Stories - Magazine

Ben and I had been married for 50 years. They arranged a big surprise during the wedding party. Old photos, personal stories, congratulations, but also background stories about the origins of our family. We discovered that evening that our brothers, sisters, children and grandchildren had made a magazine. Later it hit us even more how special this was. Not only for us. Also for the other family members and the next generation. The grandchildren will remember what blossomed from their grandparents' marriage. I still cherish the magazine and browse through it regularly with a sense of gratitude.
-Trix

As a strategist, speaker and coach, I believe that the key to a successful project is the collaborative relationship. The magazine I made is an ideal reflection of the quality of my services. The master classes, the Kickstart sessions and the Collaboration Boosters. For me, successful collaboration is a formula for success and the reason why I can do my work with great passion. I am a natural connector and I am happy that I can reach my target group in a personalised way through the medium of the magazine. And in a wonderful way that fills me with pride.

• Mirjam

In October, I joined the KWIK Events team and started working on the client magazine. I already had experience with storytelling from my studies. I also had a passion for 'the story behind the company'. The relations from the events industry all sent their personal stories. By doing it by email, and not by interview, I was able to get the essence out of their story, instead of creating my own idea.
Want to see the end result? Click on this link to browse through the client magazine.

• Fréderike

I am a French teacher at Rhizo Lyceum in Kortrijk. For seven years now, the students - aged about 17 - have been making a magazine in the makerspace of Jilster to show how they master the French language. The students form real editorial teams of about seven editors, with everyone getting his or her own role. Someone does the interviews, another is chief editor, and yet another does the design. They discover how important they are to each other in order to create a magazine of significance. As they present their magazine to family and friends in a press conference at the end, it really does matter.

• Mathilde

We (STARS@ZANZIBAR) have set up a training programme in Zanzibar, with themes such as pollution, water, deforestation and climate change. It is about the problems, but also about: what can we do? We learn to find practical alternatives that do not harm the environment. In daily life and in work, we also support sustainable small start-ups. This way, we work together on sustainability: for the future and income of today.

• Annie

I have been writing for a year and a half and have a steady circle of readers, whom I email the link to a new blog each week. My own readers circle in particular is interested in the bundled version of de Parels. The best page? Every choice shortchanges another page. But fair’s fair, the middle page did turn out to be a very appealing one. The photo depicts my Text studio, where the doors open and the letters dance towards you in the light behind the doors. The texts that I have included on these two pages in a variety of fonts are from the 26 columns that appear elsewhere in the magazine.

• Erica

Most students find it boring to write an essay. However, writing an essay in a self made magazine is much more exciting. This way of teaching - making a magazine - allowed me to put in a lot of assignments in the area of writing skills. During the class I explained what an essay is, what an advertorial must meet and the students got writing plans. Using that information, they got to work. A new, appealing way to work on writing for students.

• Miranda

I have known Marriët for four years now. She is my best friend. We've had a lot to put up with, but with each other's support, we always knew how to pull through. Marriët is currently busy with her graduation, which is taking her quite a lot of effort. With a self-made magazine, I want to give her a shot in the arm. Marriët: At first I thought Priya was carrying an LP under her arm when she came in. She had wrapped the present so crazily. When I unwrapped the gift, I couldn't help but shed a tear.

• Priya

As a goodbye to Tilburg and as a memory of our fine and beautiful home, I created this journal. Completely inspired by the magazine 'Eigen Huis & Interieur'. I was the photographer, copywriter and creator of the magazine. As I was working on it, new ideas for original pages kept coming up. I had great fun creating the texts because I took inspiration from professional magazines. A lot of those texts also applied directly to my magazine.

• Esther

Two weeks ago I came up with the idea to give Arie a self made magazine. Immediately after my study, I started working at Dienst Huisvesting and in those nine years I got married, I moved, got two children, got my driver’s license and finished my master’s degree. So you could say that I kind of grew up led by Arie. There have been times when I have walked into his office stomping my feet or completely in tears. With Arie, I then came to calm down again. The best I think is Arie’s reaction to the magazine. He was speechless. That doesn’t happen that often.

• Imke

The Zuyd students are working 9 weeks on the magazine in the months May - June. After six weeks it’s finished and an acquisition conversation follows in which the student uses the magazine to position themselves. This conversation ensures that they know very well what they have to offer. Here they show their knowledge and skills, before they start their internship in the third year. The students really appreciate it to make something of their own. I would like to tell other schools, try to innovate in your test format. The making of a magazine is a fun, personal and qualitative way to test.

• Matthias

Melissa and I have had the best time together. One of our most beautiful moments was when we found out we were both expecting our first child at the same time. Last year we both got married and we were bridesmaids at each other’s wedding. How precious and the cherry on top of our friendship. Together with other friends of Melissa, we started making a book. Giving the magazine was beautiful and an emotional moment. It is very nice to have your memories together on paper and look at them with each other whilst enjoying a glass of wine.

• Renate

My daughter has always been hard to surprise. As a child she always guessed what the presents were. Almost as if she could see through the wrapping paper. Michelle dropped a few hints that she was having trouble turning thirty. I thought, I have to do something about it. I asked her friends, family and colleagues to write a piece of text and to send me a photo. It is very fun to see how others see and know your daughter. The result was amazing and Michelle was very surprised. She had to put the magazine down, otherwise she would have finished it during her party.

• Brigitte

In less than ten minutes, we had come up with a page full of topics that had to appear in the magazine. We laughed our heads off at all the anecdotes that came to light. In addition to the personal stories from Grandma's family and friends, we filled the magazine with 'coupons', a 'horoscopes page' and an article about art. My grandmother read and looked at the magazine with tears. I think she has read it about 75 times now.

• Lisanne

My mother was a real Amsterdam city girl. In the sixties, she worked as a seamstress at the Gerzon fashion house, which was known as a luxury ladies' fashion shop in The Hague. In the time that she was pregnant with me, she also did some big fashion shows abroad. In 1962, she married my father in the Sions church in Amsterdam where she appeared at the altar in a fantastic dress. In the meantime, my father passed away a number of years ago. My mother and I have always been very close, but the loss of my father brought us even closer together.

• Elles

The reactions were very positive. My mother reacted with emotion to all the personal stories and photos over the years. I am very grateful that I was able to do this for her and also to do it together with my daughter. When I started this magazine a few months ago, I did not expect to find so many memories. For example, my mother lived through the severe hunger winter of 1944 and the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963. Shocking events that today are described as world history.

• A loving daughter

Laisser-faire. The pupils were given the freedom to create the magazine. The execution was more or less left to their own devices. It was asked immediately after the assignment was explained, but the pupils were not given a mark for making a French page for the magazine. The aim was to be active in the French language. Therefore, I did not pay attention to language mistakes. Otherwise the assignment would have been different. The pupils are so clever at it, they get straight to work.

I am convinced that making a magazine is a teaching approach that is interesting for several subjects. When they were ready, I put the magazines in the staff room. Colleagues were immediately enthusiastic about them. This creative way of teaching is very nice. I don't hope all my colleagues will do this too, because then I have to invent something new ;) On the open day we had the magazines displayed. Parents didn't even realise that the students had made them themselves. They think it is, for instance, teaching material. Next year, there will be a note: 'Made by pupils'.

• The Teacher

The pupils were given about six weeks to work on the Golden Age project. We explained to the pupils that we are going to do this step by step and that we have a few weeks to do it. And by keeping your own planning schedule in the booklet, things will work themselves out. The result is our own Golden Age magazine. There are such great ideas in education. By working on the magazine at home, the pupils didn't feel like doing homework. It was just fun.

• Mirjam

I am a student at the Colour & Style course. I made a magazine that serves as my final project. The result is a colourful magazine that gives an impression of my education. Soon I will open my own company 'Manon L'Eco', where I provide women with personal style advice. I am going to further develop the magazine with my own photos, so that I can use it in my own business later on. I received many positive reactions and some people even asked if they could buy the magazine.

• Manon

A teaching booklet with the most important stories about Jesus, as found in the Bible, was the guideline for making a glossy. This booklet was used in the religion lesson. In a number of lessons we dealt with the contents. The second year havo and gymnasium students studied the different stories about Jesus and made assignments about them from the textbook. The assignment was that about half of the glossy should consist of pictures. The students themselves looked for the pictures to go with the stories.

• Richtje

Maaike is like a granddaughter to me. We have a special bond and speak to each other regularly. So I really enjoyed working with her on our family project. Besides the texts we received, we also wrote a few ourselves, such as an article with beauty tips on 'growing old beautifully' and 'fifty wisdoms of turning 50'. In order to make the surprise as big as possible - the birthday boys and girls know Jilster - we packed the magazine in a big box with a box of tissues for the emotion.

• Mieke

My mother was very happy and touched. She had not seen it coming at all. She laughed out loud at some of the photos, but I could also tell that she was moved by the gesture. I read things that I did not know about my mother. I also enjoyed working together in this way and letting my mother know that she is very dear to us.

• Elseline

I am very proud of the final result. The 'Sophie' has become a very personal magazine. Every word and letter has a meaning. Of course, I am not a professional designer or writer. But I think that is what made the difference. The design was not strictly professional, which made the emotion stand out. So I am very proud of the result.

• Aurelie

Making a magazine is fun because you really make a product, not just a paper report. You have to think about the layout. It has to be fun to read. That is why we, the teacher training colleges of Nature, Mathematics and Chemistry of the University of Arnhem and Nijmegen (HAN), have started to record company internships in a magazine. During this pilot, the students get to know various companies in the region and have to compile their findings and experiences in the self-made magazine.

• Hans

Farewell Jitters. I e-mail the teacher of my eighth grade class, Tim van der Knaap, about my 'top secret' plan. He thinks that a personal glossy as a farewell gift is a great idea. He thinks it would make the moment of saying goodbye unforgettable for all of us. For now, but certainly for later. Master Tim refers me to the parents' council. Off to the parents' council. There I explain my idea.... the rest became history....

• Marlies

It is the beginning of April. Without any curious eighth-graders around, the three glossy mothers meet in secret. Amidst a pile of different farewell magazines, they discuss how they are going to approach things. All kinds of ideas are discussed. Karen picks up last year's magazine for inspiration. It was made for her eldest, who left school then. Will this year's glossy be a colourful collection, a magazine like a friends' book or a 'growth of a class' magazine?

• Teacher Joke

With this magazine we wanted to put Corry, the engine of OT, in the spotlight, because she has been committed to OT from the beginning. OT stands for Orthostatic Tremor, a rare neurological disorder that causes tremors in the leg muscles when standing still. To thank her, she received a self-made magazine on behalf of all members of the OT patient group during the first anniversary of the annual meeting day.

• Gineke

When I heard that we were going to make a magazine, I thought 'wow'. I've wanted to do that since I was little. It was great to come up with the ideas and make it all by myself. It's very cool to have your own magazine now. I think it is the best project we have done at school so far. I wanted a magazine just like the one in the shops, with a hard cover and a glossy front. I had researched what it costs to advertise in a real magazine. I gave a copy to all the companies that sponsored me. Now my magazine is at a number of companies in Emmeloord.

• Delina