Wednesday, June 1, 2011

denizen: third culture kids


It's June! The year is flying by at the speed of light and it's exciting. We are preparing ourselves for leaving Manchester at the end of the month, doing some travelling, then going home to Massachusetts for a few weeks, and finally moving to Los Angeles in September. I'm not looking forward to the goodbyes here, England has been a wonderful place to live for three years and the people we've become friends with will be missed...the weather on the other hand, will not be.

I've recently done some illustrations for the online magazine Denizen, which features articles by 'Third Culture Kids', and if you are like me and had never heard that term before, this is how they define it:

Formally defined, TCKs are people who have spent a portion of their formative childhood years (0-18) in a culture different than their parents’. Most TCKs will return to their parents’ home country at some point in their lives, undergoing repatriation. TCKs tend to develop their identities while living abroad, thus blending their “home” culture with the culture of the world around them. People who have attended international schools, who are children of diplomats, “military brats,” or children of missionaries are just a few examples of TCKs.

It's a interesting site full of stories and ideas. My three years in England gives me a sliver of understanding, though I myself and not a TCK. I'm very happy to be a part of it and hope to do more work for them in the future. Editorial illustration is more and more attractive to me because I love making pictures that accompany something, that speak for themselves though also compliment a piece of writing.


ps. Doing another SUNDAY MARKET at Islington Mills this weekend. The last one was great, lots of people, good music, and a relaxed Sunday atmosphere.