zine.
Do I need to have any BFRB's to apply?
Not at all! Anyone can feel free to apply to the zine.
What kind of work will you publish?
The zine is looking for visual arts and writing.
Art Examples
Digital Art
Traditional Art
Pixel Art
Photography
Comics
Collages
Mixed Media
Graphic Design
Writing Examples
Fiction
Personal experiences with BFRB's
Poetry
Prose Poetry
This is a nonexhaustive list of work examples you could include in the zine. If you have other ideas, the application has an area for you to suggest your idea for any zine contributions.
If accepted, will I have to put my real/full name on my work?
No, the zine will accept usernames or pen names for bylines.
What if I don't have an online portfolio/published pieces/etc?
That's okay- the application form has an area for you to submit multiple individual files. Please make sure that the files you submit are representative of your work.
When will I hear back from you?
I hope to respond to contributors' applications by February 20, 2021.
Schedule
January 25 - Applications open
February 13 - Applications close
February 20 - Contributor decisions sent
March 7 - Midpoint Check-in
March 15 - Store Opens
March 27 - Final submission deadline
March 28 - Preorders Close (zine still available for purchase in limited quantities)
April 16 - Digital preorders released, digital product available for purchase
April 21 - Physical preorders ship, physical product available for purchase (limited amount available)
April 30 - Final Donation to TLC Foundation