Fantasy field guide: crafting culture through tactile learning

Abstract

Field guides are a historically significant asset to studying culture, and field guides to fantasy worlds act as a means of better understanding worldbuilding. As a creative writer, worldbuilding is an essential component of my process, and creating a physical field guide to the fantasy kingdom of my novels combines my love of imaginative writing, crafting, and tactile learning. Through the combination of researching other fantasy and mythology field guides, assembling materials into carefully curated pages, and editing my aesthetic design choices, I created the basis for a rich, interactive field guide as a companion to my tribology of novels. The books are targeted toward children and young adult readers, and because these demographics learn well through tactile stimulation, I chose to include a multitude of fold out booklets, textural scraps, envelopes, and fabrics to keep readers engaged with the material. Ultimately, this field guide project not only challenged my abilities as a writer and artist, but also enhanced my own understanding of the world and my learning style.