An artist and facilitator who is all about rekindling DIY energy, making space for play, and connecting with others.
On TheNeverZine we like to run articles that both inspire and inform. It's all very well listening to someone extol the virtues of their artistic practice, but we believe that it's the all-important insight into how they do what they do that gets the creative wellspring flowing.
This is where Ioana Simion, founder of Artizine thrives. She is an artist and creator who's drive, passion and free-thinking is distilled into her zine making practice. Not only is Ioana incredibly skilled in zine making, she is also bringing that joy and technical insight to her audience with regular workshops. Spreading the infectious joy and lawless freedom of zine creation with her personal brand of enthusiasm, kindness and openness.
We were lucky enough to get a bit of time with Ioana in between workshops, commissioned work and numerous personal projects. Always on the go, always creating, always sharing. Just the way we like it - so let's get into it.
Ioana! Great to spend some time with you - let's get right into it. May you please give us an overview of your professional and creative journey that has brought you here?
For sure! I am a community artist, facilitator, and educator. I use zine-making as a vehicle to bring people together, encourage storytelling, and help others tap into their imagination through self-publishing. I run Artizine, which is both my artistic identity and the platform through which I facilitate workshops.
I’ve been making zines since childhood. In many ways, zine-making is how I stay in dialogue with my inner child and honour my full creative self. They are my chosen art form because they hold space for both introspection and community.
My practice is deeply rooted in reconnecting with that sense of wonder and awe and zines offer both a deeply personal and radically collective space to express that.
My background is in magazine journalism, and it was during my studies in magazine production that I reconnected with zines. After graduating, I pursued a Master’s in Visual Communication and Art, where I discovered my love for facilitation and my passion for community arts, participatory practice, and arts pedagogy. That’s when zine-making became the natural medium through which I brought people into creative spaces.
I started organising workshops, researching how zines function in communities, and eventually founded Artizine. After finishing my MA, I moved to London — and the rest is history. I’m now living my dream, sharing my zine practice with anyone who needs it.
What attracts you to zines and comics as a medium – both artistically and practically?
What first drew me to zines was their immediacy and rawness. There’s something powerful about the return to analogue, a zine can be made on the spot, allowing you to share your story or passions instantly. There’s no gatekeeping. You can speak your truth and distribute it without needing permission.
Can you think back to the first zine you made? What was it about, and how did you feel after making it?
My first zines were fanzines I made as a teenager with my cousin, we created them about Romanian musicians and actors! But the first proper zine I made was during university, in my third year of studying Magazine Journalism, as part of my final major project. It was called Artisan Woman and celebrated women artists and makers from around the world.
I felt incredible making it…it was the first time I got an A in university! I had always struggled academically because I was juggling work and studies, so it felt deeply validating and life-affirming. That’s when I realised: I wanted to keep making zines.
Take us through your workshops – what are they all about, and what can people expect?
My workshops are tender yet radical invitations to slow down, show up for yourself, and explore creativity in a communal space. They’re all about rekindling DIY energy, making space for play, and connecting with others.
Expect to be challenged creatively but also nurtured. I encourage participants to tap into their inner child using playful, tactile materials. My sessions are art-led and highly visual—we often dive into collage, experimental techniques, and creative writing. Every workshop is a mix of guided exploration and joyful improvisation.
Who are zines for?
Absolutely everyone! Zines are for anyone looking for a creative, accessible outlet to express themselves. Whether you’re interested in making your own or diving into the world of alternative publishing, there’s a zine for every niche interest out there. If you like something, even the most obscure thing, chances are there’s a zine about it. How cool is that?
How does one get into making zines?
Great question! Zines have become slightly more visible now compared to when I first discovered them over a decade ago, you can now find them in independent bookshops, gallery shops, and art events.
Many people come to zines out of a desire to return to analogue forms of making, or because they want to tell their story and connect with a community. Zine-making is both a solitary and communal act, it can be deeply personal and powerfully collective at the same time.
Can you talk us through a typical week or month at Artizine?
A typical month revolves around prepping for my regular events: The Artizine Club, which takes place in person at The Art House in Bethnal Green (last Wednesday of the month) and online (last Sunday of the month). That means prepping materials, creating prompts, and setting up the space—whether physical or virtual.
Alongside that, I work freelance, offering workshops and artist-educator support to organisations across London. Every month looks different: sometimes it’s packed with commissions, other times it’s more focused on content and personal practice.
Social media is a big part of my creative life. I use it as a way to share my work and connect with zine lovers and potential collaborators. I also carve out time to make my own zines—usually 2–3 per month. Some are one-off, unpublished pieces, while others are educational and designed to teach zine-making techniques.
What is it about zine and small press culture that excites you?
That you can make a zine about anything and in doing so, you create culture. When you make a zine, you’re holding a tiny universe in your hands. I believe in niche worlds, every one of us lives in our own little universe, and zines allow us to share those beautifully specific realities.
What surprises you most about how people in your workshops approach zine-making?
The materials! Even when we all work with the same resources, each person creates something entirely unique. I love seeing how participants make the format their own. It’s always a joy to witness their ideas unfold.
How can print survive in a digital age – and should it?
Print is surviving—and thriving! While some people may say print is dead, I go to zine fairs and see the richness, beauty, and diversity of printed work. It’s alive and well. There’s still a huge appetite for physical, tangible media, and zines are proof of that.
How can art help us?
Art helps us build a relationship with ourselves. It gives us tools to process life, understand our emotions, and connect with others. It's healing, empowering, and necessary. Zine-making has changed my life, especially since 2020. I use zines as a form of self-archiving: to document feelings, experiences, and thoughts in the moment, and then release them.
This process has helped me process my emotions and develop a language for them. It’s improved every area of my life. And when I make zines with others, they become a tool for connection and belonging. Art, and especially zine-making, has been vital for my mental health.
What does the future hold for Artizine?
Big dreams! I want to grow The Artizine Club, both online and in person. We’ve become the biggest regular zine-making event in the UK (and possibly worldwide!), and I’d love to reach even more people through workshops, collaborations, and events.
I’ve just launched my first online zine shop, so more printed zines will be available to buy and collect. I’m also passionate about bringing zines into schools and universities, I see them as powerful educational tools and hope to work on more academic projects.
Beyond that, I want to keep expanding into community commissions across London and explore new creative directions while staying true to my values.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to create their first zine?
Just start. Sit down and give yourself time, but don’t overthink it. If you need motivation, join a workshop or creative session. But if that’s not accessible to you, grab some paper and scissors and make a simple A5 zine. Start telling a story—any story. It could just be for yourself.
Start small, start big…it doesn’t matter. Just start.
Click the Artizine logo below for listings of Ioan's online and in-person workshops 👇
We're constantly on the look out for new artists, creatives and initiatives to feature in TheNeverZine - so if you are, or know someone who is going their own way and doing their own thing on their own terms and would be a good fit to feature please smash that button below and get in contact. By talking to each other, and sharing our journeys, ideas and insights on creativity, art, mental health and resilience we can all create, share and thrive together. Nice thought that.
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