Creativity and Genre

Innovation and creativity reside at the core of humankind. Since the dawn of time, humans have relied on these ideas to radically progress themselves as a species. From the invention of tools to the creation of fine art, creativity has proven to be an indispensable skill in many scenarios. It can lead us to success in the most unexpected scenarios. Thus, one can agree that creativity and innovation are especially important in the magazine project; in a medium so saturated with big titles, it is critical that the creative process is used every step of the way. 

First, let’s take an inward glance. Creativity allows us to find out and express who we really are. In fact, we only really unlock it when we have time and space to be alone with our thoughts. In the “Theory of Creativity” TED talk we watched, the speaker explained that it is only in the “dreamy delta”, or subconscious, part of our mind that we able to escape our patterns of normal thinking and truly put our problem solving to use; that part of our mind consists of some of our most real, genuine thoughts and fears. Thus, creativity helps us tell our story. In the “Introduce Yourself” activity, I chose to introduce myself using items in my bag. By the time I had listed 5 items, I could already paint a clear picture of who I was using this unusual, innovative introduction. Explaining why I have my hairbrush with me at all times (to put it back into a ponytail for marching band, to keep my hair looking good because I feel it’s my best feature, etc.) said a lot more about me than flat out explaining my hobbies or what is important to me. Being able to tell my story in a creative way is also a critical aspect of the magazine project. In a highly saturated general interest genre, it is necessary that my personality and style shines through so that my magazine is able to stand out against the many others. Innovation also allows us to get “unstuck” from problems and repetitive cycles we might face in the creative process. According to Dr. Ron Beghetto in “An Interview with Ron Beghetto: Subtle Nuances of Creativity in Learning and Life”, risk and uncertainty unlock our problem solving and innovation, and are actually necessary to the process: “It is when our routines and habits break down and we have no idea what to do next that we need to think and act in new and different ways.” 

In my research of magazines in my genre, I came across two particular publications that have characteristics I wished to emulate. GQ Magazine is known for its appeal to a wide male audience, selling the image of a sleek, stylish, attractive, and modern man to its readers. The editor in chief, Will Welch, fulfills this image to a tee; in fact, he is part of the Business of Fashion’s top 500 most influential people in fashion. The magazine features interviews with various male celebrities and frames each man in one or more of the aspects they sell to their audience. Bold typography and intriguing cover lines are featured on every cover. I personally wish to emulate the boldness of each cover as well as the appeal to a younger audience using a modern, up-to-date approach. As a young person, I appreciate it when magazines acknowledge the younger audiences and their tastes as well. 

The other magazine that caught my interest was Vogue. Known for its coverage of fashion, beauty, and mainly female culture, Vogue is appealing to many women and makes a point of framing each of its cover women in a way that is flattering to them, rather than making all the main images the same. I think this is an important thing to do in covers: frame the model to make them look good, instead of forcing one style on them. Vogue uses warm, muted colors to convey a sense of maturity and class and shows that each woman can achieve this in her own way through their articles on topics such as empowerment and inclusive fashion. The editor, Anna Wintour, is known for introducing models that didn’t wear millions of dollars on the covers and focused on framing the models’ bodies along with their faces early in her career. I appreciate the appeal to a female audience in the magazine, however, the muted colors and fancier typography appeal to an older demographic than the one I want to aim for. I want to achieve the modernity and trendiness, but without looking "matronly" or too "mature". 

I noticed some patterns in the general interest genre. There seems to be a set color palette for each cover, with muted, cooler colors, and one or two colors that "pop", usually used on the masthead. I definitely want to challenge this, and make a magazine that is all colorful, but not to the point of overstimulation.  I definitely do not want to use too many bright colors and come off as childish, so I need to balance that. Each magazine also seemed to use varying shots for their models, but used mainly low-angle or wide shots to showcase them and make them appear powerful or regal. I plan on using a mid shot of my model instead, on a set that will be more familiar to my readers (a home), in order to make it seem more relatable. 

Overall, I think I want to appeal to a more niche type of female teenager in my magazine, with an emphasis on trendiness and modernity. I want to cover topics such as fashion and beauty, as well as social topics. I’m especially excited to use my own sense of style when constructing the magazine and going into the topics. Being able to write about things that appeal to people like me is exciting and I feel I will be able to do my best by using my own voice and sense of style.