A Letter from the Editor 📜
Our print edition releases in just two weeks
blog.forty-one // What you’re about to read below is the exact “Editor’s Letter” that appears in the opening spread of our new print edition, which releases on March 29. The letter expands on our mission, this season’s theme, and more.
But before we get to it, I want to mention two things.
First, I’d like to extend an invitation to become a Creator Mag “founding” member. By signing up for an annual subscription between now and the end of March, you’ll receive all four print editions, tickets to our quarterly Block Parties, and perks like exclusive blogs and early access to apparel drops—all for just $5 a month.
Why are we offering an annual membership? Not only does your support make our work possible, this guarantee also helps us set a budget for the year—allowing us to take bigger swings with the stories we tell and the projects we take on.
If you prefer one-off purchases to subscriptions, no sweat. Our new print edition (featuring a cover story on Hank and John Green) is available to preorder here. Thanks to the dozens of you who have bought copies so far—and the 10 readers who have signed up as annual members!
Now, the second thing. Remember how we hosted an art show at our studio in February, but we limited each Chicago artists’ canvas to just a sticky note?
Well, I promised a recap, and we delivered. You can watch the third video episode of the season on our YouTube channel now.
It did, in fact, get sticky. Thanks to everyone who participated—if you’re interested in checking out their work, we linked to each artist in the video’s description.
Alright, onto the “Editor’s Letter.” We can’t wait to share the full print edition with you all in just under two weeks!
— NGL
P.S. Last blog, we talked with Annemarie Chase about setting a strong foundation and having gratitude for the “season” you’re in. You can read it here.
When Shua, Moy, and I banded together to relaunch Creator Mag, we arrived at a shared mission.
All three of us were once outsiders looking in, wondering if we’d ever find our way down the creative path we so desperately yearned for. Given how social media platforms flatten artistry into numbers, it often felt like there were the haves, and the have nots—and we knew which bucket we fell into.
Nevertheless, slowly but surely, we met others on this same path. Artists and filmmakers, writers and online personalities; one-by-one, each new relationship stoked the fire in us, helping us convince ourselves that we did, in fact, belong.
The times haven’t gotten any less confusing. Young creative folks (young people in general, really) are struggling to find their place. Therefore, by profiling the rising tastemakers impacting culture—and welcoming readers into our world—we aim to Make The Internet Feel Smaller. More accessible, less omnipresent.
It’s a mission that’s only feasible when we build a true creative neighborhood. One where it doesn’t matter how big your metaphorical house is—what matters is the unique story (and perspective) that you bring to the neighborhood block party, as we work together and collaborate to make the thing great.
Which brings us to the magazine you’re currently holding in your hands.
The underlying theme of this season is a word: “Calling.” Both finding one’s calling as a creative person, as well as making time to call one’s friends and family in a cultural climate that’s becoming increasingly divisive.
Our first cover story is a profile piece on Hank and John Green. It charts the veteran creators’ expansive universe—while unpacking how a simple desire to reconnect with each other (via video blogs) unlocked a tremendous impact on the people and institutions in their orbit.
Our second cover story, “Twenty-Five Calls for 2025,” is a series of conversations that meet our creator friends where they're at, spotlighting the ideas currently on their dashboards as they chart the road of creativity ahead.
We view this magazine as a physical piece of the neighborhood we’re building. You might be based in Chicago, and a regular attendee of our weekly gatherings; you might be halfway around the globe, following along from afar. Wherever you find yourself, just know that there’s more than enough room for you at the block party—literally, and metaphorically.
And by the end of this edition, we hope you feel inspired to pick up the phone and catch up with a friend, too.
You can preorder your unique physical copy of Creator Mag here.
Thanks for reading! Shoot us a reply, comment, or DM if anything resonated with you in particular—we respond to them all.