As If

Punk Magic and the Art of Self-Invention
A Fiddler’s Green Leaflet by Clint Marsh & Seán Fitzgerald
16 pages, with a copper-foiled cover and four black-and-white illustrations

The Courage to Leap

“Magic wasn't introspective. It didn't have to stay silent and at rest on the printed page, but could stand up and snarl. It could be alive, and it could happen now."

What exactly is it that keeps us from bringing creative magic into our lives? For the ­frustrated artists among us, hearing an astounding song, reading a polished novel, or seeing a spectacular painting can leave us feeling a mixture of appreciation and despair. Blinded by the achievements of others, we lose sight of how to move forward with our own imaginative expression.

Used successfully by punk musicians, independent artists, and other freethinkers, the As-If technique sends us soaring over the wall between our dreams and their realization, providing the courage needed to take on creative tasks of any size, from the completion of a single work of art to the satisfying shaping of one's entire life.

In this inspiring essay, author Clint Marsh recalls his first glimpse of this potent magic, demonstrating the bold trust it takes to cross the thin boundary between consumer and creator and showing us the joy that can come from taking such a leap.

Originally printed in the first issue of Fiddler's Green Peculiar Parish Magazine, Marsh's essay is presented here with new illustrations by artist and fellow zine publisher Seán Fitzgerald.

Clint Marsh uses elements of myth, magic, folklore, and humor to help ­people navigate everyday life. He is the ­editor of Fiddler's Green Peculiar Parish Magazine and a winner of the ­Bookseller/Diagram Prize.

Seán Fitzgerald is an illustrator of Irish mythology, folklore, and magic. He started his first zine, Protest, in 1989, and has been involved in many other zines since, such as Nomad, Profane Existence, and Airmid's Journal.

Originally published in Fiddler’s Green 1