The Gentle Rebel Podcast Using Mini Zines to Make Connections
This is Part 3 of a short series where I’m sharing how I’ve been using mini zines to generate ideas, make connections, and get accidentally creative in unexpected ways.
In this post, I’ll take you through two exercises focused on making connections and using observations to better understand your relationship with the areas of life, challenges, and decisions on your mind.
Exercise One: Word Association to Make Connections
The core purpose here is playful exploration. This is about loosening the grip of overthinking and perfectionism and seeing how ideas might link up.
Start by folding and cutting a mini zine from a single piece of A4 paper. (If you need guidance, refer back to the first part of this series or click below.)
Pick a word to begin. I used sensitivity as an example, but it can be anything. Write it on the first page, then move through the zine using simple word association with one word leading to the next until each page contains a word.
Once each page has a word, you can play with them…
1. Use Each Word for Self-Reflection
Go through each panel and ask:
If this word relates to something in my life right now, what could it be pointing to?
2. Expand Each Word Outwards
Build around each word. Interpret it from different angles:
- How do we use this word?
- What does it remind you of?
- What is its opposite?
Fill the page with associated words and doodles.
3. Combine Words (Jazz Fusion Style)
Pair words from different pages. For example, combine 1 and 9, 2 and 10, 3 and 11, and so on.
Then explore what each combination brings up. You might end up with things like:
- Sensitivity profit
- Microphone tax
- Sing pressure
- Talent show cooker
Some will feel absurd. Some will spark something unexpectedly useful. There’s an abundance of combinations. (Also good if you’re looking for a band name.)
You can create another mini zine and dedicate a page to each combination.
You don’t have to choose just one way of playing. Try one, or all of them. The aim is to make connections you wouldn’t have made through deliberate logic alone.
Exercise Two: Using Objects as Metaphors to Make Connections
This second exercise helps you explore your relationship with a specific area of life or situation.
We’ll keep this one simple and use just one side of the zine.
Step 1: Choose Your Objects
Pick seven ordinary objects from around you. Don’t overthink it. It helps if you can place them in front of you.
Step 2: Choose an Area to Explore
Select an area you want to understand more clearly. For example:
- My health
- My creativity
- My work
Or something more specific, like a decision you need to make or a challenge you’re navigating.
Write the topic on the front.
Step 3: Draw and Reflect
On the next seven pages, draw one object per page. As you draw, consider:
- What is it used for?
- How does it help?
- What features does it have?
- How does it feel, smell, or look?
Then go back through and ask:
If this object were a metaphor for my creativity (or whatever topic you chose), what would it show?
This is where you start to connect the physical items with your internal landscape and the situation you’re exploring.
Deepening the Connections
Once you’ve done all seven objects, reflect:
- What themes repeat across multiple objects?
- If I were to focus on one area first, what am I drawn to?
One approach I love is adding these objects to a visual map. I treat each one as a region in a larger territory and play with the links between them. This creates a visual representation of where I am in relation to my challenges, desires, and options.
The purpose isn’t to force answers. It’s to see your position more clearly so you can navigate it more meaningfully.
There are no hard rules here. Follow your intuition. Let your imagination carry you. The point is to make connections that help you see where your strengths, resources, and choices fit with the bigger picture.
If you try either of these exercises, I’d love to hear how you get on. Send me a message here.
