The Greatest Time of My Life: A Retrospective on Imaginary Gardens

By Draven Copeland, Managing Editor

Having been a part of Imaginary Gardens’ return to prominence over the last four semesters, I’ve seen amazing writers, cartoonists, photographers, videographers, social media managers, and editors come and go. I’ve seen new members coming into the newsroom, and watched them grow from nervous, potentially interested writers into the best editors, social media interns, and staff writers the journal has seen. I’ve made and maintained some of the best friendships of my life in the journal and I’m always happy to see the community of the newsroom continue to grow together towards our common goal of creating a collection of substantial work that students can enjoy every week.

Now that I’m graduating from Pellissippi State Community College – again – the time has finally come for me to say goodbye to my favorite job I’ve ever had and the amazing coworkers I’ve been grateful to call my friends. My time with Imaginary Gardens has felt both very long and very short – having seen it grow from only a conceptual goal shared between Faculty Mentor Heather Schroeder and I into a sustainable group effort of 30+ people every week has been a pleasure to witness, and I feel like we’ve come a long way in a short period of time. At the same time, the experience has been like a short dream that I’ve woken up from far too soon, as it’s hard for me to imagine watching the production continue from the outside next semester and onward.

Because the last year has been very hard for me in my personal life, juggling the passing of a few close friends and multiple family members, in addition to falling out of relationships with people I’ve known most of my life, this last semester has felt like a fever dream of grief and joy. Publishing my first novella, NOSTU, with the journal and consistently writing two or more stories every week, as well as continuing to help our new writers and managers succeed – with special shout outs to Rebecka Jones’ Dimension of Abnormality novella and Emma Harrison’s leadership of the journal in my stead – these have been some of the proudest moments in my life, even among all of the hardship. 

I truly see this journal continuing to find greater success every semester moving forward, just as it has for the last four. Only two years ago, Imaginary Gardens didn’t exist, and now we’ve published over 400 unique stories without a week going by without a new edition. It’s been lots and lots of hard work that I know will continue with just as much love, care, and veracity as it moves onward.

I’d like to personally thank our Faculty Mentor Heather Schroeder, who pulled me out of “college retirement” and gave me an opportunity to build my portfolio, both in works published and experience gained. I’ve learned more on this job about management, public speaking, overcoming hesitancy, and self-confidence than any other job I’ve had, as I’ve always had total freedom here and, therefore, total responsibility for success or failure. 

As IG has found nothing but great success, I have never felt like it was mine alone; everything we’ve ever done has been a group effort from everyone in the journal buying into the concept of diverse content and the ability to create something for everyone. I’ve learned so much about a great many things from the people writing about their interests – far more than I ever learned in a classroom.

I can personally attest to the journal’s quality, not only in terms of entertainment but as a source of inspiration and learning. Learning not necessarily about content, but about the people around us on campus and the extremely diverse experiences and interests anyone can bring to the editors. 

Like anyone moving on from one experience to the next, I hate to leave behind the community and the work that I’ve loved so much. One thing I learned from my film class this year (shout out Professor Lloyd) is the fact that progress is a series of changes for the better. Staying stagnant is the quickest way to failure – it’s a “you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take” type of thing. 

Therefore, although I’m still figuring out what my next step will be from here, I know there will be one, and that it will be easier and more informed because of the work I’ve put forward into the world here at Imaginary Gardens. 

Thank you to everyone who believed in me and my naïve vision that anyone can publish anything they want if they’re willing to work at it. Thank you to everyone whose hard work, both on and (especially) off the clock, that has made IG into the powerhouse of student journalism that it is today. Most importantly, thank you to everyone who has read our work. It’s cliché as hell, but creative work like ours really can’t be done without the fans.

Next time I stop by the newsroom, as a visitor instead of a member, I hope to see even more people than I remembered, so don’t miss a chance to join the incredible work happening every week on campus. I know for certain that, if you’re willing to work at it and support IG’s vision, there will always be a place for you.

Thank you.