Issue O N E by PWR

issue

one

n ot e from the e d i to r s We are so excited to finally share this with all of you! Making this magazine has not been an easy task, but has been such a rewarding experience. PWR is meant to inspire and showcase females of all ages, while providing a platform to help follow their passion and stand up for what they believe in. We canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait to build a strong community of people that are dedicated to the same. We hope you enjoy reading the first of many issues to come. Thank you to all the amazing women who have contributed with an interview: this magazine would be nothing without you and all your support!

~Madi & Liberty

p w r M ag a z i n e

Table of

note from the editors

Graphic gamer

sam reed

Traveling troubleshooter

molly Hudelson

Art is a career

Publicist power

partners in crime

get to know the editors

co-editor-in-chief communications

mADI gIRAULT

director

lIBERTY hAGA

co-editor-in-chief creative director

f o l low U S

Co n t r i b u to r s

Co n t e n t s

instagram @pwrzine twitter @PWRzine pwrzine.com

issue o n e

graphic gamer by Madi Girault

milee Kieffer is an illustrator and graphic designer and lover of cheese, even though she is lactose intolerant. She has held jobs such as a 2D environment artist, a 3D prop artist and a freelance graphic designer and illustrator.

milee’s favorite job has been making props for the horror game “Albino Lullaby” by Ape Law, an indie game company. She shared that this project caused her to step out of her comfort zone and try new things like 3d artistry.

p w r M ag a z i n e

hen asked how she got started in her field, she explained, “Right before I graduated college, I picked up a job moderating a video game forum for the very infamous game ‘Infestation: Survivor Stories’ (formerly The War Z). I worked 3 days a week for 9+ hours making $8.50 an hour getting called nasty names, banning people, and sifting through sexually explicit garbage that users on the forum deemed ‘appropriate’ to post. It was truly a miserable experience, but 4 months in I got a message from a friend from college asking me if I was interested in a contract art job with the company he was working with. Seeing the pay was significantly better, the work was actually something

“ I t was s uc h a r e wa r d i n g e x p e r i e n c e to help

bu i l d game

a from the ground up”

I wanted to do, and I would be working with my very talented game designer friend, I took the plunge and decided to do it. It was such a rewarding experience to help build a game from the ground up and watch it come to life in a matter of months and it really made me realize how much I love the entire game development process.” Emilee’s advice for others wanting to join the design industry is to “stop comparing yourself to everyone else. You’ll never be ‘good enough’ if you keep staring at your favorite artists’ artwork wondering what you’re doing wrong and they’re doing right. It’s unfair to yourself when you compare your own style and body of work to another successful artist. You’re only seeing the best of them at any given time online, because we ONLY put our best out there for people to see. It’s easy to fall into this ‘I’m not as good as they are and I never will be’ because you’re only seeing the product of years and years of experience and their very best work. Be kind to yourself, we’re all still learning who we are and what we want to produce as artists.”

Find Emilee on Twitter and Instagram

issue o n e

p w r M ag a z i n e

issue o n e

Sam Reed 10

p w r Mag a z i n e

written by Madi Girault Buffalo, NY based photographer Sam Reed, has had a multitude of jobs within the music industry. Starting with the company After Dark Promotions as a photographer. She then worked as a writer, photographer and manager for Kill The Music magazine. Now she is working as a content editor for “Girls Behind the Rockshow” as well as writing for Newsound. Sam’s favorite project is working with unsigned artists, “I love helping other people find new music.” She also enjoyed photographing Riot Fest in Chicago, which was a bucket list item for her. “I Guess I’ve always been a creative, but I didn’t know photography was my outlet. I did things like choir and dance in high school, but never thought about a career as a creative.” After begging for a DSLR camera for years, Sam finally got her first one 5 or 6 years ago, and the rest is history. When asked what advice she had for budding creatives, she said “First things first: don’t count yourself out because you are your biggest enemy. A lot of the time, you will be so surprised what you will be approved for and what you can do if you just try it.” Sam feels very lucky that she has only dealt with sexism in very subtle ways like, “...the typical ‘who are you dating in the band?’ or the assumptions that you’re a groupie, but it still is Bullshit!”

issue o n e

p w r Mag a z i n e

issue o n e

p w r Mag a z i n e

â&#x20AC;&#x153;you will be so

surprised what you will be approved for and what you can do if you just try it

â&#x20AC;?

Find Sam on Twitter and Instagram

issue o n e

T r av e l i n g

troubles h ooter

Find Brie on Instagram

p w r Mag a z i n e

by Madi Girault

rie Mckay is the definition of a troubleshooter; she has held all types of jobs within the music industry, and in creative industries as a whole. Brie started out her journey in a creative field in high school, where she volunteered at a local TV network that featured different bands passing through her town, like Papa Roach and The Used. Brie describes the experience as the town’s very own MTV-style show. Brie went on to major in Film and Art, with a focus in screenwriting and screen printing, and her double minor was in Music Business and Theater, with focuses in artist management and acting. She has worked on an extensive list of projects, including Coachella, Warped Tour, Parahoy, the Kiss cruise (where she served as museum curator, and the band came up to her in full makeup to tell her how much they enjoyed the museum), and as a freelance worker for Live Nation. Some of Brie’s favorite projects include Warped Tour, which she describes as “so life changing, and I know I am a better stronger person because of my years on Warped; it’s like a form of boot camp--you didn’t know how strong you were until you

do it, and after you never see life the same way every agan.” One of Brie’s most memorable jobs was when she freelanced with One Direction at their Rose Bowl show as a personal runner. She did things like drive their management to and from hotels and get them whatever was needed. Brie described the experience as, “The most amazing experience ever! Their team was so nice and so amazing, they took me under their wing, and how kind the band was--they are seriously so sweet. It was a crazy experience. I worked my ass off; it made me feel so proud when it was over.”

The advice Brie has for others wanting to join a creative industry is that, no matter your age, there are opportunities available. Even if you don’t live in a large city, there is probably something at your local college or theater that you can volunteer for. “If you are doing something you love, and you are vocal about it, someone will take notice and you will get an opportunity,” Brie went on to say. “If you get the opportunity to be in a leadership role and if you know you have the opportunity to hire a woman, do that.

We are an

unshakeable force, and we are here to stay.” issue o n e

p w r Mag a z i n e

issue o n e

molly hudelson written by Madi Girault

udelson is a writer and photographer based in Sayreville, New Jersey. Molly started in the music industry while attending college around 8 years ago, when she could no longer cheer. She started booking shows with her college, but her list of accomplishments doesn’t stop there--she has also worked in marketing for a venue, a street team coordinator, a touring photographer and coordinator for tours as well. When asked about her favorite project, she replied, “The [most] memorable has been photographing Taylor Swift. There were three photographers that night: it was me, and then like two dudes who were like 40 or 50 and I was 23 at the time. It was so incredible.”

M ag a z i n e N a m e & o r u r l

p w r Mag a z i n e

olly loves empowering women in her field by referring people for positions as well as “not participating in the dialogue of ‘it has to be a competition’.” Molly encourages others who want to become a part of a creative field to

start locally and build through hard work and dedication on a small level. She also advocates for creating opportunities yourself.

hen we asked Molly if she has faced sexism in her industry: “This is something that any photographer will tell you: any woman who has worked a tour or events will tell you that even with credentials that say ‘I am doing a

job, I am supposed to be here, I am allowed to be here,’ security will stop you and really inspect your pass, or they will assume you shouldn’t be there because you’re a woman. While I was on Warped Tour, and was going back to my bus, security stopped and really inspected my badge while a bunch of guys just walked right in. These kinds of incidents happen a lot more with women than men.”

Find Molly on Twitter and Instagram

issue o n e

p w r Mag a z i n e

A rt is a career by Madi Girault

ori Wills is an artist based in Oklahoma City, studying graphic design. Tori got her start as an artist in high school, selling her painting and drawings.

however, she never considered it a serious career option until it came time for college. “You’re never going to be good at something until you work really hard at it,” is what Tori said when asked about advice for getting into an artistic industry like hers. Tori also talked to us about how frustrating it is to not be taken seriously because you’re a woman in any situation. She recommended staying persistent without getting angry as a tool to

by Madi Girault

Publicist p ow e r

stand your ground in that situation.

Angela Mastrogiacomo has been in the music industry since 2009, with jobs ranging from assistant editor for OurStage to a publicist at her company, Muddy Paw PR. Angela’s biggest advice to those wanting to get into the industry is that relationship building will be your biggest strength—the more genuine connections you have the wider your network will be, in turn making more opportunities. “I just want to be there for others—whoever you are, male or female. Helping people on their journeys, be it personal or professional, has always been something I pride myself on.” At PWR, we always ask about the most pressing issue women face in creative indus-

tries; Angela shared, “I think there’s just this constant need to a) prove ourselves in a way that men don’t seem to have to[,] and b) to get comfortable asserting ourselves (because I think for a lot of women, myself included, that’s really difficult for fear of seeming unlikeable) and then on a much larger scale, we as a society need to stop labeling assertive/confident women as unlikeable or pushy, just because they know what they want and go after it.”

issue o n e

partn e rs in crim e writtem by Madi Girault

The hit true-crime podcast Wine and Crime is hosted by three childhood friends--Lucy Fitz, Amanda Jacobson, and Kenyon Laing. They started the podcast in February, 2017, choosing to talk through new true-crime stories over wine every Thursday. The podcast is just the most recent creative endeavor for these ladies. Lucy has previously worked as an editor and writer for a magazine and is currently a studio manager for a photographer. Amanda has worked as management for a Minneapolis theater, as well as being a stand-up comedian. Kenyon co-wrote a documentary and was the assistant director on the projects.

p w r Mag a z i n e

issue o n e

PWR: Have you dealt with any sexism in your industry? Lucy: I think in any field, identifying as a woman is often a detriment to advancement. I have not encountered much out of the ordinary in the podcast field, but it was a major source of frustration in the publishing world. The company I worked for published “women’s” magazines and always referred to “her,” as in their typical reader. Meanwhile, the entire board and almost all corporate higher-ups were men”

Amanda: As we grow, I anticipate we’ll encounter some bullshit, but isn’t that just how you know you’ve made it?? (insert eye roll emoji here.)”

Kenyon: We’ve definitely faced the kind of sexism that I think most women existing in the public sphere face routinely. But, we also decided early on not to put up with it. One of our taglines for our show is “Fucking Patriarchy!” because it underpins so much of the violence and crime we discuss on the show. We reference “mansplaining BS” on our website’s Contact Us page. Very early on we got a lot of random dudes (with zero background in podcasting) offering “help” or “advice.”

p w r Mag a z i n e

issue o n e

PWR: What do you feel is the most pressing issue women face in creative industries?

Lucy: I think that sexism is so prevalent and systematic [sic] that many women (and definitely most men) barely even notice anymore. It’s the expected place of a woman to be the first to budge in the room full of men, particularly in a corporate/white collar setting. Creative fields should be the most obvious place to spark a change, since the hierarchies and power dynamics are more malleable than in corporate settings. If women are allowed to feel empowered to share their stories, strengths, talents, and perspectives, I think the power dynamics would shift and it would become more commonplace to have multiple voices being heard. Amanda: There are too many pressing issues to even choose. To watch women come up and dethrone

p w r Mag a z i n e

the men who have been controlling us for centuries has felt like an invitation to step right up and shatter the patriarchy right alongside these warriors. Our listener base is overwhelmingly female and folks who identify as female. We provide comedy entertainment peppered with our own personal perspective and have been shocked to see feedback on how much it resonates with some listeners. We also recognize how privileged it is to break out on our own, and many people working hard in a place with systemic forces working against them don’t have the luxury or the opportunity to say, “This is not what I want, so I’ll create what I want.” It feels incredible to inspire other people to start creating in whatever capacity they’re able, when we get that feedback I almost always tear up.

Kenyon: It’s hard to even know where to begin… I think women in all industries are regularly silenced by both overt and subtler (and systemic, institutional) forces. (That’s probably why we chose a medium that involves a lot of talking, and why we don’t censor ourselves!) I also think it’s easy to let practical concerns hold you back from attempting to forge your own path. Not to be

“

CREATIVE

most

fields

o bv i o u s

should be the

p l ac e to s pa r k a

c h a n ge ”

too gendered, but women are often the family “administrators.” It can be terrifying taking that first leap, and having the confidence to say, “This isn’t a hobby. This is my career. This is what I do. And it’s valid.” Seeing ourselves as entrepreneurs and small business owners has really helped us devote the time and energy it takes to make the podcast work. The ladies of Wine and Crime are also very outspoken feminists and discuss issues women face like domestic violence and systematic abuse on their show while also spreading the word of other female run podcasts. Collectively they pursue collaborations with female artists for merchandise designs and other services. Lucy, Amanda and Kenyon have had very strong female figures to look up to in life. For Lucy, it was her grandmother, who was a businesswoman in an era when women were expected to stay home. Lucy also admires to her friend Ciji who started a recycling business.

Amanda holds her mother in high regard, who she describes as “a force to be reckoned with, brilliantly smart, even tempered, unshatterable, kind, empathetic, and funny as hell.” Amanda’s mother ran their household and took care of her father until he passed, while also raising her children and volunteering in her community. Amanda also sees her older sister as “(having) been a role model to me since the day I was born.” Though they are very different, they have learned how to celebrate their differences and grow closer. Kenyon’s biggest inspiration is her mother—a single mom that worked multiple jobs to make ends meet, while also put herself through college and instilling her love of learning in Kenyon.

photos by Ivory House Photography provided to us by the Wine and Crime podcast

Find The Wine &Crime Girls on

and

Twitter

Instagram

issue o n e

p w r Mag a z i n e

Awriter? Apainter? Recording artist? Graphic Designer? Costume Designer? Makeup artist? Photograher?

If you would like contribute towards our next issue? Contact us!

pwrzine@gmail.com

instagram

twitter

issue o n e

communications director

As cliché as it sounds, I have always been a creative person. I begged my mom to let me do art lessons around the age of 6, and the rest is history, I guess. I started off drawing and painting, then got really into music. Around the age of 10 I started playing guitar and bass, then eventually moved to drums and saxophone (I’ve now taught myself to play ukulele). I still do all of that, but my main focus has become photography. The thing that really jazzes me about photography is that I can apply all the things I have learned from my teachers in one medium. I vividly remember this one camera I had when I was like 4 or 5: it was by Little Tykes and it was like this really awesome, all weather camera that was digital, and it was the coolest thing ever to me. I took it everywhere. I remember when I lost that camera, how upset I was because of all the pictures I had on it. I never let my parents put them on the computer so I don’t have any copies of them anywhere. Growing up, I had the mentality of “girls rule, boys drool,” and my parents did a lot to help me understand that I am just as valuable and amazing as any male counterpart. I idolized Kim Possible as a kid and how amazing and badass she was. (My message alert on my phone is the KP communicator tone!) I really think that having a role model like that at such a young age is a huge reason why I am such a feminist. I still have this mentality of the girl superhero and the guy sidekick. I hope with this magazine we can shatter the stereotype surrounding many women in many industries, because we are just as valuable and just as hardworking as many men. I also hope to inspire women to go after things in life that they have always wanted, whether it be in a creative position or a corporate position. I can’t wait to see where the journey of PWR takes us!

—Madi 34

p w r Mag a z i n e

favorite movie: Halloweentown

ive been taking art for 12 years

guess what! I am scuba certified!

I am a costume designer for rocky horror

dream destination: thailand or india

issue o n e

Madiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s playlist

my instagram

My twitter

p w r Mag a z i n e

issue o n e

p w r Mag a z i n e

issue o n e

Liberty’s playlist

don’t know about you, but as a kid I had all types of dreams of what I wanted to be; a mermaid, a mom, an Egyptologist, a cook, or a theater star on Broadway were just a few. A job decision almost always changed shortly after I made it and was often replaced by a product of far-fetched innocence that only a child’s mind could think up. My indecisiveness followed me into my adulthood, and often creates moments of tension in my home when I don’t have an answer to “What do you want for dinner?” or when I waste forty-five minutes trying to pick something to watch when I get handed the remote.

p w r Mag a z i n e

C r e a t ive D i r e c t o r 1

I thrive either in a sunny warm environment or late at night under the stars. The in between and I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get along.

I am fluent in French and love to use it as much as possible. Especially when I travel.

I am a state recognized preschool teacher. I have been teaching since I was 18, and I actually love it.

If I need to clean my house, I almost exclusively listen to ganster rap while I do it.

issue o n e

The constant in my life has always been art. Some form of art was always present in my life, whether it be music, jewelry making, or crayons and paper if there is any type of creative process involved I have probably tried it at least once. I am lucky enough to have parents who always encouraged my art however they could; either by letting me use all the tape in the house, stapling each of my drawing to my bedroom wall, or giving me more film twenty minutes after I had just been given a role. Irritating to them or not they always encouraged that outlet. They would make sure I always had a coloring book and crayons at my disposal, and when I got bored of just coloring we made a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bear Essentialsâ&#x20AC;? kit, filled with different crafting tools, which gave me more opportunities to create different types of craft projects. As I grew into a school age child, activities with a creative element held my attention and kept me occupied for long periods of time. Doodling and drawing helped me focus through lectures, eventually leading to most of my notes looking like an art project in itself. Music morphed into another tool I used to help focus as I moved through school. I learned to study, read, and multitask around the music or noise that was ever present in my home growing up. Often the music that played was a large mix of 80s hair bands, gangster rap, and the current bops. I learned to appreciate a lot of different music genres before even understanding what made them different or how they connected. In middle school I started playing my first instrument, a baritone horn. A year later I changed instruments to the cello and joined choir. Much to my orchestra teachers surprise, I advanced quickly and dedicated myself to learning and playing the best I could. Choir seemed like a breeze because I sang all the time at home and already could read music, but I challenged myself even still. With lots of practice I was able to train my ears to identify pitch and key for instruments and vocals. The enthusiasm I had for music grew to the opportunity to be included in several selective choirs. Even with all this exposure to music, I was persistently looking for something new and asking everyone around me what they were listening to, trying to find new artists I enjoyed. Eventually the internet and social media outlets, like Tumblr, really helped expand my music library.

My instagram

p w r Mag a z i n e

my twitter

issue o n e

In high school I was exposed to yearbook from a friend a few years older than me, and that was the beginning of the end. Yearbook was an extracurricular class that you could only enroll in with instructor permission at my school. I wanted a position as a page designer, but they really needed photos to fill the pages they already created. I reluctantly joined as a photographer late my freshman year, and slowly taught myself how to use a DSLR camera. I would take a camera home on the weekends, on family getaways, or keep it with me in class just to figure out light differences and how each setting changed the outcome of the photo. By the time I was a junior I was teaching the new photographers how to use the camera, sharing secrets I had figured out, and earned the senior photographer position (which I kept until graduation). Photography became a new outlet, and a new skill to constantly improve on. I worked for an entire summer after high school to pay for my own DSLR. I wanted to keep shooting and learning while in college and couldn’t keep borrowing cameras from my local high school—even though my yearbook advisor let me anyway! It was fall of 2014 when I completely fell in love with photography—concert photography. A close friend of mine planted the seed in my brain of concert photography during a conversation about how often I was going to shows. She told me about another photographer she knew that was covering shows and shooting portraits while also in college. My friend even helped me write out my first few emails to tour managers asking for press passes. Somehow, I was able to score a press pass for The 1975 based off a polaroid and a few stills I took on a point and shoot camera. Since then I’ve grown a lot creatively and have shot a few more artists including Knuckle Puck, Halsey, and The Front Bottoms. Between working on creating connections while networking and finding my own personal photography style, I realized how much harder it is to be a woman in this career path. Breaking into any job field is difficult, but adding a stigma based around a minority group never helps. Trying to create a name for yourself as a woman in the music industry becomes a tricky task filled with lots of dead ends and questionable navigating hoping you made the right turn. It’s essential to have precise wording, an assertive but approachable demeanor and a flawless portfolio. Even with all of that, women still get beat out for a job more often than not by male counterparts… When an opportunity is finally given to us, we are forced to deal with being patronized and questioned about the real reason we’re around. I hate to break it to anyone wondering—but we are 44

p w r Mag a z i n e

WORKING just like the men around

us.

In all respects I have it on the easier side, in regular life I don’t outwardly experience this kind of privilege as a minority being a white cis female. If my experience has been this difficult, how much harder would someone apart of more minority groups have to work for the same opportunities I get? Part of creating PWR was to help create a platform for women, of all types and minorities, to excel and succeed. My hope for this magazine is to give women a safe space to create, share, learn, be supported, and become acknowledged.

Hard work is always deserving of recognition,

no matter where it comes from.

“I’ve been ab s o lu t e ly t e r r i f ie d e v e r y moment of my life- and i’ve never let it keep me from doing a single thing i lov e ” Georgia O’Keeffe

- l i b e rt y

issue o n e

p w r Mag a z i n e

issue o n e