Tell us a little bit about Dizzy Books and the projects that fall under this umbrella?
Dizzy Books includes: Dizzy Magazine, an art journal featuring emerging and established artists. Each issue of Dizzy is centered on a specific country, and the text is bilingual – in English and the country’s language, if applicable.

Mishou Magazine is a children’s art periodical, featuring intergenerational collaborations, submissions from artists 15 and under, interactive activities, and more. Mishou is a nonprofit and donates 50% of each issue to schools, teachers and nonprofits working with youth in the arts.Along with publishing, I co-founded Dizzy TV with my dear friend Sara Wasserman. It is a free, online TV channel for people of all ages featuring everything from artist studio visits, animations, experimental films, documentaries, poetry, music and even children’s cartoons! We host screenings and workshops for people of all ages.

How did Dizzy Books come to be?
Prior to 2016, when I co-founded Dizzy Magazine with Arvid Logan, we were self-publishing zines and curating group art shows with our friends. The transition to publishing Dizzy Magazine happened quite naturally. We wanted to create a platform for artists of all levels of exposure and ages. This partially came out of the frustration of seeing the New York art world as an exclusive scene, hard for artists outside to feel welcomed. Of course we wanted to feature and support our friends, but we also used it as an opportunity to connect with folk artists, older artists that hadn’t yet gotten their moment, etc. In the following years Dizzy expanded what we published to zines, art books, and Mishou Magazine. It was also a natural progression – following instinct and what we wanted to work on.

Mishou is a Dizzy-published magazine that invites children to show their art alongside adult artists. What was the inspiration behind this project?
From the jump Dizzy Magazine had a “12 and Under” section where we featured kids. Coming from a place of wanting the magazine to be intergenerational, and not just featuring artists in their early 20s in NYC, we thought it’d be fun both for us and the reader. Mishou was a natural evolution of that section, focusing more on the young artists and working with ‘grownups’ to create engaging content – activities that would be fun for kids, but could also be interpreted as art by the grownup readers. Once Dizzy was a bit more established, I realized I had the opportunity to do work that would, hopefully, have a meaningful impact on people beyond an art magazine – to encourage and nurture young artists, the next generation, instilling trust and confidence in them. Mishou was developed and released at the same time as the George Floyd protests and beginning of the pandemic. I was seeing the younger generation lead a cultural movement and felt really inspired.

Do you have a favorite step in the process of producing a new issue?
Researching + connecting with the artists, selecting the artwork to include, and the layout design.

What led to centering each issue of Dizzy on certain geographic regions? How would you decide where to focus on?
I was spending a lot of time in Japan and meeting amazing artists and thought, why not center an entire issue around the country? Being there, it was easy to interview + photograph people. Fortuitously, it came out during the beginning of the pandemic. Although it wasn’t initially the intention, the timing felt crucial. I had definitely taken for granted the ability to travel and was struck with the fact that many people prior to the pandemic did not have that privilege. To be able to connect with people across borders at a time when we couldn’t physically cross them felt hopeful and important.

The location choices for the following issues were also natural – mostly driven by having friends connected to the country or living there. The Jamaica issue was guest edited by Anna Pollack, a Queens-born, Jamaican-American artist and old friend. She has family and friends there, but it was also an opportunity for us to connect with new people. That’s another fun part of making the magazine – having an excuse to meet and connect with artists I wouldn’t otherwise.

How do you balance your personal taste with the tastes of a wider audience when producing a magazine?
Honestly it really is driven by my personal taste, which is perhaps why Dizzy hasn’t grown into a super ‘mainstream’ or financially successful press. I see Dizzy as not only a publisher but a personal practice of curation, writing and design, and I’d like to think that my readers trust my taste. If that means less people engage with the magazine, that’s okay! I don’t have an interest in conforming to what I think will make the books sell. I want to feel passionate about the artists that I feature, and I’d like to think that it’s mutually beneficial.

What do you collect?
I collect picture books! Rare / vintage / contemporary. In the past I collected a lot of 70s / 80s / 90s Japanese magazines and ephemera. They were / are incredible resources and references for my layout design and have had a big impact on my aesthetic. I also collect bird related objects + books… Decoys, guides, poetry, toys, etc. Over the last few years I’ve become an avid birdwatcher – albeit still amateur. As corny as it may sound, it’s totally changed my life and served as a huge respite for me.

Are there any influences that are core to your work?
Children inspire me — their way of viewing and thinking about the world. Also picture books (particularly Tove Jansson, Ruth Krauss, Faith Ringold, Antoine de Saint-Exupery, Wanda Gag, so so many more…). A sweet interaction with a neighbor. Birds.

Is there a moment you look back on from when you first started that let you know you were onto something special?
The immediate sense of community was the most invigorating and inspiring element. We hosted launches and little art shows where people could come hang out, eat food, and connect with art and artists. Our first launches were at an apartment in Soho. It was pretty casual, and everyone just hung out on couches and the fire escape.

How does Dizzy’s community now compare to the community when it first started?
The current Dizzy community has surpassed my immediate community – which is really cool! I think there are communities of people that connect over Dizzy and likeminded publications. It’s less of a personal community and more of an international one. It seems to appeal to a younger generation which I think is really sweet. I love meeting people at book fairs and openings, seeing who’s interested and hearing about their own projects.

Does your writing practice influence your visual art practice?
That’s interesting because I feel like in the past I’ve been inclined to separate the two, but I have been spending more time working on picture books which allows the collaboration between my writing and visual art to feel more fluid. Since I began birdwatching I have become much more drawn to the natural world, whereas throughout my teens and twenties I was more focused on the urban environment of NYC/Brooklyn that I grew up in. Grounding my writing and illustration in the natural world makes it feel more connected. I guess it’s hard to explain why…

Many of the portraits you capture feel reflective of your community. Do you approach working with folks you personally know in any particular way? Is there something you look for when photographing someone?
I used to be much braver about approaching strangers on the street to take their photo. Something about being young — I didn’t think as hard before making decisions. It led me to a lot of beautiful experiences meeting new people. New Yorkers are the coolest and always down to have a random conversation in the middle of the street. I think that’s a common misconception by people that aren’t from here. If you engage with the community, you’re part of the community. That’s sometimes all it takes. I like to photograph people when they are most comfortable. I’m not into doing planned shoots – I don’t like directing people (even though I used to direct music videos, it never felt like I was telling someone how to pose, because much of my work was documentary-style). I want everyone to feel beautiful because they are. I take photos more sparingly now than I used to. I’ve released myself from feeling like fuck, why didn’t I take a photo of that… sounds cliche, but I really am trying to be more present in the moment now. If that means missing a photo, that’s okay.

What is something you want to see more of in your world or in your community?
Letting go of the absurd idea that being politically outspoken will hurt your career / business. Fuck that! Everything is political. Silence is a stance. If people “unfollow” you because of your beliefs, good riddance. Of course, it shouldn’t come from a place of pressure, which typically results in virtue signaling. I just think it’s sad that people are afraid to be open about their beliefs and values. I’m specifically speaking about the genocide of the Palestinian people at the hands of Zionists and the Israeli government. I understand it’s hard not to feel powerless, especially in the U.S. when our government and our tax dollars are directly supporting the genocide, but there are ways to use our platforms – spread information, raise money, speak up.

What is one of the larger challenges you and/or other artists are struggling with these days, and how do you see it developing?
Social media has a huge impact on how we approach our work – the expectations / pressure we put on ourselves to constantly be producing / sharing. It’s hard for me, but so important to have moments away from the phone and digital world. Although it is an amazing resource and way to connect with people, and has undoubtedly benefited me, the value we put on online followings is, in my opinion, detrimental to the heart of the work people do.

How do you manage tending to the variety of responsibilities in the work you do? How do you mitigate burnout or exhaustion?
It’s hard! I have to remind myself constantly that I can take breaks, and the projects can be done on my own time. In order for me to run Dizzy in the way that I want, I have other jobs that support me financially, and have let go of the idea that Dizzy will be my main source of income. I just started grad school for Library and Information Science! I’m more concerned with breaking even and publishing / programming what moves me at my own time. For better or for worse, this has made it hard to live off of Dizzy (for example, choosing not to have advertisements printed throughout the magazine). Everyone’s journey is different, and I have incredible respect and admiration for those who are able to make a career out of publishing. It’s incredibly difficult (and expensive).

Dizzy’s output has slowed down a lot since it began, and I think it’s been healthy for me, and allowed me to be more passionate and selective about the projects I’m doing. At the moments in Dizzy’s journey when I was working more towards making it a venture I could live off of, the pacing was different. The line was a bit straighter in terms of how the process unfolded. When you’re running your own project/business it can be super hard to “turn off”, considering you don’t necessarily “leave the office.” I had to work on being disciplined in that sense — why check my emails after 8pm, or before 9am? It was hard to find that discipline, but very important (still working on it!).

One thing that helps me is making lists. I love checking things off my list so I will put even the tiniest task on there. It’s a nice way to feel like I’m being productive even if I need a break from the big stuff. I don’t think I used to respect my time and energy as much as I do now. I try my best to just get outside and take a walk. Bring my binoculars (if I’m going to the park), put away my phone, not even wear headphones, just listen to the space around me. I also have nice long phone calls with friends who don’t live near me. I’m also trying to cook more — I realize it’s a task that requires physical attention, which helps me disconnect from technology. Not totally there yet, but trying my best!

Do you have a dream project for Dizzy?
I’d love to publish more children’s books and potentially create a public library space for kids to rent books, do workshops, etc.!

If you could go back in time and have a conversation with yourself when you began Dizzy Books, what would you say?
Creating a platform for other artists will be one of the most fulfilling projects of your (my) life. That being said, don’t forget to find the time and space to nurture your own creative practices. It’s okay to take breaks. In an age where we feel like we have to be constantly churning out work to stay ‘relevant’, burnout is inevitable. Even if you put things out sporadically, the people that care are still going to be there. Stay true to the vision – but also know and embrace that visions change!

Portrait by Ben C Trogdon.

Interviewed by Luca Lotruglio.