You know that feeling when your brain explodes with creative ideas faster than your hands—or printer—can keep up? Yeah, that’s me. I have so many ideas for goodies to go with my books—zines, bookmarks, stickers, magical rituals, you name it—but my patience level? About the size of a coffee bean. ☕
I swear, sometimes I think my creativity caps at writing. But then I remember: I’ve taught myself to make graphics, edit videos, design websites, and even figure out how to use Affinity Publisher when I had zero clue what I was doing. I have the capacity—it’s the patience I’m still working on.
Like this week, for example. I wanted my zine bonus chapter to look all professional and pretty—folded neatly, double-sided, the whole thing. I could see it in my head: this cute little printed piece of art that early readers would hold in their hands like a secret treasure. But then reality hit. Printing double-sided? Aligning pages? Figuring out how to get my printer to cooperate? Suddenly, I was fighting a battle between perfectionism and the urge to nap.
And guess what? The nap won.
That’s usually how I solve most of my creative puzzles. I walk away, sleep, come back with a fresh brain, and somehow things make sense. That’s how I built my website, actually—me, the queen of “click this and hope for the best.” I’d get stuck, close my laptop, nap, and then wake up with divine tech wisdom. It’s a process. A chaotic one, but a process nonetheless.
Now, as for my homemade zine? She’s imperfect but adorable. The lines might not match up, the folds might be a little off, but she’s mine. And there’s something about holding something you made with your own hands that feels like magic—especially when you know how many times you almost gave up trying.
At the end of the day, I remind myself that being creative isn’t about perfection. It’s about showing up, experimenting, and forgiving yourself when the Cricut eats your design or your printer decides to skip a page. Because even when things don’t go as planned, they still carry your energy, your heart, and your determination to create something beautiful out of frustration.
So yeah—my zine might not look like it came out of a fancy print shop, but it came out of me. And that’s enough.
But I tell you what’s going to happen no matter how these zines look, I will have The Ordinary Bruja ready for you. So go ahead and preorder so you can get these homemade zines
The Ordinary Bruja: Book One of Las Cerradoras Series – Johanny Ortega
Marisol Espinal has spent her life trying to disappear from her family’s whispers of magic, from the shame of not belonging, from the truth she refuses to face. She’s always wanted to be someone else: confident, capable, extraordinary.
But when strange visions, flickering shadows, and warnings written in her mother’s hand begin to stalk her, Marisol is forced to confront her deepest fear: what if she isn’t extraordinary at all? What if she’s painfully ordinary?
Yet Hallowthorn Hill doesn’t call to just anyone. And the more Marisol resists, the stronger its pull becomes. The past she’s buried claws its way back, and something in the mist is watching—waiting for her to remember.
If Marisol cannot face the truth about who she is and where she comes from, the same darkness that destroyed her ancestors will claim her, too.
Somewhere in the shadows, something knows her name.
And it’s time for Marisol to learn why.
Leave a Reply