Written by Alexa LoSchiavo. Graphics by Avery Melhado.
Reed McDonald started attending Savannah College of Art and Design in 2021, majoring in sequential arts because they “simply wanted to learn to draw.” Little did they know they’d leave with friendships, active alumni group chats, and a job lined up at an independent literary journal the second they graduated.
They started working as an editorial intern at the independent literary arts journal, Radical Catalyst, which was founded by Megan Kryk and Olivia Berry in late 2024. It was built as a commitment to “challenge the systems that stifle creativity and silence marginalized voices.”
They joined the team when the inaugural issue was still in the early stages of development and began working from the ground up to create guidelines. McDonald came on their first day armed with their newly minted B.F.A. and a strong passion for writing and editorial design.
When they first joined Radical Catalyst, they said they thought they’d move on. At the start, it seemed like a necessary stepping stone after college, but they found the building of this literary journal to be a “beautiful, collaborative environment.” They said, “Everyone had the same brain as me,” so they applied to stay on staff.
Within the year, McDonald became the Creative Director of Radical Catalyst, moving linearly from an editorial intern to a senior editor to the creative director. The journal now has four issues under its belt, providing a platform where radical thought, unapologetic stories, and revolutionary action are uplifted.
As both a writer and sequential artist, McDonald brings a unique perspective to editorial work–especially as it pertains to elevating a piece with imagery. “Writers idolize imagery matching with prose,” they said. “It’s really exciting to provide that to contributors and see [each issue] come to life.” Starting as an editorial intern, they’ve watched the journal change and grow. As the creative director, they now have the opportunity to make decisions for Radical Catalyst, working to match each creative piece with a layout that is cohesive and elevates each work.
With their new leadership position, they must teach interns and other staff members using training sets for design work, going into the mindset of SCAD classroom settings, and lead with examples from their own work. According to McDonald, they like to “take their staff’s interests into account; if they show interest in layout but haven’t done it before, I make sure they get the chance to learn.”
Despite their own artistic style and love for comic books, they found a new passion in editorial work, finding joy in connecting other artists’ work with designs that enhance each piece of writing. They’ve also gained experience in leadership, leading a group that learns how to best design for the journal and how to best communicate.
McDonald says the community they found within SCAD was very important for their experience as an artist now. Their love of writing was spurred through creative writing classes at SCAD, and they got this job, which has become so much of their life, through a friend from SCAD. The connections they made in college have carried into their life today. Currently, McDonald is working on a comic book anthology with some of their past classmates, continuing connections they’ve made in college.
SCAD has instilled in its students an undeniable, fortified enthusiasm for creating. McDonald serves as an example of a graduate who now works within an organization they love, learning and growing within that organization, and contributing to each issue with talent, excitement, and a nuanced perspective.
They describe Radical Catalyst as a journal that looks at art through a social and political lens and how that has allowed them to view art and writing in a different way. On the subject of how artists can join the fight against authoritarianism, they tell me that artists should, “Always be creating because art is inherently political.” They encourage people to submit their work to Radical Catalyst even if they don’t necessarily find it political because everyone’s experience with experiencing art and making art is different.
They’ve been inspired and in awe of many artists that have submitted to Radical Catalyst, particularly Jessica N. Smith’s work featured in Issue Two, themed autonomy, who photographed contortionist Kim Melohn to showcase the strength and dedication of women in fighting for bodily rights. They also felt inspired by a jewelry piece featured in Issue Three by Camellia Soria called “Annexed State,” a wearable art piece about the intersection of immigration and marriage as power dynamics to the State.
Radical Catalyst was formed through two people’s devotion to creative activism and expression through the view that uplifting others’ voices can contribute to the fight against authoritarianism, imperialism, sexism, and every other force that suppresses freedom. It has expanded to include other contributors and staff members, all contributing to the fight for creative freedom and radical change.
Regarding the use of creativity uniquely as helpful against authoritarianism, they explain that creative people are always thinking of “what ifs” and reflecting the world around them. Creating allows readers to open their minds and reflect the world and its imperfections. It is because of this that McDonald began writing down every idea they have, not because they’re all good ideas, but because it lets them recognize the importance of holding space for their creativity. Their love for creating and learning new things has allowed them to work within Radical Catalyst, creating each issue with an open mind.
McDonald is at the forefront of something spectacular, an independent journal focused on uplifting creative voices that fight for freedom and equality. They’re currently accepting submissions for their 5th issue which will be called Issue 2.3: Political Satire.
“I want to hear people’s voices,” they said, with a thrill so palpable it could be heard over the phone. Their excitement for creation and uplifting others’ art is contagious, proving the importance of creativity, because that’s how collective change is made: through a collection of voices, all fighting for change through their art, just like the ones at Radical Catalyst.
Alexa is a junior majoring in Writing and hopes to pursue a career in publishing. Outside of writing for District, she can be found writing almost anything, reading in the park, or performing at an open mic!
