Do YOU want to make a map of your own, but not quite sure “how”?

No worries. First rule of map making: There are no rights and wrongs of map making. Is there something special you know, care or think about? Good, then it belongs on a map.

Not sure how to get those wheels turning? Here are some examples:

You are encouraged to map out sites that are significant to you as someone who lives, works and plays in this city. You can map out sites of past or current political struggles, lost histories, cultural spaces, environmental devastation, personal histories, real estate speculation, social movements of the past, places of formal/informal education, sites of gang violence, where to get the best coffee, places where tourists do not go, the periphery of the city, proposals for alternative uses of public space, distribution of wealth, histories of subcultures, a map about Aunt Mildred, anything. You are encouraged to combine, intersect, contrast, flip upside down themes or topics of your maps. You are encouraged to map out personal histories and points of interests as well as what else they relate to, why are these points important, and to whom are they important to?

Here are some more questions to ask yourself to get the map making juices flowing:

• What kinds of organizations do I belong to?
• What kinds of social spaces do I pass through?
• Where do I live, work and play and what makes these places different, interesting or special in some way?
• What kinds of things do I have a specialized knowledge about or interest of?

Okay! Now get out there and make an awesome map here

And when you’ve completed your very own, very special map, send it back here:

AREA Chicago

PO Box 476971

Chicago, IL 60647

Completed your map but don’t know where to drop it off? Here is a list of map drop spots around Chicago:

Quimby’s Book Store
1854 North
Wicker Park

The Boring Store
1331 North Milwaukee Ave.
Wicker Park

Wolfbait and B Girls
3131 W. Logan Blvd
Logan Squaure

The Map Room
1949 N Hoyne
Bucktown

Women and Children First
5233 N Clark
Andersonville

Backstory Cafe
6100 S Blackstone
Woodlawn

Southwest Youth Collaborative
6400 S Kedzie
Chicago Lawn/Marquette Park

AREA Chicago
2129 N Rockwell
Logan Square
or mail your maps to:

AREA Chicago
PO Box 476971
Chicago IL 60647