Work in Progress with Zoë Thompson
Chatting work, change and hope this week is Zoë Thompson. Based in London, Zoë is a zine-maker and facilitator, bringing the joy of zine-making to brands and people through workshops, content and editorial design. She champions the power of zine culture as a radical tool of expression and designs workshops centred around embodied play; facilitating warm, joyful and accessible spaces for collective making. Zoë is also the founder of sweet-thang zine, a community platform publishing work by Black creatives worldwide.
Sweet Thang Zine by Zoë Thompson
What are you working on right now?
At the time of writing, I’m currently in a small town in the middle of Portugal for an artist residency! After receiving the Arts Council’s DYCP grant last year, I’ve been on a journey to rediscover myself as an artist, and this residency is a culmination of a project that involved artistic courses, mentoring and coaching. My practice is zine-making and book arts, so I’ve been experimenting with bookbinding, making zines and finding ways to incorporate my poetry and writing into both. It’s been a very fruitful experience so far. I’m learning a lot about patience and resisting perfectionism.
Alongside this, I’ve got a wholesome summer ahead with my print zine and community press, sweet-thang zine. We’re hosting a few events and have an upcoming collaboration with the British Film Institute! My role as the founder of sweet-thang involves pretty much all the “boring” business-y things, but also stuff I really enjoy, like commissioning artists and creative ideation!
If you could change one thing about the world of work right now, what would it be, and why?
Honestly, salaries. I’m a firm believer that salaries in the creative industry need to be higher, especially in London. It’s disheartening still seeing junior or even entry-level jobs with salaries that don’t match the cost of living in the city, by a dramatic amount.
Spending 70% of your paycheck on rent should not be a thing!
What’s giving you hope right now?
I love this question. Art has been giving me hope recently.
I went to loads of art exhibitions in 2025, both across the UK and internationally, and I felt more inspired than ever to make art but also recognise the interconnected desires, hopes and struggles of artists globally.
Controversial, but even seeing Banksy’s latest sculpture in London the day it mysteriously popped up in town felt very powerful - I’m inspired and hopeful about the undeniable power of art and how it can be used to generate conversation but also act as a portal for reimagining new worlds.
Work in progress is a celebration of the effort and mindset required to make real change exist.
The most important jobs are never done and great work happens somewhere in the messy middle, where its all too easy to give up. But optimism is a pragmatic choice we make daily, so if you’re navigating change and want a thinking partner along the way, explore how we work.