Open Your Mind

What you are looking at here is a stack of magazines, nestled in their free-gift-with-Issue-1 collection binders and piled up next to the magazine rack in WHSmiths of Richmond.

Why is this exciting? Because it's the magazine I made! This is the exciting, top secret project I've been pouring my heart into. What's happening right now is only a limited test in a small area, but the months of toil have finally come to an end and there, on display and available to the public, is the result!

I came up with the idea for this psychology-based partwork a year ago, back when I worked at my old company. Our client - now New Boss - loved the idea and asked me to begin putting it together. A few brief stumbles later - firstly when it was handed over to somebody else, who had a very different concept (that turned out to be wrong), and then during the demise of Old Company - and after a little shuffle around so that I was working directly for New Boss, we finally had a clear road ahead of us and went about making a magazine.

I've had some fantastic help along the way. Wonderful writers who scribbled masterpieces for me in a matter of hours to help me meet the deadlines (Emma, Lisa, Nicola, Deborah and Sally), super-talented Bill, my all-time favourite artist, and a series of fabulous designers, from darling Jo who set the style to Graham (who I hardly think needs an introduction round here) to dear Richard, who took a great idea for a design and turned it into a kick-ass magazine. Not forgetting long-suffering Blanca, who had to interpret my photo requests, and marvellous David, my one-man support group. And all of them with never a complaint, no matter how unreasonable my demands.

So here we are at the town test. This is about the pinnacle of things at my little end of the publishing industry - getting to create a magazine that might one day (well, April) sit on the racks next to the ones I grew up reading. One that's entirely my own concept, which I got to hand pick the very best contributors for and nurture into an actual, printed, real magazine. Crazy!

Here's the original picture, from before they found a handy stand for it: I cantered down to the shop to see for myself the wondrousness, only for my phone to turn itself off - which meant I ended up batting my eyelashes at Richard until he agreed to go down there with New Boss's phone. He felt it might attract negative attention were he to be caught snapping pictures in the women's section, so I believe this shot was a fly-by.
If anyone needs me over the next couple of weeks, I will probably be in WHSmiths, lurking behind a pillar. I'm stopping now, before this post turns into a gushing acceptance speech. But I do want to thank the above-mentioned superstars, who all went beyond the call of duty to help make my dream come true.