Exactly a year ago we decided to launch The Project Magazine in the belief there was an opportunity for something new in climbing media. We wanted to build a collaborative publication for the creative climbers we knew existed within the community. At a time when publishing is perhaps under more pressure than it has ever been before, we believed a new sustainable model could succeed. When we first hit the 'publish' button last March, we had no idea whether our model would work. It was a leap of faith.

The response we have had since the launch has shown that creativity runs deep in the climbing community. There is something unique about our sport that both attracts those of a creative nature and inspires those who may have not yet discovered their creative side to do so. As Dai Koyamada stated in our interview: 'Climbing is... creative and philosophical. It may appear to be simple but in fact it’s deep practice'. For many, something in that practice can unlock creativity that we never knew existed. That creativity has been central to our content over the past year—whether it be through the photo essays or features from our contributors, our films such as 56° Underground, or the Focus series on creative climbers. 

Our launch may have been a leap of faith but since then it has been a labor of love; we are driven by climbing, the outdoors and creativity. We're a team spaced out across the globe who share a unique belief that in the digital age, collaboration and community can build a better publishing model than the ones that have gone before.

As we set about our second year as a publication we'll continue to highlight and foster the creativity that exists within our community, whilst building out new initiatives that take us on to new platforms and reflect our editorial mission: To inspire creativity, progress, exploration and success. We're excited about the opportunities we have in the pipeline and we will be able to tell you more about them in the coming months. But for now what we can say is that they will be built on that same foundation of collaboration and creativity.

We're always looking for people who share that vision, so if you're a climbing creative and like what we do, then reach out to us at hello@theprojectmagazine.com. Our model is built on collaboration and community—and whether you're a reader or contributor we want to thank you for being a part of that community.