Dear Hand Papermaking Community,

As Hand Papermaking’s new executive director, I am thrilled to share our seventy-eighth issue with you, guest edited by Tamara Valdez. It has been a joy to see this issue come together, and I feel honored to bring it into your hands.

Each story in this issue invites us into vibrant landscapes and ecosystems, uncovering the deeply rooted traditions and shared knowledge preserved through generations of papermaking. These themes resonate deeply with my journey as an artist working with plant materials, natural dyeing, and fiber art.

I am inspired by the parallels between papermaking and natural dyeing, both crafts grounded in process and tradition. Each step of preparing plant and fiber materials requires careful, process-based labor and often collective effort. Most importantly, both practices—as ancient, enduring arts—honor cultural heritage, preserve ancestral knowledge, and build community. These aspects have become central to my work and life, and each moment spent working with plant materials has strengthened my resilience through recent years marked by both highs and lows, from the pandemic to social and environmental challenges worldwide.

As a recent immigrant, I am grateful to our guest editor Tamara Valdez for weaving together the many voices so thoughtfully in her issue. I especially thank Tamara for including the prologue from Almanaque de los Lenateros (1987) by Taller Leñateros and the reflections of master papermaker Victòria Rabal, each presented in their original language alongside English translations. This choice to honor their voices in their original form preserves the richness and authenticity of every culture and heritage represented here.

Thank you for being part of this journey with us. I am very excited to present you all with this year’s winter issue, to spark inspiration and shared purpose with you all!

With warmth and gratitude,

‍Rosa Chang.

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