On the cover: Grimanesa Amorós photo by Kate Edwards for A Womenʼs Thing, Hair & Makeup by Lyndsey Ariel Caudilla.
What does it mean to be an adult and still believe in magic? For us, magic stands for something that has the ability to remove us from our everyday lives. This could be waking up to a silent snow, the world unexpectedly caked in white. Or it could be more utilitarian, like lucking out on your morning commute, each train, each transfer, arriving just seconds after you step onto the platform. Most importantly, it’s about rising above the forces that tell us to stay in our place, not to stand out, lest we be hunted down and burned on the stake of our differences. In this issue we celebrate those differences: black girl magic, older woman magic, and just plain witchy magic.
For cover artist Grimanesa Amorós, magic comes from working with the miracle of technology: Her large-scale installations using LED lighting inspire wonder in anyone who sees them, in the gallery or on the street. Read our discussion with her on page 03. Yayoi Kusama’s ever-Instagrammable work delves into the magic, light and dark, that can occur within our own minds. Get a peek inside hers on page 70.
In the face of adversity, we’re always stunned by the magic that can happen when women come together to make something new: a business, a movement, a magazine. We invite you to get together with the inspiring women in your life and join our conversation. Visit our shop to get an AWT Magic Issue Share Pack, and use it as a way to voice your frustrations and fears, wishes and goals. From the fascinating desktops of the women who study and predict trends (page 86), to the perilous work of female deminers in Nagorno-Karabakh (page 29), to the strange account of the hysteric girls of LeRoy, New York (page 08), we think you’ll find many stories to inspire discussion. Rants, tangents, and incantations welcomed and encouraged.
Friends, it’s time to come up with our own magical thinking: one that lets us recreate ourselves at any moment, at any age, according to any vision, big or small. Let’s own our powers.
Order your Magic Issue Share Pack (2, 4, 9, or 20 copies) and gather friends, colleagues, and thoughtful women in your life. ORDER SHARE PACK
Read the article on A Women’s Thing’s website: click here Download the article.