Meet Kathleen Day Gomez of PEPPER Magazine

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kathleen Day Gomez.  

Hi Kathleen, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I can recall as far back as high school, daydreaming about one day working for magazines as an artist, photojournalist, or columnist. Every aspect from design to storytelling fascinated me. I’d create mock-ups for imagined publications (which is how I developed my author pen name, Guy Wednesday). 

I’d embark on a career in art and photography directly after graduation, finding periodical jobs as a photojournalist for local publications in my early to mid-twenties. By the time I turned 30, I got serious about wanting to establish a solid magazine and began making notes and outlines. Juggling motherhood and my creative endeavors left little time to really hone in my ideas. Finally, by 2017 I’d met with other creatives who shared a similar vision and began to formulate a content plan. 

The first version was called Eyedeology and was shelved before going to print. I reached a point where it felt overwhelming trying to birth such an expansive project on my own. The entire idea was archived until the Pandemic hit in 2020. I founded a nonprofit initiative called The Courrier as a test run to gage local vs. international art submission involvement. Finally, by the beginning of 2022 after turning 40, I made the decision to just go for it. 

I began rigorously formatting and structuring my process. By March, we had a name. PEPPER Magazine had officially begun in its pre-launch phase. Now, we’re gearing up for our June issue release with a staff of 11 contributors, submissions from all around the world, and a clear mission: to tell the human story underlying every topic we cover. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Most of the obstacles I’ve encountered have been coupled with learning as I go. Whether it’s formatting issues, building a dependable staff, or marketing, I found the only way to learn is by doing. Once I cast aside my doubts and established for myself an inherent expectation that mistakes are a welcome and healthy part of the process, everything began to come together beautifully. 

As you know, we’re big fans of PEPPER Magazine. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
We are an INCLUSIVE publishing firm. PEPPER is the first international arts • culture • business magazine to be based in San Antonio, Texas. 

We place heavy emphasis upon the underlying human story in every subject we cover. A collection of intimate editorial biographies, rich with creative and documentary imagery. 

So, why did we choose the name “pepper”? 

pep·per 

/ˈpepər/ 

noun: 

1. a pungent, hot-tasting powder prepared from dried and ground peppercorns, commonly used as a spice or condiment to flavor food.

2. “The idea is that we seek to shine a light on the spicy parts of the story. The discomfort of growth, the mistakes that provide lessons, the failure that leads to success, the struggle and all the hard parts that make eventual comfort and triumph so much sweeter.”

verb: 

1. cover or fill with a liberal amount of scattered items.

2. “We cover a wide range of topics and subtopics in the arts, culture, and business. Highlighting individuals from every walk of life and at every age, unknown to the famous, barely starting to the pinnacle of their trade, mom & pops to industry moguls. We place a priority on marginalized communities, various neurotypes, and differently-abled, survivors and responsible activism.”

We are a neurodivergent / woman-owned / passion-driven company. 

Established by author and professional creative K. Day Gomez 

We currently offer an open rolling submission format in all of our key topic areas. Be sure to read our submission guidelines on our website prior to sending them in. 

What’s next?
As the editor in chief, I’ll be placing a strong emphasis on community, sustainability, conscientious businesses, activism, human rights, mental health, inclusion, and facilitating a safe space for open discussion of difficult issues. There is no other publication like what I’m formatting here in San Antonio and its surrounding areas. 

I intend to lean heavily on my experience as a mental health professional just as much as my skill as a photojournalist to curate raw, beautiful, messy, emotional, and uplifting stories from people of all walks and professions. As a female autist with ADHD and being part of the LGBTQ+ community, I intend to highlight marginalized communities and those living with disabilities and varied neurotypes as well. Essentially creating an artful mirror that offers another way to look at each other and build compassion and interest. 

And of course, it won’t be heavy all the time. There will be features exploring local businesses, hip eats, entertainment, and creative hubs. Essentially everything San Antonio is about, as well as arts, music, and performance submissions nationally and globally. 

As of June 1, the magazine will be found online, printed upon order with a digital copy available as well. We plan to have merchandise available in the future with our cover art and other artistic elements in the form of graphic tees, totes, postcards, etc. It’s our goal that a percentage of our proceeds go to different nonprofits, community efforts, and refugee aid around the world as part of our underlying humanitarian mission. 

Contact Info:

• Email: hello.pepper@outlook.com
• Website: https://msha.ke/peppermagazine
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/hello.peppermagazine
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/peppermagazine.satx/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvQZSua6_E9ue3unph5C9kg

Image Credits
K. Day Gomez​
Joe A. Gomez
Angela Michelle
Poet Laureate
Andrea Sanderson
Tina Sena
Michael Cirlos
Becky Witte-Marsh
Caleb Catoe
Michael Avila
Christman
Liaisons Austin
Melanie Allison
Kat Short