What is a Pink Slip?

“We’re Pink Slip, a grassroots group of women, non-binary individuals, and men from Elgin…With creative backgrounds spanning music, photography, writing, art, film, and local DIY venue owners, we bring you the diverse culture that we experience every day .” This quote is from the group’s latest publication “Sanctuary.”

Pink Slip is an artist’s outlet to share remotely anything, anywhere from zines that share scientific facts to “How To’s,” along with a safe and loving environment for all members and attendees curated into one thing. If you are looking for a place where you can dress up or down, meet new creatives like yourself to watch live performances, and make your own zine; this is the event for you. The Pink Slip Zine opening, where people come together to share their personal style of art—whatever it may be, and a close look into the beauty that is diversity.

You may be wondering, what is a “zine?” A zine, according to Pink Slip, is “…a noncommercial, self-produced print publication. They are devoted to specialized and often unconventional subject matter.” The zines are created and printed into smaller copies circulated around to be shared. Some of the miniature zines featured at the August 2023 show were a miniature “How to Change a Flat Tire,” a miniature “Post Brain” zine that consisted of the critical areas of the brain with their functions, and lastly, Pink Slips issue 004: Sanctuary zine. Within this issue, there are drawings, comics, poems, short stories, and photographs.

The ”Sanctuary” release party was in Elgin on August 12. How does an annual event this eccentric get put together? There must be hundreds of creative people in the area that want to be a part of this magic. Pink Slip explains the crew to address the curiosity: “For our release shows, we actually curate all of the featured artists and performers. However, most of them have been featured in issues of Pink Slip or are local to the Elgin scene.”

As for all the members that put the openings and zine issues together, Pink Slip says, “there have been a few members of Pink Slip who have been around since the start, but we have collaborated with around fifteen creatives over the past two years. Planning the release show usually takes around four people.”

While the event was initially created by Skylar Moore, they have a whole team to thank for making it happen, including Natalie Stellato, the other talented editor- in-chief.

“Pink Slip was created by coeditor-in-chief Skylar Moore, but we as a collective have celebrated local zine culture through events since 2021,” said Stellato. “Pink Slip exists to provide space for marginalized creatives in print, and our events are an extension of that culture.”

You would think this organized and interactive event would be several years running, however, Pink Slips editor-in-chiefs, Moore and Natalie Stellato, explained that there was no show for the first issue in January 2022 due to COVID, but the first release show was in August of that year.

These beautiful minds that come together to share their artistic abilities are not just for show, according to the Pink Slip team: “Hosting events in Elgin is always magical and rewarding, but our main intention is to uplift local voices who might not otherwise be represented in print.” In the latest issue of Pink Slip, “Sanctuary,” a common theme within the poetry printed in it and interpretive dances performed are LGBTQ+ voices, encouraging acceptance and real-life struggles and experiences. A few others to note were love, both romantically and platonically, and family—the struggles, the appreciation.

The people involved, anywhere from the creators to the guests, were there to be inclusive and creative, welcome everyone into their world, give life to artists’ ideas, and establish a safe, loving, and comfortable experience for everyone. Pink Slip is raw, it is real, there is a purpose, a meaning; it is a sanctuary.

A final word from the Pink Slip team; “When we’re not hosting release shows, you can catch us vending at local shows and making zines with friends. Come say hi and ask us how to make your own zine!”

A snippet from Sanctuary, Issue 004:

“On beautiful Days,” by Emily Baughman

“You are a little thing, an earthling

Rust eating away at the paint, oxidizing and Weakening edges

Leaving weathered reminders you’ve lived.”

For more information find Pink Slip on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok: @Pinkslipzine