ENTERTAINMENT

Are You an Indie Girl?

By Stephanie Lynn, age 23, Massachusetts
SDM Editor-in-Chief





In today's teen culture it's easy to lounge around with your friends for hours listening to your iPod playlists or watching TV while the writers' strike delays all but the lamest reality and game shows. But why? As young women, you all have several creative ideas running through your heads. Inspiration hits at random times - joking around with your girl crew, attending a local art class, or while surfing the Internet. But what's a girl to do with all these ideas bouncing around inside her head? ... I say run with them!

I remember going through my teenage years with so many creative ideas. I rarely followed through, not because I was afraid, but I just didn't understand the project's process from beginning to end. My freshman year of college the president of a professional print magazine spoke at our school. After listening to her speech, I thought, "Wow, I could never do what she's doing." Well, I think Sweet Designs Magazine is sufficient proof that our artistic endeavors are very much possible if we set our minds to them. We can accomplish so much when we come together and work as a team. Running this magazine would be difficult without the consistent support I get from my writers and staff each month. They are amazing! You too can accomplish your creative ideas.


I want to suggest a new book I'm reading: Indie Girl by Arne Johnson and Karen Macklin. I strongly believe that every teenage girl should have this book (and I don't say that often!) Indie Girl takes you step-by-step through the startup process of nine artistic endeavors. You'll be carried through everything from the idea stage to promoting your project, with insider tips to help you effectively implement your ideas. The nine projects the book covers are:

starting a band
publishing a zine
creating an art exhibit
forming a dance troupe
making a parade
filming a TV show
putting on a play
launching a fashion company, and
holding a poetry slam.

I'm sure you can find at least one project in this list that suits you. Indie Girl combines easy instructions with fun, youthful illustrations, as well as quotes from real teens and professionals participating in each field.


Authors Johnson & Macklin

I personally found Indie Girl to be very inspiring. This must-read can help any girl who's doubting her project idea turn the idea into a success ... with lots of passion and hard work, of course! I agreed with most of the points mentioned in the section about publishing a zine, as I do them often. But there were also things I wouldn't have thought of if I were writing the section myself. Their suggested resources, distribution methods, and promotional ideas were very helpful. After reading Indie Girl I'm inspired to start two new projects I read about in the book, even if just for my own fun.

We can do so much if we all stick together to successfully accomplish our creative ideas. So instead of just hanging around your BFF's house totally bored, get off the couch, purchase a copy of Indie Girl at zestbooks.net, and make your dream a reality!

Indie Girl is available in bookstores and at online book sellers on March 15.





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February & March Magazine Issues

March 15, 2012

The February and March issues of Sweet Designs Magazine are now online, featuring a combined 53 new articles and features!!

- Cover: Stephanie Lynn reflects on 5 years
- Cover: India (of Darn-licious knitwear)
- Life in the dumps (moving in with my bf)
- The difference between men and women
- Angels among us (parts 1 and 2)
- Arts graduates & the dark night of the soul
- Triple threat (how I survived my teen yrs)
- Dating isn't easy (my true story)
- How to turn not-so-great gifts ... (fashion)
- Ten reasons to love being single
- Taking the big leap (college)
- Valentine's Day (not what you'd expect!)
- The last of the cold (hopefully) (fashion)
- A month full of love
- Ten tips for successful airline travel
- Reasons I love writing for SDM
- Who needs love?
- They're not all the same
- The life I'm glad I don't have (fiction)
- Professional dress/ finding Fendi (fashion)
- An airport anniversary: a true story
- Inappropriate Facebook photos
- The perks of a big city (college)
- A night(mare) to forget (part 2)
- The Anita Blake series (book review)
- Saving June by Hannah Harrington (book)
- Under the Mesquite by GG McCall (book)
- The Lullaby by Sarah Dessen (book)
- If I Stay by Gayle Foreman (book review)
- My sweetheart (original poetry)
- Isn't it funny (original poetry)
- The stranger (original poetry)
- A winter wonderland (original poetry)
- One night valentine
- The thick envelopes (college acceptance)
- Southern love
- Healthy hair and vitamins
- It's a date (dating idea alternatives)
- The 30 hour famine
- School's out forever!
- Marching right back into spring? (fashion)
- Dear John
- When TV shows depict your life
- 3 Fun ways to rock spring's hottest trends
- Neglected teeth
- Starting something new
- Guy movies
- To hesitate or dive in?
- Deadly, by Julie Chibbaro (book review)
- Beastly, by Alex Flinn (book review)
- I don't care (poetry)
- Together, alone (poetry)

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