Behind the Scenes: The Making of Gifted Magazine

Hello lovelies! Before I do anything else I have to let you all know just how very much I appreciate the incredibly warm welcome you gave Gifted Magazine Monday (and Tuesday, Wednesday, and today too)! I am practically speechless with gratitude for your outpouring of support and kindness. Thank you all so SO much! Every single one of your comments means the world to me.

So I thought it would be fun today to do a little behind the scenes post on the making of Gifted Magazine. The idea for Gifted came to me in a flash as I was driving to my parent's home one afternoon a few months ago. Little did I know what I was getting myself into (the good, great and sticky of it).

{the binder that each page went into as it was designed - numbered and organized with sticky notes}

Here's the super simplified breakdown of what went into getting this magazine from just a spark of an idea to the finished publication that you've hopefully had a chance to enjoy now:

• Have a little dream. Let it grow and flutter around inside your mind for a little while until it's ready to be set free.
• Invite a group of your amazingly talented and generous online friends to believe in your little dream and contribute to it's realization. Hope that they say yes, and then do a happy dance as each one does (thank you guys so much).
• Compile a gargantuan list of awesome finds from shops and indie artists that you can dig through for your gift guide.

• Open up your first blank Photoshop page and wonder how in the world you are going to make it look like a real magazine (have a mini panic attack and call a friend - thanks Biz).
• Start putting together a bunch of your own projects and then set them aside once you see the awesome contributor projects start to come in (there is a lot of work to do and you are only one person after all)
• Make about 10,000 versions (small exaggeration) of each page before finalizing anything.
• Remake a few more pages and hope you haven't royally messed anything up.

 

• Ignore the housework piling up around you (like the massive heap of unfolded clothes on the couch). Fondly remember the days when you used to sleep and eat semi-regular meals.
• Have an awesome family that is willing to give up their weekends to watch your daughter so that you can live in front of your computer for days on end (I love you Mom and Dad).
• Upload each individual page into a PDF file and start adding the links.
• Save a final copy and test it out then re-upload everything again once you realize you'd forgotten pages and missed links.
• Upload the magazine to Issuu, take a deep breath and send your little dream out into the world.

There you have it. The simplified version of how this magazine came to be. Again I just have to thank everyone who was a part of making Gifted Magazine a reality, and all of you who have welcomed this project so very warmly. I love you all. xo Ez

P.S. All the projects that I was working on for Gifted that didn't make it in the publication will be making an appearance here on Creature Comforts this month and next. Stay tuned for those. xo

Comments

[Kerri-Ann]

Thanks for sharing the behind the scenes - fascinating! Certainly gives great insight into the process!

[LL]

Cutest neglected housework ever! And totally worth it -- I'm loving the magazine!

[Juliana]

The magazine was absolutely perfect and lovely. Congratulations and thank you! It was all I was hoping for and more.

[Lucinda]

You should be so proud! Your on-line magazine is stunning, and I quickly sent it to my friend to check out as well. Thanks for all your hard work and sharing with us!

[WoonHung]

Hi Ez,
Thanks for posting this. I love your openness to your own shortfalls & appraisal on other great designers/artists/professionals. You are a great inspiration. I am so intimidated seeing your great piece of work but I am also immensely inspired. Thanks for all of this.

[Katy]

Wonderful to see your process and also that you have seen a dream realised. It is possible! Mine is growing also but seeing that it is achievable when you put your mind to it is very encouraging.

I haven't yet seen it as I only have internet access at work at the mo and it's blocked - I will get to see it soon though. i must!

[erika]

Wow, this is amazing, you did such a good job and it's so great that you share how you worked on the magazine. I'm busy making a catalogue (also in issuu but not as complex as your magazine) and I can see and understand how much work you have put in, bravo!!

www.mikodesign.blogspot.com

[Ellen]

Followed a link from Chez Larsson to "Gifted". WOW! what a wonderful magazine...I just like to look through the pages again and again. Thank you for putting this together and sharing it with all of us for FREE! I downloaded a bunch of freebies and scribbled down notes of things to try this season. Thank you for the inspiration!

[Miss B]

I love this breakdown and I am especially partial to the sweet pup in the laundry, that's perfection in my book. You should be so proud of yourself, so very beautiful + creative.

[Charissa - The Gifted Blog]

Well done you! I am very impressed by the quality (and quantity - that's a lot of pages!) of Gifted Magazine. And of course, I loved the gift wrapping ideas - especially Sally Shim's.

[Kate]

Absolutely worth all of the hard work! It came out beautiful, I just spent an hour pouring over the "pages"!

[Jeanelle]

Love this magazine, awesome projects, gift ideas and amazing bloggers rolled into one amazing mag :) Love your behind the scenes, now people can see a glimpse into the complicated world of a true designer, Congrats EZ :)

[the clothing menu]

i just read through the first issue and love it! it def did get me in the holiday mood - excited to try some of the holiday diy projects and look again through the gift recos!

[Emily (mae)]

It was well worth the work. The magazine is truly AMAZING and DELIGHTFUL