Workshop Companion Doc

In this workshop, you're going to create a piece of writing or art.

Get speculative! Get big! Get joyful! Get weird!

Below, we have lots of different ideas we have for places to start. You can use one of these, or come up with your own!

Optionally, when you're done, you can submit your piece to be included in a little anthology zine. Need inspiration? Check out work from some past virtual workshops: Possible Futures volumes one, and two, and three.

If you are submitting graphics, it will display best if it's 5.5" x 8.5" (11:17).

WRITING

Writing Prompts

Here are some more writing prompts to get you started, if you'd like:

hope in my body

What's a song that makes you feel hopeful and hyped-up and excited? Go listen to it. Describe what it feels like in your body to listen to it. What does it make you think and feel?

unwatchable

Surveillance technology is a thing of the past. What's different in the world now?

utopian dreaming

Think of something that bothers you about the world today. What would a world look like where that problem would be unimaginable?

future diary entry

Imagine you're in 2100, 2200, or even 2500. Where are you? What is life like? What's normal? What do you wish happened, and what happened? Are there still people? Or just massive flying birds? Write a diary entry imagining the world in that time and space.

short poem

Write a poem with exactly 205 characters about the year 2050. (challenge: write one with exactly 2050 characters)

Image-ining

Choose a picture from the image bank. Imagine this picture tells you something true and important about the future. What does it tell you?

ADDING GRAPHICS

Combine images and text to make a zine page!

Here are a few simple ways to make a collage virtually

How to make a collage in google docs [easiest]
Make a poster, card, or zine on Ziney [test version]
Here is a figma template [slightly more complicated]
Use your own favorite image editing software!

We have a variety of image sources for you to pull (free-to-use) images from:

Not sure where to start? Scroll through our curated Pinterest board

Know what you're looking for? These websites have ample free-to-use images:

Note: that if you want to submit to our final zine, we will not accept any pieces that use generative AI.

OTHER OPTIONS

You don’t need to stick to just writing or digital collage. Here are some other types of work people have created:

Drawing

Combine lines, text, and images to tell your story.

Cryptic Crossword

Mini Zine

Blackout poem on a screenshot