Gathered in this zine is the writing and artwork created by participants of DSTL Arts’ Conchas y Café creative writing workshop series for adults. Through poetry and short fi ction, drawings and photo composition, these workshops empower participants as the artists they are, helping them develop new skills in storytelling.

The theme for this Conchas y Café Zine; Volume 3, Issue 1, is The Hero’s Journey. Exploring the development of individuals using the hero archetype, our participants define for themselves what a hero is, how it looks, and how it behaves. Through poetry, short stories, and visual compositions, we discover that heroes are important figures, figures that are always found within.