In the endless concrete jungles of Metro Manila, feeling overwhelmed and lost is easy. From towering buildings to the multitudes who live and work here, the individual has little room to really express themselves.
Even on social media, these spaces are becoming increasingly crowded. Algorithms and the focus on popular and trending content frequently drown out the voices of original content and small artists. More than ever, there is a pressing need for a place where these Filipino creators can have their works given the proper attention they deserve.
Fortunately, a new initiative aims to change all of this.
New worlds calling
At the latest “Write Side of Bookshelf” session at the SM Aura Book Nook, publisher Bookshelf PH officially unveiled their new digital magazine Blankscape. The magazine aims to be a safe place where creators can have their works presented and even polished to be the very best they can be.
The magazine is divided into different sections for paintings (Strokes), poetry (Stanzas), prose (Sentences), and photography (Shots), catering to all forms of creative and artistic expression possible.
The name Blankscape, a play on the words “blank space” and “landscape”, represents something more profound. It represents an empty canvas, a world waiting to be given life and color. Through this initiative, the publisher hopes to foster creativity and artistic expression by providing creatives a safe space to develop their craft, one page at a time.
The joys of creation
To celebrate the launch of the new platform, attendees participated in a very special activity. Using provided pencils and paper, they were given ten minutes to express themselves and create works based on the theme, “Escape”. This theme perfectly represents the type of creative expression that Blankscape wishes to cultivate–that anyone can find safety from the constant restraints and overbearing noise of the outside world and the mainstream and be free to develop their ideas.
After the ten minutes were up, several of the participants showcased their works. One of them, for instance, interpreted the theme in the drawing of a child lost in the pages of a book, his imagination taking him to new places and faces never before seen.
Behind the dream
“I can’t draw to save my life,” Monette, one of the co-founders of Bookshelf, jokingly said to the audience. “But even though I can’t draw, I still want to help others who can. Among us, many can write and draw.” Bookshelf PH itself was created to help meet a pressing need she noticed during the pandemic–a lack of books about Filipino businesses and local stories. Over time, the publisher has expanded its reach beyond its original scope.
Now, they wish to do the same for Filipino creatives. They too deserve a place where they can explore and spread their wings in an environment suited perfectly for free and total creative expression–a blankscape.
