Writing about your day is one thing, but drawing about it is quite something else.

Next in the series on graphic journals is Sofia Niazi, who graduated in illustration and is co-founder and editor of OOMK. Drawing on sometimes political, sometimes contentious talking points, her delightful little zines will make you ponder a bit and giggle a lot.

Tell us a bit about yourself

I am a London-dweller and I work as an illustrator and editor from a small studio in Kilburn.

What is your earliest memory of drawing?

My best friend always tells people this story of when we first met, aged 6. We were in class and I was sitting with a group of boys with a colouring pencil in my hand. I asked 'what colour is this pencil?' and she butted in and said 'yellow' and I basically told her that she was wrong and that she should leave. I have absolutely no recollection of this happening.

In 'Internet Stories' you illustrated people's earliest memories of the internet. What is it about this that interests to you?

We talk a lot about first impressions of people, but I think there's a lot to be said about first impressions in general; I feel as though you have an honest clarity about things when you know very little about them, and that your impressions often come around full-circle. I think the way we thought about the internet initially can tell us how we might react to newer technologies. I know a lot of people who didn't like the idea of Facebook at first, and after spending several years on it have returned to the initial mistrust that they started with.

Many of your illustrations were originally published as mini-zines. What do you like about this format?

I didn't know I was making something that could be classed as a 'zine' until after I made my first one; I thought they were just little books with drawings. My friend invited me to a zine fair one day and there I realised that lots of people were making little books and that they were called zines. I like the achievability of zines, and I think the book format is a really great way to work through ideas because it makes you think about narrative, sequence and a beginning, middle and end before you've even put pen to paper.  

Some of your comics have a strong moral or political fibre. How does drawing enable you to express your views?

There's something about drawing which allows you to say what you want but still maintain some distance from it. Whenever I try to express a view through drawing it always forces me to clarify what I want to say, so in some ways drawing enables me to articulate better.

Some people say that anyone can draw - what’s your take on that?

I think a lot of people who say they can't draw consider drawing to be about making an exact copy of something that they see. For me, the process of drawing from observation is about discovery. It involves looking at something and dissecting it so that you can put it back together on paper. 

Also in this series: Brittany Long.