Blog Reflections

So far in my story, I have emailed someone in request for an interview, who I think would be very interesting and a perfect candidate for my story. I found a fascinating San Diego magazine article that has an article about this possible source. I have also been reviewing certain magazines, such as San Diego magazine, for inspiration and layout ideas for my project. I enjoyed the different feature ideas, such as wedding fashion, beauty trends, etc that are shown throughout these different magazines. However, I really liked how Vogue showed different area locations that showed the best thrift/vintage stories, since that is something I am hoping to emulate in my story, such as this “vintage directory”. 

The next steps I want to take with my story would be emailing the rest of my sources and starting to visit thrift/vintage stores in San Diego. After visiting and picking out what appear to be the most popular stores, as well as stores that align with possible Central/Southern American fashion trends. These stores will be where I can pick out customers for short interviews and gather more information. I am excited to start finding visuals that will align with my story and add more flavor. 

The screening circle was about the homelessness crisis in Seattle, WA. This resonates with me because I am from Seattle, and I've seen firsthand the homeless crisis as well. Unsheltered people and the creation of spikes on benches, anti-homeless architecture, I find very unempathetic to an obviously struggling population. In mainstream media, homelessness is portrayed as mainly affecting drug users and the mentally ill. Although I personally do not think we should be criticizing people struggling with addiction or mental health issues. Understanding how the homeless population is affected by the ongoing busy world is important to understand, as they are people too. 

A comic book like Sweeps Kill helps a visual component of understanding a very misunderstood group of people. Instead of framing homelessness as a personal failure, the comic highlights systemic issues, such as rising housing costs, lack of accessible healthcare, and insufficient social services, that contribute to people losing stable shelter. This shift in perspective is important because it encourages viewers and readers to consider the broader structural forces at play rather than placing blame solely on individuals. 

Visual storytelling creates a more immediate emotional connection. Seeing characters navigate displacement, survive sweeps, and cope with constant uncertainty makes the issue feel less abstract and more personal. It pushes audiences to confront uncomfortable realities that are easy to ignore in everyday life, especially in a fast-paced city environment. Engaging with media like this can foster empathy and awareness, which are necessary steps toward meaningful change.

For Seattle in particular, as I am a local, I know there was a huge heroin epidemic during the 1990's that greatly impacted the Seattle population and, of course, the homelessness crisis. Many employed hard-working citizens were introduced to the drug, which created a variety of issues. Sweeps Kill and real unsheltered stories remind us that homelessness is not just a statistic or a distant issue, but a lived experience affecting real people with dignity, stories, and value.