Alchemy & Elegy

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Alchemy & Elegy Alchemy & Elegy is a blog filled with interviews, fiction and poetry.

This project is an extension of Mythos Zine, a small press publication that featured creative work from Northwest Indiana and beyond.

Two interviews in one weekend? Yep. 'Stumbling in the Dark' releases tomorrow. Excited to welcome Seattleite, Victoria E...
12/07/2020

Two interviews in one weekend? Yep. 'Stumbling in the Dark' releases tomorrow. Excited to welcome Seattleite, Victoria Elena, to the Alchemy & Elegy family!

Been a hot second, but excited to announce the next Alchemy & Elegy interview: Thomas Hannah, a talented poet hailing fr...
11/07/2020

Been a hot second, but excited to announce the next Alchemy & Elegy interview: Thomas Hannah, a talented poet hailing from Byron Bay, Australia! Read his interview 'Sleepy Existence' tomorrow.

"I’m one of those people who use the clichéd, "ever since I could remember" statements, but it’s true. I’ve always been ...
24/06/2020

"I’m one of those people who use the clichéd, "ever since I could remember" statements, but it’s true. I’ve always been creative. I really can’t point out a specific time or anything like that, but I do know it really all started with my grandmother, Mimi." - Gina Cebulski // Read more about Gina in her interview 'Her House Was a Haven' when it goes live Friday!

When it comes to your creativity: if you ever feel like you’re standing at a crossroad; if you have a vague feeling like...
21/06/2020

When it comes to your creativity: if you ever feel like you’re standing at a crossroad; if you have a vague feeling like something important needs to be done but you can’t quite put into words what it is that you’re being driven to accomplish; if you need someone to think out loud with; if you live on the other side of the world and just need a fresh perspective— whatever creative challenge, opportunity or mystery is meeting you today, I’m here to be your soundboard.

https://www.alchemyandelegy.com/creative-consult

The nostalgic-feel photography by .croix_bongwater has stuck out to me ever since he submitted work to  // Happy to part...
18/06/2020

The nostalgic-feel photography by .croix_bongwater has stuck out to me ever since he submitted work to // Happy to partner with him and showcase his creativity in not only the website but also an interview. Read more about him in ‘Old Film Cameras’ on the site! //

"Zines ended up being so powerful for me. They’re able to combine everything I love so much about illustrations and stor...
15/06/2020

"Zines ended up being so powerful for me. They’re able to combine everything I love so much about illustrations and story telling. They gave me a chance to be vulnerable and create connections with people, which is what I always wanted to gain from creating." - Remi Germaine, 'Permission to be Vulnerable'. A new interview is live on the site! 🎉

https://www.alchemyandelegy.com/post/permission-to-be-vulnerable

For those who love the work that Alchemy & Elegy is doing, we've launched a Patreon account! 🎉 If you or someone you kno...
13/06/2020

For those who love the work that Alchemy & Elegy is doing, we've launched a Patreon account! 🎉 If you or someone you know has been positively impacted through creative endeavors like this or even Mythos Zine, we welcome the support. Every dollar and kind word that's offered helps fund the website and stoke new/future Alchemy & Elegy-related projects to work on in the spare time! You can also access our Patreon by visiting the footer of the website!

https://www.patreon.com/alchemyandelegy

I've always appreciated Solansh Moya from afar. Her passion for zine-making is absolutely contagious. A few years back, ...
12/06/2020

I've always appreciated Solansh Moya from afar. Her passion for zine-making is absolutely contagious. A few years back, she featured an interview with me on her blog Weirdo Brigade, and I was honored to be a part of it. Flash forward a few years, and now I'm featuring a short story of hers on Alchemy & Elegy. Give it a read now! 🎉

https://www.alchemyandelegy.com/stories/this-stupid-silly-brain-of-mine

Hello, Frodo // More work by the talented New Yorker,  — check out alchemyandelegy.com to read her interview ‘Adventure ...
10/06/2020

Hello, Frodo // More work by the talented New Yorker, — check out alchemyandelegy.com to read her interview ‘Adventure and Whimsy’

"As I got older, I realized that every single thing in life was designed by someone. Although the arts are not typically...
08/06/2020

"As I got older, I realized that every single thing in life was designed by someone. Although the arts are not typically the top priority when it comes to funding, I think it really should be. Anything visual sets the mood for the user’s perception and I think this has a lot of power." - Aubrey Neal

Read Aubrey's interview 'Stylized Vulnerability' by clicking the link below!

https://www.alchemyandelegy.com/post/stylized-vulnerability

Hailing from the state of Utah is the wonderfully creative, Remi Germaine. Her interview goes live June 15th! 🎉🎉🎉In the ...
06/06/2020

Hailing from the state of Utah is the wonderfully creative, Remi Germaine. Her interview goes live June 15th! 🎉🎉🎉

In the meantime, you can learn more about Remi by visiting her Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/remikeahi/

I love life behind the scenes. When I was managing Mythos Zine, I didn't care if the world knew who I was. All that matt...
04/06/2020

I love life behind the scenes. When I was managing Mythos Zine, I didn't care if the world knew who I was. All that mattered at the end of the day was that incredibly talented people were heard, seen and appreciated. The zine brought to light who I am at my core: I'm driven to help creatives work through their artistic goals, timelines and desires. I live to discover the answer to an age-old question... 'What's Next?'

When I'm not working or spending time with family, here's what I'm going to give my life to. Oh, and it costs nothing. Click the link below to learn (a little) more. And if you like what you see, tell a friend.

https://www.alchemyandelegy.com/creative-consult

"This influence can be seen in some of my more recent work, which carries a sense of boketto, meaning to space out and s...
03/06/2020

"This influence can be seen in some of my more recent work, which carries a sense of boketto, meaning to space out and stare or think about nothing in particular." - Andrew Dvorscak // New interview is live!

https://www.alchemyandelegy.com/post/old-film-cameras

We sure are thankful for  // Her creative work is consistently positive. I mean, just look at this illustration. Hugs ar...
31/05/2020

We sure are thankful for // Her creative work is consistently positive. I mean, just look at this illustration. Hugs are as uplifting and unifying as it gets, especially in a time of unrest. Cheers, Ari!

Late night shoutout to Oklahoma City native  — keep creating and inspiring // To read Aubrey’s interview, hop over to th...
31/05/2020

Late night shoutout to Oklahoma City native — keep creating and inspiring // To read Aubrey’s interview, hop over to the A&E website!

31/05/2020

Click the link below, fill in some blanks and receive sweet nothings from Alchemy & Elegy in the form of a monthly eNewsletter. 🎉🎉🎉

http://eepurl.com/gXnKxr

So excited to kick off June with an interview that’s incredibly important to Alchemy & Elegy. .croix_bongwater is a Colo...
30/05/2020

So excited to kick off June with an interview that’s incredibly important to Alchemy & Elegy. .croix_bongwater is a Colorado-based creative that I met while managing Mythos Zine // At the start of developing the A&E website, I knew I wanted to weave imagery across its pages that carried a sense of dreaminess and instilled a longing for journeys. Andrew’s work immediately came to mind. I reached out to see if collaborating on a project like this was of any interest, and I’m happy to say the rest is history! Whenever you venture over to our website, you’re greeted by Andrew’s photography! // Can’t wait to share more of what’s to come in June!

Do us a solid and share this out. New subscribers will automatically receive our first official newsletter. For now, sub...
27/05/2020

Do us a solid and share this out. New subscribers will automatically receive our first official newsletter. For now, subscribe by visiting our website!

I guess the perk to being a subscriber is that you get access to exclusive content. Yay you!

It's people like Aubrey Neal that helped me to feel the power of DIY publishing. I could see a bunch great things happen...
20/05/2020

It's people like Aubrey Neal that helped me to feel the power of DIY publishing. I could see a bunch great things happening all around me through the publication I was spearheading years back, but I was so busy coordinating it, I often forgot about the joy that accompanies seeing your work in print, holding it in your hands and flipping page by page. It's a powerful experience. Aubrey, thanks for supporting creatives like myself. Still have the copy of Art Cult Zine I was published in on my shelf!

Read her interview here.
https://www.alchemyandelegy.com/post/stylized-vulnerability

Jessica is one of the sweetest creatives I've been fortunate to meet during my time with the Green Door fam. Her work is...
18/05/2020

Jessica is one of the sweetest creatives I've been fortunate to meet during my time with the Green Door fam. Her work is thought provoking and she's also responsible for the many amazing murals scattered across Highland. Read more about Jess by clicking the link below!

https://www.alchemyandelegy.com/post/jessica-haug

I really don't say it enough, but Lori Megyesi and her husband Tom Jackson are creative inspirations to me (as well as c...
09/05/2020

I really don't say it enough, but Lori Megyesi and her husband Tom Jackson are creative inspirations to me (as well as countless others connected to the Green Door tribe of meaning-makers). If you've got a window of time to enjoy some reading on this chill Saturday, check out Lori's interview 'Soul Stirring' by clicking the link below.

https://www.alchemyandelegy.com/post/lori-the-knife

I always enjoy my conversations with David McKie. He's constantly pushing himself to create outstanding work, which in t...
07/05/2020

I always enjoy my conversations with David McKie. He's constantly pushing himself to create outstanding work, which in turn inspires countless others (myself included). If you haven't had an opportunity to read his interview 'A Wash of Warm Light', click the link below!

https://www.alchemyandelegy.com/post/a-wash-of-warm-light

I suppose I'm more interested to hear Rachel Calderone's thoughts on how or when we met. She's a poet who has always bee...
29/04/2020

I suppose I'm more interested to hear Rachel Calderone's thoughts on how or when we met. She's a poet who has always been one to stand up and ask how she can help support creative movement in Northwest Indiana. Read more about Rachel by visiting the link below:

https://www.alchemyandelegy.com/post/concrete-porches-and-cigarettes

Thought I could keep my mouth shut until Monday, but I can't. Featuring a new friend of Alchemy on Elegy on the website ...
25/04/2020

Thought I could keep my mouth shut until Monday, but I can't. Featuring a new friend of Alchemy on Elegy on the website come May 1st! Ari is an amazingly talented creative based outside of Buffalo, New York. To get a taste of her colorfully fun work, visit her instagram by clicking the link below!

https://www.instagram.com/ephemeralspeck/

I remember Michael Massengill told me that Gloomworld was going to be making an appearance during Zine Night. I believe ...
25/04/2020

I remember Michael Massengill told me that Gloomworld was going to be making an appearance during Zine Night. I believe it was late summer when we met at the bookstore, and you were wearing a white Gloomworld T shirt. I really didn't know anything about you at the time, but was looking forward to starting a conversation with you. And I'm happy to say the conversation is ongoing; our families have had the opportunity to spend time together, and your work is an inspiration to countless people, myself included! Cheers, brother!

Working in Valparaiso for a time, I used to frequent Blackbird Cafe. There were certain days when I just needed to break...
24/04/2020

Working in Valparaiso for a time, I used to frequent Blackbird Cafe. There were certain days when I just needed to break up the monotony and grab a mid-day cup of coffee. And sometimes I'd run into a familiar face when visiting the shop. Often it was Briana Petty-Olivares. She always came off as a bit mysterious, but was always incredibly kind and supportive of the creative community in Northwest Indiana. Over the years, I've gotten to know her more and she's an amazingly passionate artist. Thankful for all that you do, Briana!

When I first met Casey King, he was guarded. He didn't say much yet I could tell he was a guy with a lot on his mind. I ...
23/04/2020

When I first met Casey King, he was guarded. He didn't say much yet I could tell he was a guy with a lot on his mind. I want to say the first time I remember seeing him was at Wickedly Whiting (Casey, correct me if I'm wrong). Back then, I'd seen his work online and was waiting for an opportunity to meet him. His sketches told stories, and they stuck out to me; they were imbued with great emotion. And in the grand scheme of things, looking past his quiet and reserved disposition, I somehow knew he was going to become a dear friend of mine. Thankful for you, brother! Keep creating.

I want to say the first time I met Maria Rios was at Green Door in Hobart. The co-creator of Mythos Publications (Nathan...
21/04/2020

I want to say the first time I met Maria Rios was at Green Door in Hobart. The co-creator of Mythos Publications (Nathan Bell) and I invited a handful of artists, writers and poets to meet at the bookstore on a random summer night in 2017. We had a vision for seeing a niche creative culture brought together by our little zine. It was this weird, raw, gut-feeling we couldn't escape: bring people together who would otherwise never know each other // Read more about Maria by checking out her interview here!

https://www.alchemyandelegy.com/post/snake-lady

Poetry by Joseph Pete is hitting the website Monday! Joseph has been a long time supporter of the creative community acr...
19/04/2020

Poetry by Joseph Pete is hitting the website Monday! Joseph has been a long time supporter of the creative community across Northwest Indiana. I'm personally grateful for all of the support he's showed Green Door Books and the former zine collective Mythos over the years. He recently published his book Lost Hammond, Indiana! If love a good historical read, go show some support and get yourself a copy. Link below!

https://amzn.to/2yoDZ97

Incredibly excited about this one! On Monday we're dropping a new interview with Oklahoma City creative, Aubrey Neal. Au...
18/04/2020

Incredibly excited about this one! On Monday we're dropping a new interview with Oklahoma City creative, Aubrey Neal. Aubrey is a Multimedia Designer and the Creator of Art Cult Magazine & Design Studio! We became friends in the summer of 2018 through our mutual love of zine-making. In the meantime, go visit the Art Cult website and show Aubrey some support!

https://www.artcultzine.com/

"I work as a photographer a few days a week. My second full time job is my art. I paint a lot. In the last year, I paint...
17/04/2020

"I work as a photographer a few days a week. My second full time job is my art. I paint a lot. In the last year, I painted everything from 60 foot murals to owl sculptures, dog portraits, and series of my own work." - Jessica Haug-Sigler. Read more of Jess' interview by clicking the link below:

https://www.alchemyandelegy.com/post/jessica-haug

"Connection is my favorite theme to play with, I hope that those that view my work will want to come back and view more,...
17/04/2020

"Connection is my favorite theme to play with, I hope that those that view my work will want to come back and view more, to get sucked into my world of make-believe and get lost for a moment. The trifecta of connection; viewer, art and artist together in the same room is my favorite part about showing my work to other people." - Lori Megyesi. Read more of Lori The Knife's interview 'Soul Stirring' by clicking the link below!

https://www.alchemyandelegy.com/post/lori-the-knife

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About Us.

I started a publication in Northwest Indiana called Mythos in May of 2017. It was really nothing that became a whole lot of something pretty fast. I created a social media account, placed a call for submissions and people were soon sending in their creative work to be featured on a monthly basis. The zine built up a small cult following and this resulted in a beautiful mix of personalities, gathering together at a small bookstore that agreed to sell the publication for a small fee to cover printing costs. Every month when a new issue of Mythos was released, the bookstore would hold a ‘Zine Night’, where artists could hang out, meet others and sell their work. Over time, these events created cultural momentum. I was invited onto podcasts, local radio shows, blogs, speaking opportunities and a leadership position to help spearhead an annual Zine Fest. And while all of this was great, I was most satisfied seeing a core group of friends emerge at the bookstore. Word about the publication spread faster than I could've imagined. Strangers began contacting me monthly from across state lines and outside the country. All of it was incredibly humbling. Mythos was forging friendships left and right, living up to its purpose: to bring people together who would otherwise never know each other. Mythos lasted roughly over two and a half years. It's an experience that helped me to make sense of the world. Because of it, I met hundreds of amazing people, all of whom I intend to showcase with this new platform. Alchemy & Elegy exists to investigate the many lives that daily transmute the ordinary and evoke the subversive through their art. From Myth to Magic, Alec R. Villarreal Alchemy & Elegy