Alternative Storylines of BecomingDoubt the ScriptRewrite the Days An Archive of Our Own Design
Her Metaphor Lab is an experimental publishing practice constructing counter-narratives of growing. We collect fragments through interviews and fieldwork.
'Her' marks a displacement. A voice that is present, but not centered.
Still Becoming — current issue
Interview excerpt — Still Becoming
"I would never follow a traditional life path, I am nothing like those people. But realistically speaking, a stable job is helpful." — Xiaofeng
Her Metaphor Lab//We reject individual alienation and prescribed endings//Beijing · Research · Resistance//We create spaces for what adulthood might still become//Send a fragment//We see identity as a verb, not a noun//Still Becoming//We trace what it means to live, dream and become//Her Metaphor Lab//We reject individual alienation and prescribed endings//Beijing · Research · Resistance//We create spaces for what adulthood might still become//Send a fragment//We see identity as a verb, not a noun//Still Becoming//We trace what it means to live, dream and become//
Still Becoming — pages archive
Still Becoming — Issue 01 · Introduction
Still Becoming Issue 1 explores identity as an ongoing and unfinished process, particularly within the '90s generation.
The project is grounded in investigative research, including interviews and collected fragments of lived experiences. Rather than forming a unified narrative, these materials are intentionally presented as discontinuous and sometimes contradictory moments.
Through non-linear sequencing, metaphorical imagery, and fragmented conversations, the zine constructs a narrative system where meaning is not fixed but emerges through the reader's navigation.
It aims to create a space for unfinished, resistant, and freely expressed forms of becoming, where identity is not concluded but continuously in flux.
Cover
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Back cover
Still Becoming — Interview fragments
Interview · Audio
Xiaofeng (Freelance photographer) — 01
“At work, I actually spend most of my time feeling anxious and depressed. Physical labor actually gives me the energy to read.”
Interview · Audio
Xiaofeng (Freelance photographer) — 01
At work, I actually spend most of my time feeling anxious and depressed. Physical labor actually gives me the energy to read.
Xiaofeng
Interview · Audio
Xiaofeng (Freelance photographer) — 02
“As long as I'm alive, I'll become who I want to be. It just needs time. ”
Interview · Audio
Xiaofeng (Freelance photographer) — 02
As long as I'm alive, I'll become who I want to be. It just needs time.
Xiaofeng
Interview · Audio
Yael (Freelance designer) — 01
“My confusion started with a normal life or a stable one. I grew up against that… I just knew that I wanted to be different,but I still feel afraid.”
Interview · Audio
Yael (Freelance designer) — 01
My confusion started with a normal life or a stable one. I grew up against that… I just knew that I wanted to be different,but I still feel afraid.
Yael
Interview · Audio
Yael (Freelance designer) — 02
“The word 'cute' — like a curse that follows me everywhere. Now, whenever I hear it, it feels like they are trying to degrade me.”
Interview · Audio
Yael (Freelance designer) — 02
The word 'cute' — like a curse that follows me everywhere. Now, whenever I hear it, it feels like they are trying to degrade me.
Yael
Interview · Audio
Keke (High school teacher) — 01
“I used to feel like I didn't fit in with the world. Society had conditioned me to change myself. I don't know if it is correct.”
Interview · Audio
Keke (High school teacher) — 01
I used to feel like I didn't fit in with the world. Society had conditioned me to change myself. I don't know if it is correct.
Keke
Interview · Audio
Keke (High school teacher) — 02
“When I was a kid, people called me a "bitch" whenever I played with boys. It took me a long time to get over my misogyny.”
Interview · Audio
Keke (High school teacher) — 02
When I was a kid, people called me a "bitch" whenever I played with boys. It took me a long time to get over my misogyny.
Keke
Interview · Audio
Keke (High school teacher) — 03
“My life goal is not to gain my father's approval any more. However, I still want him to be proud of me.”
Interview · Audio
Keke (High school teacher) — 03
My life goal is not to gain my father's approval any more. However, I still want him to be proud of me.
Keke
Interview · Video
Naifu (Former teacher in the UK) — 01
“Uncertainty among adults exists in every culture, though the ways of dealing with it differ.”
Interview · Video
Naifu (Former teacher in the UK) — 01
Uncertainty among adults exists in every culture, though the ways of dealing with it differ.
Naifu
Interview · Video
Naifu (Former teacher in the UK) — 02
“Compared to western society, the urgent need to address growth challenges in our community.”
Interview · Video
Naifu (Former teacher in the UK) — 02
Compared to western society, the urgent need to address growth challenges in our community.
Naifu
Interview · Video
Naifu (Former teacher in the UK) — 03
“The lack of social skills in education and the priority placed on academic achievement.”
Interview · Video
Naifu (Former teacher in the UK) — 03
The lack of social skills in education and the priority placed on academic achievement.
Naifu
Interview · Video
Nanxuan (Somatic therapist) — 01
“ I chose a niche career when feeling lost. ”
Interview · Video
Nanxuan (Somatic therapist) — 01
I chose a niche career when feeling lost.
Nanxuan
Interview · Video
Nanxuan (Somatic therapist) — 02
“Working as a somatic therapist gives me a sense of purpose, but I don’t think it will last too long.”
Interview · Video
Nanxuan (Somatic therapist) — 02
Working as a somatic therapist gives me a sense of purpose, but I don’t think it will last too long.
Nanxuan
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Send a fragment
Still BecomingHer Metaphor Lab
There is no right format or perfect sentence. One line, one memory, one moment — all are welcome. Your fragment will become part of our collective counter-narrative.
You can either contact us directly or write us an anonymous message. All submissions are anonymized by default and handled with care.
