Welcome to (the) Curious Nothing
Dear Inquisitive Readers,
The Curious Nothing stems from a self-axiom and developing philosophy I've tossed around for quite a while. It shares a sentiment with the John Keats quote, "I'm certain of nothing but the holiness of the heart's affections and the truth of imagination." In short, "I'm certain of nothing," but I'm still alive, curious, and creative.
From there, my mind goes to what Descartes concluded with Cogito Ergo Sum, or "I think therefore I am." By doubting my own existence (or questioning it, for that matter), I know that I do exist but indeed remain uncertain, weary, yet curious, and can use that affection and imagination to explore the nothing of which I'm so certain…
Gizmo is still trying to figure it out too…and he’s long dead! :D
So…yeah, well, okay. I haven't perfected the manifesto yet.
It, too, has been a work in progress, much like this publication. But perhaps we all can explore the possibilities as we turn each page.
The first physical incarnation of The Curious Nothing happened on a warm May Sunday, 2022. An eclectic group of creative humans gathered for a night of art and community.
A bunch of folks, friends and strangers alike, came together to make it happen, each bringing something unique to the table. The DJ spun the mood with music. The Pizza Man fed the crowd. The Comedians cracked big smiles. The Painters turned blank space into colorful life. The Poets poured out their souls while the crowd took it in with Dionysian minds and revelrous intent. It was a pretty rad night.
I was reminded of something stirring in me for years: the desire to manifest, collaborate, and create something curious out of nothing- A DADA-inspired, synergistic, "beat-deviant" magazine with punk sensibility filled with a sundry mix of poetry, visual art, photography, music, opinions, and culture.
I've always had a knack for surrounding myself with diverse, creative people and introducing them into one cohesive ecosystem. The Arts Happenin' that night was the something that needed to finally make it all happen.
I embarked on this unescorted journey with the idea that The Curious Nothing would be a quickie paper zine xeroxed and stapled together, and I would charge next to nothing just to get into people's hands. That didn't happen, clearly. After a year of stumbling through three painstaking versions of this damn thing, lots of lost hours, and frustrating nights learning InDesign, it does exist, dammit, and you are here for it.
This is The Curious Nothing.
Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this chaotic experiment and for sticking it out, and also, thank you for your patience and support.
Please stay curious and open-minded as you make your way through this publication (oh yeah, and ya gotta buy it, here).
There is no theme and seemingly no rhyme or reason. But I hope the dots somehow connect, revealing an evolving collective consciousness, or whatever it ends up being.
Enjoy the ride,
Denise "Nisi" Summers (Mckenzie)
Founder, Curator, & Editor-In-Chief
