I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to design the cover for the award winning literary magazine Harbinger! The theme of this 2021 is Brevity. 

Like shooting stars, “Brevity” is a form of fleeting beauty. These shorts prove that brief stories are no less wonderful than long form. Inspired by the beautiful stories within the 2021 issue, I combined my experience with brevity within an image that captured my design, music, and emotional inspiration.

When thinking about brevity, I thought the best example was shooting stars - and my personal love for Howl’s Moving Castle. The stories of this year’s Harbinger possess a magical and dreamlike quality that reminded me of Studio Ghibli. I wanted to draw inspiration from Hayou Miyazaki since he’s been such an influential artist in my life, and in the lives of countless others. I also wanted to incorporate a music trend that resonates with many young creatives. Using the maximalist clutter style of the lofi beats, I was also able to incorporate secrets and references from the stories themselves and even past Harbingers.

I also wanted to appreciate the indoor spaces that have cradled us and kept us safe in this last year. Sometimes to survive we have to romanticize our lives and our surroundings, and I appreciate every space that has fostered story and creativity during this international crisis. Short form stories keep us from dwelling on the loss and heartbreak, keep our minds occupied, and for brevity I am particularly grateful.

“I do believe in the power of story. I believe that stories have an important role to play in the formation of human beings, that they can stimulate, amaze, and inspire their listeners” - Hayao Miyazaki