Photography: Anthony Stancato; Design: Nick Fernandes
Hi everyone! I’m Nick. I’m a sophomore graphic design major and I’m here to showcase a sneak preview of a project I’m working on for my Honors component next semester. I’m creating a mini zine called “(Im)MATURE”. A lot of this story falls into the theme of what it’s like to enter college and become your own adult. I don’t want it to be sugarcoated or make it seem like once you’re an adult everything becomes a Disney fantasy or whatever. Whether it’s entering your broke era, having fun at a party, drowning in Canvas notifications, or just vibing in your room by yourself, I want this zine to relate with those who want the honest truth, but also some assurance that even though it’s a long ride, you’ll be one step closer to becoming who you want to be.
I resonate with the title a lot because of how the word got tossed around in my family and how much I wanted to seek validation when I was little and not be treated like a kid. While most of this zine is focused on the college lifestyle, I plan on opening up about my personal background and where I come from. I want to dig deep into how I got here. Why do I like making art? Who influenced me to become what I am now? What part of this was fun before I started focusing on what “the adult world” wants from me? More importantly: Who is Nick Fernandes? What does he want to show/tell the world? What the hell does he gotta prove?
I want to combine my design skills with some of my illustration skills to tell a story. I’ve been wanting to make a passion project like this for years, and I would love to (hopefully) have it published by the end of the year and give copies out next Symposium I’m hoping to finish a good portion of it over the summer so that I can build a strong foundation with this story and open the floor to those who would be interested in collaborating and showcasing their creative skills while also telling their perspective on what makes them “(Im)MATURE”.
A lot of this is just the kick-starter idea of something BIG, and there’s a chance that I might take a little detour here and there on the final piece, but I’m excited to dive into this project and see where my creative spark takes me. This isn’t your typical Polished or Tarnished Magazine that you see on campus every year (shoutouts to those guys though because they’re awesome and I recommend checking out their latest issues 👍🏿), and I hope this small passion project of mine inspires other creatives on campus to unleash their creative sparks to the world. Thanks for reading!
