Created in 2023, the first edition of Grow Slow is an 18-page fully handcrafted mini zine. Presented in a 6×6cm folded format with saddle stitch binding, all illustrations are rendered on 200g fiber paper. The entire production process — from hand-painting, trimming to binding — is completed manually, preserving the rustic texture and warmth of handmade works, and was finished during 24 hours. When the sunshine glow in the morning this zine finished, I felt relieved deep down as well.

Born from my introspection through anxiety and self-doubt, the work explores how to coexist with negative emotions and rebuild personal subjectivity. It conveys the gentle ethos of "let it be": the world is inherently inclusive and fault-tolerant, so small mistakes and being different from others are never obstacles to life. Only by reconciling with our emotions and embracing our complete selves can we truly be who we are.

Fully illustrated with watercolors and colored pencils, the whole zine was completed within a single day. This spontaneous creative approach retains the immediacy and vividness of emotional expression, making the work itself a complete practice of self-healing through art.