Five years. Half a decade.
The latter phrase, somehow, sounds like it symbolises how a whole age has come and gone, and yet the passing of time flits through my mind not in months or years or milestones, but in how many of our writers and creators have grown; in their excitement over working on certain pieces, in their happiness at being able to do something creatively that they’d never been able to do before, in all the tiny moments that bring a bit of joy to someone’s journey.
With so many, many moments to recollect, how can I sufficiently reflect on the past five years?
The world has changed so much, even in that short time, and there were moments when I thought that for this little letter I might celebrate &ASIAN’s various eras of development, or the amazing awards and nominations that had us lying on the floor in disbelief, or perhaps look back through our various front covers, and the amazing artists and clients our team could once only have dreamed of working with.
Yet anything like that feels, at best, insufficient and, at worst, stupidly self-indulgent.
I suppose that’s because, really, when I look back on the past five years, all I keep thinking about is how proud I am of the amazing people – from our contributors, to our regular writers, to our staff, to you, our readers – who have made &ASIAN what it is.
When I wonder what &ASIAN means, the only thing that appears in my mind’s eye are these people, from all over the world, and how brilliant they are at what they do. And how &ASIAN has, somehow and rather improbably, become somewhere they have found a place to land.
They’re always looking forward. Always doing their very best. Doing their utmost to meet one another with goodwill, and with as good a heart as one can offer.
So I guess all I can say is thank you. To everyone.
I’m so very grateful to the many people who gave us (and still continue to give us) a chance, and to the many people who believe that, in the landscape today – when it sometimes feels as though noise is rewarded above all else – there is still a place for earnest, heartfelt work, made by people who deeply love what they do and hope that what they create adds something to the lives of the people who encounter it.
We’ve always been quiet and gentle (as is reflected in much of our lovely, earnest team), and despite this, thank you for still hearing us.
Thank you for reading. Thank you for enjoying our work. Thank you to our amazing team, past and present, who made all of this possible.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Here’s to many more years.
As always, we carry on.
– &ASIAN’s Editor In Chief