Malaysian students create online magazine to celebrate art and writing

(From left) Philip Dominic, Jeevessh Thiresh, Nor Adila Aisha, Aditya, Cedric Siew and Mukatdeep Singh are among The Doodler’s editorial team members. Photos: Aditya Navin

A group of students from a private school in Setia Alam, Selangor has published two issues of an online magazine to share their views on art and engage in cultural discussions.

Titled The Doodler, the 63-page magazine is managed by 10 students aged 13 and 14. The first issue was published in January, followed by the second in June.

Founded last year by Aditya Navin, 13, the magazine aims to celebrate the creativity of budding young writers from the school and shine the spotlight on artists across Malaysia and Asia.

Aditya, who serves as The Doodler’s editor-in-chief, says art and writing have been his greatest passions.

Aditya (right) and editorial member Damien Chong share a passion for expressing themselves through writing.

“The Doodler was a way to bring both together on one creative platform. Once I connected with friends who shared the same vision, we brought it to life and launched our first issue in January,” said Aditya in an email interview recently.

In an age where many kids prefer spending time on social media, it’s refreshing to see students channel their energy into something meaningful – creating a platform for budding writers to share their thoughts on art.

“While I love watching YouTube videos and listening to podcasts, I think they move too fast. A magazine gives readers the chance to slow down and reflect.”

Aditya’s goal is to give young artists a platform to express themselves, find inspiration, explore bold ideas, and spark meaningful conversations through art and writing.

“Art is often seen as a side hobby, not something with depth. “But we believe young creatives have powerful things to say, and they deserve a space to say them – in our case, an online space.

“Through The Doodler, we want to build a community where every form of creativity, be it a doodle or a mural, is seen as valuable. We’re here to show that young artists do have something important to say, and to support them with features and collaborations,” says Aditya, adding that The Doodler is for people of all age groups.

The Year Nine student further explained how the name of the magazine came about.

“Everyone’s probably doodled at some point – those small, unfiltered sketches.

“The Doodler is built on that spirit of raw creativity. If you create, express, or experiment, you’re part of our audience.”

Philip (left) and Jeevessh hope to build a community where every form of creativity is valued.

The theme for the first issue was Art is Life, which focused on celebrating how art is a constant, living part of who we are.

The second issue, titled You are an Artist, encourages readers to embrace their identity as artists – whether professional or hobbyist.

The second issue features interviews with Johnny Defeo (United States) and Naomi Yuki (Japan), along with contributions from the student writers on topics like modern art and culture, art and activism, the psychology of art, and pop culture as inspiration.

The topics may seem deep for teens, but Aditya believes there’s no age limit to thoughtful ideas.

“Teens can think about serious things – we just aren’t often given the space,” says Aditya, the eldest of three siblings.

“For our next issue, we plan to focus more on art and mental health issues – something everyone faces, be it burnout, anxiety or depression.

“Art has always been a way to express feelings and find solace, in the way art helps us to overcome these negative feelings.”

The Doodler embraces raw creativity as the starting point for thoughtful expression. Photo: 123rf

The magazine is publicly available and free to read. There are plans to switch to a subscription-based model in future.

While there’s still room for improvement – particularly in diversifying content beyond opinion pieces – credit must be given to these students for launching an online magazine at such a young age.

Balancing school and publishing a magazine is no easy feat, but Aditya manages his time well.

“I make sure to take breaks to recharge and focus on my studies, and issue temporary breaks during our exam periods. I passively work on The Doodler on weekdays, but otherwise work primarily on weekends.

“Despite the challenges that I face as a student, I am still grateful I have an incredible team who completes their tasks to the highest of their ability. I also have a supportive family.”

Running the magazine taught Aditya that a good leader understands how everyone works differently and gives them tasks according to their strengths.

“I’ve learned that as a leader, it’s about listening, understanding their strengths, and assigning tasks that suit them,” he says.