“Never start a sentence with I.” Our former journalism professor said it was selfish. If right off the bat you’re talking about yourself, it immediately excludes the reader and is close-minded. The more selfless we act, the more interesting we are. We kept this in mind when envisioning the kind of publication we wanted to start. 

We started SEALED Magazine because we want to share compelling content across varied mediums that is entertaining, informative and leaves a lasting impact. Inspired by all of the creative people in our lives, we strive to create a space where everybody’s story can be shared. Each month, SEALED will publish under a new editorial theme. For our first issue, we decided to be indulgent and settled on “SELF,” much to our former professor’s displeasure. We wanted people to share a piece of themselves in their writing and art.

What makes you who you are? What makes up your identity? From self-love to selfishness and everything in between, this month is dedicated to identity. In this issue, we have adoption stories, essays on sexuality and great articles including a profile of a 23-year-old leading the Black Lives Matter movement in Chicago. This month, we asked for different interpretations of SELF, and our contributors delivered.

Using this platform, we hope to heed our professor’s advice and act as selfless as possible through our content. To be able to create our own platform is a privilege and we do not take that for granted.  Part of our mission is to tell stories from diverse backgrounds and create a fun atmosphere for contributors and our audience while maintaining journalistic and artistic integrity.

SEALED launched Sept. 1 and it has been incredibly fulfilling to watch it all come together. The support we have received just within the first week has been overwhelming in the best way. This has been a dream of ours for as long as we’ve known each other. 

So, if you would like to get involved, please do not be afraid to send us an email, text or slide into our direct messages. We hope to see this publication grow but it is not possible without our audience and contributors. So go ahead, introduce yourself.

SEALED With a Kiss,

Molly Walsh, Editor-in-Chief, & Erin Dickson, Creative Director