The first issue of From Here is out 🎉
Here’s what it took to make it happen.
I went through a few iterations before settling on the final format. My original idea was to print each photo separately and assemble them by hand into individual books, something closer to a photo collage. I loved the idea, but it wasn’t practical.
The cost was higher. The consistency was hard to control; some pages ended up with images tilted or off-center. To be honest, I didn’t mind the imperfections. I actually think they embody the handmade nature of it.
The real problem was time. Each book took so long to assemble that making all 15, one for each participant, would have taken a couple of months of evenings and weekends. I have a full-time job that allows me to do this kind of thing on the side, not instead of it…!
After a couple of weeks of being stubborn and wrestling with it internally, I made peace with myself and decided to print the photos as part of the page. Given that this was a first attempt, I didn’t want to make perfect the enemy of good. I also felt it was important to get it out while participants still had a fresh memory of sending me their photos.
Beyond the format, there were endless rounds of testing. Different paper types, printing methods, layouts, folding structures. For almost two weeks, my printer ran all day, every day. The only breaks it got were likely when I was eating or in meetings or sleeping.
This was honestly the most fun part. There’s a particular excitement in exploring possibilities, and a quiet joy in watching an idea gradually become something you can hold in your hands ❤️
I really wanted to share the result and have the launch gathering before I traveled to Taiwan. That didn’t leave much time. I had about four or five days to prepare everything: 15 handmade books, a small brochure explaining the project, and a venue. The gathering is a crucial part of this project, so skipping it or postponing wasn’t an option.
Thankfully, we found a spot at a cafe in Amstelpark at no extra cost. Despite the short notice, five participants showed up, and a few brought friends or family along.
I tried not to bombard people with details about the project or make it about me. I wanted the focus to be on what we made together: the book in our hands, the photos we were looking at right now. We went through their photos together. I shared things I noticed while putting them all side by side. There was no agenda or format. Just the zines and a open conversation.
With photos from 15 people, we visually constructed the Amsterdam we live in. Some looked exactly like the classic canal streets you’d expect. We had lots of snowy scenes, as February brought quite a bit of snow to the Netherlands this year. There were sunsets, morning walks, sunny day strolls, night walks, rooftop moments. The exact fragments that make up our daily lives here in Amsterdam.
I was so happy to see the outcome. To talk about it with others. To watch people’s faces light up with curiosity and a smile. I don’t know exactly what this project will become, but I know I want to keep going!
Elsewhere on a Plane 
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