Mindful Matter
Q&A with Miles Tewson
In Feb, we welcome back Miles Tewson, an illustrator living in Brighton, UK. Miles is interested in capturing moments in time, using only a few colors in his artwork to achieve a sense of atmosphere and place. For his Kinship illustration, Miles says, “This design is all about human connection and the feeling of being close, which I feel are the most important aspects of Kinship." For a little more about Miles, here's a short Q&A: Where is home for you? Brighton, UK. What is your definition of a successful life? Contentment. Describe your perfect day. Waking up nice and early as the sun rises to take the dog for a walk. After, I’d head up to my little studio to draw throughout the day and then head out to see some friends in the evening. How did you get into design? I’ve been drawing pretty much throughout my whole life. I wouldn’t say there was necessarily anything that got me into design; it was just something that I’ve always gravitated towards and been interested in. Where do you find inspiration? I get asked this a lot and I wish I had a more cohesive answer, but I get inspiration from literally anywhere and everywhere, I’m just always on the lookout for little things that I think could work as a design. What's your dream design project? I’d love to be commissioned to make some huge screen prints with a company. I haven’t been able to screen print in awhile, so I’m super keen to get back into it again. Which designers or thinkers influence/inspire you? With Instagram and Pinterest, I’m finding so many different amazing artists everyday. Some artists I’m really into at the moment are: Ellen Von Wiegand, Ness Lee, Jon McNaught and I’m always looking at David Hockney’s work. What was the inspiration behind this design? This design was inspired by the theme of togetherness and connection. How does Kinship play out in your life? Day to day I never try to take kinship for granted, daily interactions with people I care about is something to be very thankful for. At the moment, what is your favorite… Color: OrangeFood: PizzaSong: Yefkir Engurguro - Haliu Mergia Thanks again for sharing with us, Miles!
The difference between a goal and an intention.
“Unlike your goal, which will be accomplished sometime in the future, your intention is a state of being that can start the moment you decide to make it happen." The new year offers a natural moment to set some goals and intentions. "Are goals and intentions the same thing?" If you aren’t sure, you’re not alone; it’s one of the most common questions we get this time of year. What’s the difference between a goal and an intention? A goal describes what you want to do in the future. It focuses on external accomplishments and is something you can clearly check off a list: “Go rock climbing” or “Learn to make tiramisu.” An intention describes how you want to feel. Its focus is internal – on your relationship with yourself. Your intention could be to feel joyful or peaceful. Unlike your goal, which will be accomplished sometime in the future, your intention is a state of being that can start the moment you decide to make it happen. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Holstee (@holstee) Identifying my intention was a fuzzy process for me until I found a hack to get me there. I’d like to share it with you. Here’s my intention-setting method: Step 1: Think of a big goal that you’d like to accomplish this year. Step 2: Imagine you have just crushed this goal. Knocked it out of the park. You’ve crossed the finish line — how do you feel? Step 3: Allow the feeling that comes to mind to be your intention. My intention is to be / feel ______. Bonus step: Turn your intention into an affirmation, and test it out as your mantra for the remainder of the month. I am [insert your intention]. We walked through these steps in our recent Member Gathering, and it was fascinating to see how the process lead each purpose to a different word. If you give it a try, share your intention or affirmation here, I’ve just added mine there as well. Mike RadparvarCo-Founder, Holstee & Reflection.app
Q&A with David Vanadia
This month we partner with illustrator David Vanadia. David is a french artist and illustrator. Through a minimalist style, and the use of techniques such as engraving, paper cut and digital, he offers a singular work with strong graphic identity and illustrations that like to make sense. David says, "This artwork connects to the theme of reflection because closed eyes express both the meditative state of the posture, but also the introspective journey that can result from it. The contact of the body and the water can create a feeling of reflexological plenitude where positive thoughts relating to relaxation and enjoyment of the present moment can arise." For a little more about David, here's a short Q&A: Where is home for you? I live by the Mediterranean Sea, in Marseille, France. What is your definition of a successful life? I don't know if I will be able to define what a successful life can be. This would amount to saying that we could also define what can be a life considered as failed. I cannot define a life with such generic concepts. I believe that a life is made up of a set of experiences from which we can learn to guide us on a path of our own. Our own way of life. Describe your perfect day. The one where I would be in the present moment with every passing second. How did you get into design? I don't know if I got into design on purpose. It came to me naturally. I have always liked to express myself through drawing, I am fascinated by this universal mode of communication, there is this something mystical, even primitive, which makes it possible to transcend thought. Where do you find inspiration? Much of my inspiration comes from philosophical sphere. I like to translate concepts of thoughts into images. Besides, I often use the term of visual metaphor to describe my work. I am also very inspired by antique Mediterranean art and more particularly Egyptian pictorial art. Finally, organic vegetal, floral and mineral forms also have a great influence on my work. What's your dream design project? All those projects that will manage to generate emotion in others. Which designers or thinkers influence/inspire you? Thinkers : Lao Tseu, Confucius, Sénèque, Marc Aurèle, Spinoza, Jean-Paul Sartre,Simone De Beauvoir, Eckart Tolle.Designers and artists : Henri Matisse, Georges Braque, Miro, Le Corbusier, DieterRams, Geoff McFetridge, Malika Favre, Severin Millet, Andreas Samuelsson. What was the inspiration behind this design? The regenerating calm of a sea bath is the general feeling that I wanted to express in this work. Water is a fascinating element that is inseparable from the origin of all life. It has its unique power to purify body and soul, in many civilizations it is associated with spiritual and religious rituals. It is a feeling of inner peace that emerges for me when I evoke the original deep relationship of humans to water. How does Reflection play out in your life? Reflection is omnipresent in my life. First, this theme occupies a preponderant place in my artistic practice. I always conceptualize my designs in my head before drawing them. My artistic approach is thus more thoughtful than spontaneous. On the other hand, reflection is also present on a daily basis in my personal life. I impose great discipline on myself in the organization of my thoughts. Taking control of your thoughts is one way of applying self-discovery in a conscious way. I therefore closely associate reflection with introspection and being. At the moment, what is your favorite… Color: I can't isolate just one, I would rather say a midnight blue and ecru combination.Food: SpicySong: BirdsongQuote: Less is more Thanks for sharing with us, David!
Five Principles for Grateful Living
“Grateful living is fundamentally grounded in the invitation to see life itself as a gift: an unexpected gift that you did not need to do anything to earn or deserve, but is coming to you — wrapped in a wide range of packaging. In every moment that you are alive, this life has been given to you.” — Kristi Nelson, author of Wake Up Grateful If you are receiving this email, you understand both the importance of making gratitude an active part of your life and how hard it can be to do this consistently. Something I find helpful in my own gratitude practice are the Five Guiding Principles inspired by gratefulness.org founder Brother David Steindl-Rast. Here is how Kristi Nelson, executive director of gratefulness.org, describes these principles in her book Wake Up Grateful: 1. Life Is a Gift “Grateful living is fundamentally grounded in the invitation to see life itself as a gift: an unexpected gift that you did not need to do anything to earn or deserve, but is coming to you — wrapped in a wide range of packaging. In every moment that you are alive, this life has been given to you.” 2. Everything Is Surprise “When you regard life as an unexpected gift and one you are lucky to have renewed itself each day, it can shift your experience of expectation. You can behold life with the openness of experiencing things as if for the very first, or the very last, time.” 3. The Ordinary Is Extraordinary “One of the most accessible and direct pathways to a sense of abundance ... is to savor and celebrate the ordinary. How can you experience the generosity of your life more vividly and more consistently?” 4. Appreciation Is Generative “Appreciation brings about a shift from passively to actively engaging with life. We recognize that we have choices when it comes to orienting our attention.” 5. Love Is Transformative “Love lives deeply rooted within each of us, protected from the comings and goings of people and circumstances. It simply exists as a force within us and around us... Whenever we nurture and tend the things we value, that is love in action.” What I love about these principles is how each one gets to the root of living gratefully, and how succinctly they pull together the foundations of grateful living. At Holstee, we have been fans of the gratefulness.org team for a long time — they speak with their hearts and minds to values we firmly believe in. This past year, we’ve been working closely with them to bring the power of gratefulness more within reach through our latest collaboration: Gratitude Cards. They are still in development, but you can get a sneak peek at them here! More than any other virtue, gratitude has profoundly shifted my perspective and outlook the past few years. I'm thrilled to have been able to work with gratefulness.org on this new tool. I can’t wait for you to experience it. Grateful for you, Mike Radparvar Co-Founder, Holstee & Reflection.app
A tool for navigating tough transitions.
Just yesterday, I was talking to a friend about how quickly the last year has passed, and how each year seems to go by just a bit faster than the year before. The past two years have felt like a particularly unique chapter — one filled with beautiful moments as well as challenging ones, all blurred together by the hazy filter of COVID. Many of my friends and family have experienced big transitions in the last two years. Some began relationships, others ended them. Some took on extra side jobs while others opted for early retirement. We became closer to some people and further from others. Many lost loved ones, while others birthed new life. A period of transition is precious — and potentially powerful. By opening new doors and closing others, transitions offer us the opportunity to reconsider how our lives might unfold. A challenge is that we don’t always realize that we are in a period of transition until we have the time, distance, and perspective to look back and see how our understanding of ourselves and the world has changed. We created the Reflect & Reset Journal to help you approach periods of transition from a place of curiosity and growth. Reflect & Reset asks you to commit to 14 days of daily journaling guided by prompts that lead you through an exploration of your past, present, and future and help get you closer to your authentic self. Each question carefully builds upon the previous one, helping you foster a deeper sense of gratitude and gain a fresh perspective on transitions. The Reflect & Reset Journal is, in many ways, a culmination of our 12+ years of work at Holstee. We could not be prouder to finally share it with you. Thanks to the hundreds of you that have already pre-ordered the Reflect & Reset Journal. We are grateful to you for believing in us and our work. Wishing you clarity, perspective, and growth, Dave RadparvarCo-Founder, Holstee & Reflection.app
Q&A with Daren Thomas Magee
This month we welcome back California-based illustrator Daren Thomas Magee. In regards to Intention, Daren says, "I rarely intend to do much of anything. I think my intuition plays a large role in what I do. If I think about it too much, I get in my head, and nothing gets done." For a little more about Daren, here's a short Q&A! Where is home for you? Ojai, California. What is your definition of a successful life? A clear mind. Describe your perfect day. A long run. A hot coffee. A few hours creating. Quality time with family. How did you get into design? I was fed up with boring, unfulfilling 9 to 5’s so I started putting all my energy into creating until it turned into a job without the 9 to 5! Where do you find inspiration? All around me. It's hard not to be inspired by existence. What's your dream design project? A billboard! Which designers or thinkers influence/inspire you? Terrence McKenna and his willingness to explore the depths of his conscience has been an inspiration to me for a long time. What was the inspiration behind this design? Present is the most important thing in order to have a happy life. There is no past or future. There is only now. At the moment, what is your favorite… Color: beige Food: oatmeal Song: ‘Apana’ - East Forest Quote: “You don't look out there for God, something in the sky, you look in you.” -Alan Watts
Our newest product — for (and from!) young and curious minds.
Two years ago, during a family trip, my then-8-year-old niece, Shireen, came across the deck of Holstee Reflection Cards I had packed with me. She started reading some of the questions for family members to answer: "What message would you put on a billboard for thousands of people to see every day?" then "What in your life are you most excited about right now?" Shireen was immediately captivated by the answers — ideas and stories from people close to her that she had never heard before — and she enjoyed sharing her own as well. For the rest of the trip — in the car, in between meals, even during meals — she’d pull a card from the deck, read a prompt, and engage whoever was near.A photo of Shireen during that family retreat! I gave Shireen’s mother (my sister) an extra deck of Reflection Cards to take home with her. The cards became Shireen's favorite activity to do with her fellow fourth graders! But some time later, on a FaceTime call, she told me, “I use these with my friends, but some of the questions just don’t work for us! Like ‘What would I tell myself 10 years ago?’ I wasn't even alive then!” Fair enough :-), we hadn’t designed the cards with the expectation that kids under age 10 would be using them. Months after the trip, Shireen hadn’t forgotten about the problem she’d found with the cards, and now pressed Dave and me: “When are you going to make Reflection Cards for us kids?!”She was not alone in her request. By this point, we had heard from many of you in the Holstee community asking for more tools for younger minds. It hadn’t been on our roadmap, but then again some of our favorite Holstee projects have come from following unexpected paths. With Shireens encouragement, we decided to embrace this one.We began by asking every kid we knew about the best questions to ask other kids. We also asked their parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, teachers, and older siblings...until we had a mega-list of fun and engaging kid-oriented questions.To be certain that every question spoke the language of today’s kids, we sought out leaders in the mindful-parenting movement: Hannah and Kelty of Upbringing.co. With their guidance, we narrowed down the list of questions and tweaked the language until each one was pitch-perfect for young and curious minds. Hannah and Kelty of Upbringing.co. Now, a year-and-a-half later, we’re proud to present the most fun product we’ve ever made: Holstee Reflection Cards for Kids, made especially for Shireen :-) — and everyone else age 6 and up! Looking forward to hearing the stories these decks spark with the young and curious minds in your life! Mike Radparvar Co-Founder, Holstee & Reflection.app P.S. For those who have been following Holstee since the early days, Shireen may look familiar! As a one year old, Shireen was one of Holstee first models showcasing our Holstee Bib. It's incredible to think today she is helping guide our product roadmap — time flies :-) Here is an old screenshot of the Holstee shop with Shireen rocking the Bib those many year ago:
Q&A with Lienke Raben
This month we partner with illustrator Lienke Raben, who is based in Amsterdam. Lienke likes to focus on murals (she has a mural company called Wallnuts), hand-lettering, and character illustration. She enjoys working with a bright and limited color palette. Lienk says of this month's theme, "Integrity is an important value to me. I can be a bit slow with my thoughts and my feelings, but that is often because I want to figure out, first, what something means to me and how I feel about it, before sharing it with the world." For a little more about Lienke, here's a short Q&A: Where is home for you? My own apartment in Amsterdam. I like to be home and make my place cozy. And it feels even more like home now that my girlfriend moved in with me. :) What is your definition of a successful life? I dream about traveling and doing mural projects abroad. But, in the end, it’s just about doing the things that you like and spending time with the people you love. That’s success for me. Describe your perfect day. Sleep in, brunch with croissants or pancakes (or both, even better), and after that it doesn’t really matter, because after a great start like this, it can only be a nice and chill day. Maybe go for a walk in nature, go to a museum, play games or just watch a series. How did you get into design? I’ve just always liked drawing. I joined every coloring contest as a little kid and I was always doodling. When I was a bit older, I started to like advertising and did a project about the history of advertising for a dutch chocolate brand in school. I thought I wanted to work for an advertising agency. Right now though, I’m more interested in communication and explaining then really selling. I love the design thinking methods, and to be part of a bigger project, working with a team. Rightnow, I’m combining this with being a freelance illustrator and mural artist. Where do you find inspiration? Color combinations, shapes and patterns - this can be in nature, clothes, interior, graphic design, etc. And, just waiting for inspiration never works for me. I just have to sit down and start and accept that it doesn’t always have to be nice and result in anything. Sometimes a doodle, even an older one, can give me inspiration to make a new drawing. Also, traveling (doesn’t necessarily need to be far away!) gives me a lot of inspiration. I always keep a travel diary with little drawings and writings. I hope to be able to travel again soon. What's your dream design project? I actually just worked on my dream project that has been on my wishlist for quite a while. Designing a beer label! I worked together with Queers & Beers and hope to do more for them in the future. Another dream design project would be designing the identity for a music festival. Which designers or thinkers influence/inspire you? I’m inspired by a lot of people I follow on Instagram. Here are a few that I love: Hedof, Malika Favre, Sebastian Curi, Tom Haugomat, Xaviera Altena, Lisa Congdon, Hey Studio, Rafael Mayani, Carolina Buzio, Maria Medem and, of course, my Wallnuts buddy Esther (Vonik). What was the inspiration behind this design? Funny enough, I made this illustration as a doodle on the word ‘Build’ for Inktober 2019. I like the simple shapes and patterns. And, I also like drawing hands. But, I actually think it works way better with the word ‘Balance’. How does Integrity play out in your life? Integrity is an important value to me. I can be a bit slow with my thoughts and my feelings, but that is often because I want to figure out, first, what something means to me and how I feel about it, before sharing it with the world. I find integrity a beautiful character trait in other people too. I think it’s brave if someone dares to be vulnerable, while the opposite is maybe often expected from the world around you. At the moment, what is your favorite… Color: Cobalt blueFood: RamenSong: Stonefield - Sleep (Stonefield is actually the last concert I’ve been to, when it was still possible, right before corona!) Thanks for sharing with us, Lienke!
Q&A with Cami Zea
This month we partner with illustrator Cami Zea, who can be found anywhere along the West Coast of the USA. Cami is an artist, writer, and feelings feeler expressing herself through digital lettering. She says, "It takes true resilience to show up to this life- present, eyes ahead, taking it all in with your feet firmly planted. Not rushing what surfaces by the day- when circumstances are a chopping wave can you keep yourself in place and wait?” For a little more about Cami, here's a short Q&A: Where is home for you? Anywhere along the West Coast of the United States. What is your definition of a successful life? A life that was lived with great curiosity and commitment to staying present. I go to bed feeling the most successful when I am really awake within my day. I tasted my coffee, I looked into someone's eyes, I soaked in my surroundings and listened with my whole self. A life I paid great attention to is one of great success. Describe your perfect day. On my perfect day, I wake up with curls that are working for me and zero trace of a grumpy attitude. Somewhere along the way I get to see a lot of dogs. I have slow coffee, and write for hours. Every single word is inspiring!! It ends with dinner around a table of people I love. There is wine and, if I'm being honest, I probably cooked the meal and every bite was delicious! People couldn't stop talking about how buttery the mashed potatoes were. We drink many bottles and talk until we are tired. I go to bed so full of life and love and carbs. How did you get into design? I've always been a creatively driven person. I took art all of high school and my teacher (I love you, Sherry Windham!) discovered that I had great handwriting. She asked me to design all of our prom posters from freshman to senior year- but I didn't know at the time that it could be a substantial career path. Where do you find inspiration? A connecting conversation almost always draws something beautiful out. Tall trees. Books with great characters. Music. What's your dream design project? I would love to write a book full of hand drawn lettering quotes and longer form thoughts. Which designers or thinkers influence/inspire you? Alex Elle and Glennon Doyle provide deep soul stirring thoughts. I've been leaning toward art with a lot of texture and motion lately, so the work of Lolly Lolly Ceramics and Caroline Kaufman textiles have really pulled me in. My favorite lettering artists/illustrators of the moment are Lisa Congdon and Laci Jordan. What was the inspiration behind this design? My thoughts were swimming in the process of grief when I sat down and wrote this. It's so human to be put off to pain. Who wants to feel it? My instincts want to shut off to it, but we must feel it through to heal. We are worth the grit and guts it takes to heal. How does Resilience play out in your life? I wouldn't be where I was today if I didn't learn how to sit with what was difficult and heavy. Allowing myself to experience the gift of thriving after trauma and grief has required great resilience and tenacity. It has been the gift that cost a hefty price, but has also given me an artistic voice and led me back to myself year after year. At the moment, what is your favorite… Color: Black + Crisp red alwaysFood: Canelle et Vanille's banana breadSong: Eyes Are Red- Deep Sea Diver Quote: "To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work."- Mary Oliver Thanks for sharing with us, Cami!
