RIOTGRRRL: How Community Gave Me Purpose
I had my first taste of what a real, creative community was in 2021. - Imarni, Femicide Zine
The summer lockdown was killing me creatively, I couldn’t go to college to pursue a class that I was falling out of love with, see my friends, get out of my own head and I wasn’t able to make any art until I found Riot Grrrl music. I spent days listening to Bikini Kill, X-Ray Spex, L7, and Babes in Toyland on repeat, becoming increasingly inspired by their rage the longer I listened to their electric screams and admired their unapologetic approach to femininity, art, and politics. It was the first time that I had access to something so aggressively political and radical that was being pushed by people who looked like me, it felt forbidden and rebellious which drew me in even more. If I hadn’t found this music, I wouldn’t have found the zines that came with the movement. I was obsessed with the DIY cut-and-stick style, the type of art that could only be made from spite, anger, and the desperate need for change on a teenage girl’s bedroom floor.
I took to Instagram with my new artwork, collages and essays inspired by the original 90’s Riot Grrrl zines without any real plan or direction; I just wanted to spread the word about this brand of feminism as loudly as I could, and it turned out that I wasn’t the only one. At the time, most of the online Riot Grrrl community was in America, but the scene in the UK was quickly picking up the pace. 2020 was the perfect time for a Riot Grrrl resurgence, a new and improved type of angry feminism driven by aesthetics, a ‘do it yourself’ attitude, and most importantly youth. I’d never been in an online space where everyone supported each other as much as they did here. People I had never spoke to before were sharing my artwork and involving me in their projects. At first it was overwhelming — but this was then I learnt the most important lesson of being in a community: if you want support you have to give it, too.
A huge challenge that young people face when it comes to discovering themselves and what they believe in can be their home environments. Growing up in a small, working-class environment where most of the people around me were Conservative and leaning towards the right-wing made expressing myself and the things I cared about hard. If I had a pound for every time I’ve been laughed at, looked down on, ridiculed and harassed over my political opinions, artwork and unyielding obsession with feminism and feminist movements I’d be rich. I had to learn to grow thicker skin so that I didn’t have to abandon all the things I loved and believed in, but I don’t want other young people to have to do that or experience what I did – I want you to be free to be passionate. If I had to be the ‘hairy, man-hating feminist’ then so be it, I couldn’t wait around for someone else to do something for me.
Finding somewhere you fit in as a young artist can be difficult, especially when you’re just starting out and it feels like nobody has the time for you, but you must keep creating. How do you grow in a place that feels like it was never made for you? Keep pushing for change, keep experimenting, keep supporting artists just like yourself and soon you’ll have your own little community. The impact that being in a healthy community can have on young people is extremely important, especially for people who feel like they don’t belong or are different from everyone else, finding people who care about the same things and want the same changes is integral to creating something meaningful – there really is power in numbers. Broaden your horizons and listen to real people’s experiences, don’t be afraid to be the person who speaks out about something or go against the grain. Nothing will change if you’re silent and your voice will always be louder when the shouts are coming from ten people rather than just one.
A good community is one that is self-sufficient and constantly changing and growing. Always be on the hunt for resources, ways to educate yourself and others, notable figures to take inspiration from, keep an eye out for people just entering the community who don’t know as much as you do and guide them, have a clear idea of the things you’re trying to achieve within your community and most importantly, keep it inclusive. The downfall of most communities comes from being stuck in an echo-chamber, nothing will grow or improve if you’re always listening to the same people and opinions, doing the same things, or excluding others. Keeping an open mind and being supportive of others within and outside of your community will allow yourself and others to grow and thrive. When it comes to joining a creative, art-based community it can feel extremely intimidating, especially if you think that your art is ‘bad’. Art is art, you have just as much as a right to be involved in the community as other artists do. Create things that you love and things that you’re passionate about first, think about the opinions of others second.
Finding a community where I could share my art and political opinions with people who have a similar outlook was one of the most important things that happened to me during my formative years. I’m more confident in myself and now I know that there’s always a place for me, I’ll never have that lonely feeling again because I’ve found myself within such a supportive, powerful, and important community – I encourage everyone to find a community that they can be a part of, and if it doesn’t already exist don’t be afraid to make your own, what’s stopping you?
You can find more of my work at @femicidezine on Instagram, view my Etsy shop here, and find my portfolio here. Feel free to send any questions about making zines, Riot Grrrl and communities!
Comments