Katie Zhao

Starting a cover is the most difficult part. I'm staring at a blank canvas, sheet of printer paper, or the back of my bio notes with a pencil in my hand. How do I convey this Spotlight in a single image? It can't be too simplistic, and it definitely can't be complicated for the viewers to understand. Boiling down an entire story into an easily recognizable image is only the start of the weeks-long refining process, in which many copies of a single idea are made, discarded, recycled, and finally, appear on the glossy cover of an Arlingtonian.