Staying happy, staying small.

Changes at UPPERCASE

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Dear *|FNAME|*

I’ve never been good at running. In elementary school, we had to run the perimeter of the park and I was invariably lapped by everyone. The cool kids, the tall kids, the athletic kids… they were all interested in getting there faster than me. I remember feeling like a duck when I ran, my flipper feet not quite understanding the agility required of running.

I wanted to observe the path and watch the horizon gently evolve as I plodded along. What was the purpose of rushing to the finish line? You'd miss all the interesting things along the way, get some horrible stitch in your side and end up gasping for air at the end.

For the past year or more, I feel like I’ve been running a race. Rather, it has been more like a marathon, with hurdles being thrown in my path, each one taking me ever so slightly off course.

Running a business is tough.

Last week, I had to lay off both of my employees. It was not a decision that was taken lightly, but the facts are that I couldn’t keep funding our salaries out of a line of credit. If we couldn’t generate enough income to cover our costs, then why continue running that race?

My daily activities seemed to be all in service of keeping the business happy, but my own joy was eroding. I knew that if I didn’t make some hard decisions, then the very essence of what UPPERCASE is—me—would become depleted.

I don’t want to rush through life chasing money and sacrificing my health. I started UPPERCASE so that I could explore my creative ideas through print projects. Books and magazines are my passion and—with a good night’s sleep—they still are. I’m proud of the work that I’ve created so far and I know in my heart that each and every issue of UPPERCASE magazine is the best I could possibly make it. As I mentioned in a previous message, the summer issue’s art directed spectrum was a creatively challenging one; I’m glad I pushed myself to take it on.

I can assure you that the magazine will continue uninterrupted (issue #22 is freshly printed and will be mailing soon) and I'm planning the following issues. Attentive customer service will continue and I'll still be active on social media and on the blog, though perhaps the frequency of my posts will be adjusted. I look forward to connecting with you through these emails on a regular basis.

Thank you for your support by purchasing subscriptions, back issues and my books. That’s really what keeps it going and I know that as long as I continue to produce good things, then UPPERCASE will be just fine.

Let’s go for a walk together.

-Janine

TODAY IS INTERNATIONAL TYPEWRITER DAY

At long last, I can reveal the cover of my forthcoming book. A richly illustrated book full of never-before published typewriter memorabilia, intriguing historical documents and entertaining anecdotes, The Typewriter: a Graphic History of the Beloved Machine is a beautiful ode to an all-but-obsolete creative companion. Preorders can be placed in the shop; the book will be shipping this fall. Thank you!

The Typewriter

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SUBSCRIPTIONS, SHOP, STOCKISTS • shop@uppercasemagazine.com

EDITORIAL, DESIGN • Janine Vangool • janine@uppercasemagazine.com

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