Mindful Matter
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
Learn more
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
Learn more
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:
Learn more
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!
Learn more
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!
Learn more
Q&A with Maartje Louwers
This month we welcome back artist Maartje Louwers, who is based in the Netherlands. She is a nurse, in her 20's, who enjoys illustrating art. Maartje is a frontline worker during the COVID19 crisis and says illustrating is her time to put her mind to rest. Maartje's design was created out of love and passion. She says, "Passion is like a flower. If you take care of it, it lets your heart bloom and you will flourish with it. Do what you love, love what you do.” For a little more about Maartje, here's a short Q&A: Where is home for you? My home is in the Netherlands. What is your definition of a successful life? Being happy and having the people you love close around you. Describe your perfect day. A perfect day for me includes hanging with my two cats and my boyfriend, having a nice lunch with friends, (taking COVID19 precautions of course) and preparing a home cooked meal and inviting my family members. How did you get into design? I always enjoyed drawing. A few years back I started to do it on a daily basis and improved. I found that sharing it with others gave me joy as well. Where do you find inspiration? Mostly in nature, like the waves of the ocean. As a nurse, I also like to add some anatomy to my illustrations. What's your dream design project? One day, I really would like to publish my own children's picture book. Which designers or thinkers influence/inspire you? I don’t have a specific influencer in mind, but I follow a lot of great artists on Instagram for inspiration and they all have their own unique style. What was the inspiration behind this design? I actually drew this as a Valentine's card for my boyfriend. I thought it would be nice to give this instead of real flowers. How does Passion play out in your life? When I was younger I did feel like I had to choose between two career paths. One of them was nursing and the other was being an artist. I found out along the way I can practice both of these passions at the same time. I am still trying to find a balance between these two. At the moment, what is your favorite… Color: Forest Green and Sunflower YellowFood: SushiSong: This is so hard. My favorite artists are: White Lies, De Staat, Lorde, Mumford & Sons, and I listen to Elvis as well. Thanks for sharing with us, Maartje!
Learn more
Creativity Pledge
Maria Popova’s online publication, Brain Pickings, is a masterpiece. Her writing is so skillful, you would never guess that English is not her first language. In fact, her writing is so important that it’s been added to the Library of Congress’s permanent digital archive of culturally valuable materials. Still, the success of Brain Pickings and Maria’s mastery as a writer did not happen overnight. She has been publishing to her site daily since 2006, when it began as “a plain-text email to seven friends” that she wrote during college. When we see, read, or otherwise experience a masterpiece, what we often don’t think about are the countless years of practice and failed iterations that came before. Remarkable creators like Maria find a way to show up and do the work every day. They manage to let go of any self-limiting beliefs and suspend the fear of judgment while creating. “The site grew as I grew—an unfolding record of my intellectual, creative, and spiritual development,” Maria says. Masterpieces are not made by superhumans, but by mortals who have maintained a consistent commitment to their craft while permitting themselves the time and the mental space needed to create. Doing this is not easy, of course, but it is a requisite for the creation of outstanding original work. After years of researching the topic of creativity, our team found it necessary to regularly recommit to our creative selves. To help, we wrote this Creativity Pledge (also included in this month’s Creativity Guide for members) to print and hang right where our most important work gets done. We invite you to do the same. You can download the (free and printer-friendly!) Creativity Pledge PDF or view on instagram. Here’s to embracing your inner creative! Mike RadparvarCo-Founder, Holstee & Reflection.app P.S. This pledge is a work in progress, one which we plan to update each year. If you feel something is missing from this pledge, please let us know so we can consider it for the next update!
Learn more
Q&A with Calvin Sprague
In July, we partner with illustrator Calvin Sprague. Calvin is a California-born, Texas-raised American, living and loving life in The Netherlands. For his Creativity illustration, Calvin says, “The pencil is the visual starting point of creativity for me. While ideas are floating around in my head, it is not until I put a pencil onto paper that the visual concepts will start to come to fruition." For a little more about Calvin, here's a short Q&A: Where is home for you? Texas. What is your definition of a successful life? To me, being successful is the opportunity to keep growing and learning. Working for yourself in the field of illustration has its challenges and, therefore, gives me plenty of moments to reflect and continue to keep improving my craft—failure coincides with success. How did you get into design? At the age of 13, when I started playing music with my brother, I began to learn and appreciate the visual side of music. It was innocent at first, designing flyers, posters, and cd covers. However, once I figured out that music and design are mutually coherent, the rest was history. Where do you find inspiration? Inspiration can spring up anywhere. I often find outlets from small things like cycling and taking in my surroundings, listening to music, watching movies, or hearing other people's stories. However, all creatives do experience some form of designer's block. When I have designer's block, it sometimes takes a day or two of just doing nothing to let my mind recharge. What's your dream design project? A dream design project of mine would be to develop sculptures or toys inspired by my personal work. What was the inspiration behind this design? Influenced by the Art Deco aesthetic and stain glass patterns, this was manifested by combining the two. How does Creativity play out in your life? It is a part of my life in almost everything I do! From experiencing a new culture to illustrating a detailed scene, creativity gives me energy in anything I do. At the moment, what is your favorite… Color: RedFood: TacosSong: Love by Ben Lukas Boysen Thanks for sharing with us, Calvin!
Learn more
Between the waves and the sun.
"It is in our nature to explore, to reach out into the unknown. The only true failure would be not to explore at all." — Ernest Shackleton In a story from Greek mythology, master craftsman Daedalus and his son, Icarus, are being held captive on the island of Crete. To escape, Daedalus makes them both a set of wings made of feathers and wax. Before taking off, Daedalus warns Icarus to avoid flying too low, so that the seawater doesn't ruin his wings, and avoid flying too high, so the sun's heat doesn’t melt the wax. Icarus famously ignores Daedalus’s instructions and flies so high that the wax in his wings begins to melt, causing him to fall into the sea and drown. This is the source of the idiom “Don't fly too close to the sun.” Seth Godin, author of the The Icarus Deception makes a strong case for how Daedalus’s instructions to avoid flying too close to the sun (hubris) is the lesson from the myth that has been popularized over the ages and that this happened at the expense of the companion advice of not flying too low (complacency). In today’s terms we might call this idea of flying too low “staying in our comfort zone” —a desire to avoid danger and feel safe. In reality, there is also a layer nestled perfectly between our comfort and danger zones: the growth zone. The Comfort Zone is stress-free and comes with a relatively low risk-to-reward ratio. While you may not be challenged or grow in this zone, it offers you space to feel grounded and make sense of things. The Growth Zone is just outside your comfort zone. It brings some challenges and stress. These require heightened attention, but they are nothing your best self can’t handle. The Danger Zone is beyond your growth zone. Here learning is minimal because the gap between your ability and the challenge is just too wide. At best, this zone is discouraging. At worst, it’s a true threat to your safety Each new experience in the growth zone makes your comfort zone a little bit bigger. According to Godin, many of us have “built our comfort zone around being obedient and invisible, and as a result, we’re far too close to the waves.” In your life right now, what would it look like to step into growth? (Journal your response in Reflection.app → ) Mike Radparvar Co-Founder, Holstee & Reflection.app P.S. Dive deeper into this concept, along with many other approaches to the theme of Adventure in this month’s Digital Adventure Guide PDF for Members!
Learn more
