Let me tell you about three moments that have shaped this project, with no prior or further context:
“You have proven yourself enough. You can stop fighting now.”
“Are you the kind of person who romanticizes everything?
Because I’m romanticizing this moment right now.”“You’re already a writer, now, think like an editor.”
At some point in the past year, I promised myself a self-investigation as a resolve to reevaluate the life I’ve lived. In my self-investigation I have discovered two things which I have accepted are my defining characteristics, (a.) I have a deep desire for romance in my life and that (b.) because of this, I am never truly satisfied.
I continuously tell the story of how I became a writer, aware of how I alter history to add narrative flair. Yes, my grandfather wrote me poems, but I probably was not even aware of them at three years old. Yes, I fall in love and get heartbroken constantly, but the misery and rage in my text may have been overinflated for effect. Am I a liar? Am I a hypocrite? Do I dare say it—the cliche that contemporary creatives always say that makes me roll my eyes– a storyteller? I don’t feel the need to defend myself before a jury, but perhaps, it is something that has always existed in me: a desire to create a narrative that satisfies. It very rarely does.
I’ve come to realize that the pursuit of beauty and truth often leads us down a path of ceaseless revision, as we strive to capture the ephemeral essence of our emotions and experiences. This dissatisfaction: the one that drives us to create is the same force that compels us to revise, to tweak, and to polish until we achieve a semblance of our ideal. But in doing so, we risk losing the raw authenticity that initially inspired us. We yearn for perfection, but doesn’t the very act of striving for this reveal the imperfections of our creations?
Will we ever accept that we may never be fully content with what we produce?
This zine started off as a frustration. I may have only started my professional writing career in February, but it feels like I have been working much, much, longer. In everything I’ve ever written previously, it felt like I was housed within a publication’s voice, or caged within a campaign. I feel like my clients and organization co-members would say that parroting voices is my greater skill.
However, I don’t aim to find my voice with this project. I don’t intend to be a platform for a brand or a fraudulent marketing scheme. If anything, I only want to continue my self-investigation by roping in my dearest friends to assist me in further understanding the human experience through sharing our work. And the simpler explanation is: I miss being creative with my friends, as I’ve been away from them for far too long. bell hooks did say, “The love we make in community stays with us wherever we go.”
I invited my talented friends and people I want you to hear from to be collaborators on this project. I ask them to be bold, to be honest, to be brave. This honesty, despite—or perhaps because of—its messiness, is where true romanticism lies. I am extremely flattered to receive their valiant submissions, and I cannot wait to share them all with you.
In “The Unrevised Romanticist,” I am both the unrestrained creator and the meticulous editor, caught in a dance between spontaneity and refinement. As much as the whole process of putting this together has helped me, I can only hope that it helps you, too. I hope it brings you a little bit more romance into your lives. If there’s anything I’m sure of, it’s that we all need it.
Celine
Photos and art by
Khai (@arkhaivs_) may currently be taking up architecture for practicality, but her passion lies in art. She is a photographer, fashionista, artist, and certified romanticist who prioritizes self expression above all else in whichever form, both for herself and those she works with.
Fiona Winston (@fionawinstonart) is a biology student from Cebu Doctors University, who sometimes spends her leisure time as a freelance artist and a character designer. She has illustrated album covers for small artists, and personal commissions for international audiences. Fiona’s favorite things in this world are classical music, marvel cinematic universe, and her dogs.
Celine German Lagundi (@celinelagundi) is a writer and artist with a chronic tendency to romanticize everything. With ‘The Unrevised Romanticist,’ she aims to spread this agenda to everyone who needs a little romance in their lives.