Mindful Matter
Q&A with Or Yogev
In June, we partner with Or Yogev, an illustrator living in Kibbutz Dan on the far northern part of Israel. Or, which means “light” in Hebrew, is a hunter gatherer of music and a "wanna be DJ". His Adventure illustration is based on a dream. Or says, “I love how dreams and imagination allow us to experience wild adventures that we never thought possible." For a little more about Or, here's a short Q&A: Where is home for you? Kibbutz Dan, Israel. What is your definition of a successful life? A successful life would be to spread love around me and do good for those who surround me and others the best I can, to do something for the greater good and leave something meaningful in this world. Describe your perfect day. Spending time with friends up north by the river, or just a lazy afternoon on the couch with my girlfriend. How did you get into design? I used to illustrate (ever since I can remember) so being an illustrator when I grew up was a natural continuation. Where do you find inspiration? Pretty much everywhere - music, nature, friends, books, TV. What's your dream design project? I would really like to write and illustrate a children's book or a graphic novel...also, to illustrate the cover of The New Yorker. Which designers or thinkers influence/inspire you? I really like the illustrations of Joohee Yoon, Jon Mcnaught and Eleanor Davis, the cinematography of the Coen brothers, and how Neil deGrasse Tyson talks about the cosmos, how small we are, and that we are all made of stars. What was the inspiration behind this design? I made this illustration based on a man's dream about his late wife who passed away. Though the man looks lonely, she is always around him and with him on his new adventure. How does Adventure play out in your life? I always loved to travel, meet new people and experience different ways of living. It’s been a while since my last big trip and I hope it won’t be too long before my next one. At the moment, what is your favorite… Color: blue Food: red kubba Song: Hailu Mergia - Yefikir Engurguro Quote: “A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.” - Greek Proverb Thanks for sharing with us, Or!
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Digital Minimalism.
"They joined Facebook to stay in touch with friends across the country, and then ended up unable to maintain an uninterrupted conversation with the friend sitting across the table." — Cal Newport, Digital Minimalism I know, you know, we all know — there are better things to do with our time than peruse social media. Despite knowing this, I had to reel myself back from multiple digital distractions while writing this. Pandemic life over the past year certainly hasn’t helped. Reports show that in past months usage of Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and other platforms have increased significantly. So, in light of this knowledge and this month’s theme, Simplicity, I invite you to visit (or revisit) author Cal Newport’s idea of digital minimalism with me. According to Cal, “the cost of social media is not so much what you are doing, but what it is pushing out of your life” — and for many of us, that is high-quality leisure activities and learning how to be alone. While always-available apps and social media have their merits, they also enable a unique form of “low quality distraction”, giving us a ready escape when we might otherwise be processing important problems, gaining insight, or practicing the lost art of simply being. Over time, this leaves us feeling impoverished. Enter Cal’s Three Principles of Digital Minimalism: Clutter is Costly — Which apps are critical and support your values?Cal draws a parallel to how hoarders can point to any single item in their collection and give a reason for why that item needs to stay in their life. The same can be said for our digital lives. Each app is working to dictate how you spend your time. Optimization Matters — How can you make technology support, rather than dictate, your schedule? For example, if you are a member of a community that uses Facebook groups, you can exercise digital minimalism by deciding to not have the app on your phone or only check the group on Sunday and Wednesday nights. Intentionality is Satisfying — What are ways that convenience is getting in the way of your intentions?It’s easy to worry that adopting digital minimalism might lead to temporary inconveniences, like not being 100% up-to-date on the latest news or updates from friends. Cal argues that this is OK because the positive overall value of being intentional and taking back control of your presence far outweighs any marginal benefits gained from sporadic updates. After revisiting digital minimalism, the question I keep returning to is: How can technology support me, rather than dictate my attention? I plan to use this month to identify the apps which are critical to my well-being and remove those that are just convenient. At the end of the month, I may add some non-critical apps back in, but at the very least I’d like to challenge myself to live like a digital minimalist for the rest of May — want to join me? For those joining the Member Gathering on the 20th, we will touch base on how it’s going and share takeaways from our experiences. To a month of less, but better... Mike RadparvarCo-Founder, Holstee & Reflection.app P.S. Digital minimalism is one of many ways we explore the theme of Simplicity with our members. Download our 25-page Digital Simplicity Guide PDF for more concepts, activities, and inspiration on living a simpler yet more meaningful life. Photo by Brad Javernick of Home Oomph
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In sickness and in health.
Two weeks ago, Shilo, our 9-month-old, came down with a fever and a bad cold. At first it was just Shilo not feeling well, then my partner, Jess, and not long after, I picked it up as well. This was Shilo’s first time getting sick and it was hard for us to see him so uncomfortable, especially without knowing exactly what he was going through. We couldn’t tell if he had a headache like Jess, or if he had a sore throat like me. We could only be there for him, tuning in to his needs and doing our best to comfort him. Jess and I took turns resting and caring for Shilo — and each other — over the course of 10 days. It was a challenging time for each of us. Toward the end of the first week, I began thinking about the time we spend caring for each other. A friend (thanks, Fabian :-)) shared a podcast interview with child psychologist Alison Gopnik by journalist Ezra Klein with me. The entire conversation was thought-provoking and a joy to listen to — but one line in particular stuck with me. Gopnik shared the idea that “we don’t care for children because we love them, we love them because we care for them.” Reflecting on my first 9 months of fatherhood, I realized how true this rang for me. When Shilo was first born, I experienced the common-though-rarely-shared sentiment of not immediately feeling a special connection to our newborn. I had a deep sense of responsibility and a desire to care, but not a strong sense of connection — not at that time. But that sense of connection, and a sense of love, grew with time, and with care. As we explore the theme of Compassion this month at Holstee, I also wonder what Gopnik’s words might mean in a broader sense. What if our capacity for loving each other, even those we feel distant from or opposed to, was unlocked by the opportunity to care for one another? To embracing the unexpected paths to love, Dave RadparvarCo-Founder, Holstee & Reflection.app P.S. Speaking of kids… we are preparing to launch our first ever product designed especially for children! Get a sneak peek and sign up to be notified of our discounted early-bird launch → P.P.S. If you want to dive deeper into this month’s theme, our 30-page Digital Compassion Guide includes poetry, philosophy, and a range of activities to help you reflect on the role Compassion plays in your life.
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Q&A with Ana Seixas
In April, we partner with Ana Seixas, an illustrator from Viseu, a small city in the center of Portugal. Ana loves bright colors and bold shapes. Nature, traveling, love and relationships are themes most represented in her personal work. When asked about her art for this month's theme of Compassion, Ana says, “In moments of uncertainty, doubt, fear or pain, I give myself a hug and I hold myself through that moment....I just need to understand that the feeling or reaction is valid, and love is all it needs. For me, that is compassion." For a little more about Ana, here's a short Q&A: Where is home for you? Where my cats are, and at the moment, our home is in Porto, Portugal. What is your definition of a successful life? This is something I’ve been thinking about for a long time, and I’ve come to theconclusion that living a successful life for me is living in peace with myself, dealing with my inner conflicts in a healthy manner and cultivating serenity all the way. Describe your perfect day. Sunshine, nature and a dip in the ocean. How did you get into design? Drawing, for me, is just a normal thing to do, always has been. I believe it wassomething I never doubted I wanted to pursue. I studied Design in Aveiro University, and then, when living in Barcelona I specialized in Illustration. I just kept on drawing, and that is wonderful. Where do you find inspiration? I love to have a coffee on a terrace with my notebook on the table and take notes about things I would like to draw. I’m inspired by what surrounds me. Also, staring at the waves and the trees, surrounding myself with nature, interesting people and deep thoughts. What's your dream design project? I’ve already worked on so many cool projects! But yes, there are still things that I dream about doing, like designing a clothing collection for kids. Which designers or thinkers influence/inspire you? Lisa Congdon and Louise Lockart, I love the way they bring illustration to products and how they spread joy and love through their work. Also, I feel very inspired by Corita Kent’s meaningful life story. What was the inspiration behind this design? This illustration was on my mind for a while, I wanted to share the idea of giving a hug, being there for myself during the hardest times. At the moment, what is your favorite… Color: YellowFood: Grilled vegetables and roasted sweet potatoesSong: "Your hand in mine" by Explosions in the skyQuote: "Flowers grow out of dark moments." Corita Kent Thanks for sharing with us, Ana!
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A holistic approach to Wellness.
According to the The National Wellness Institute, “Wellness is an active process through which people become aware of, and make choices toward, a more successful existence.” I love how this definition acknowledges both the awareness and the proactive effort required. Our holistic health is important, but often we don’t prioritize it until we notice something is seriously wrong. This month’s Digital Wellness Guide includes a self-check across six dimensions: Mind: I am aware of my emotions. I engage in creative and stimulating activities. Body: I am physically active, eat mostly whole foods, and prioritize my sleep. Soul: I feel both a sense of awe and connection to the world around me. Work: I gain personal satisfaction and fulfillment from my responsibilities. Play: I make time for activities that spark joy in me. Love: I nourish and am nourished by the people in my life. Here is peek at how this self-check looks in this month’s Digital Wellness Guide: These wellness dimensions are not something we do or don’t have — they always exist on an ever-changing continuum. By bringing self-awareness to each dimension, you can get closer to feeling whole. We share this practice annually, and encourage you to revisit it as often as you feel called to do so — wellness is not a goal, it's a practice. Wishing you wellness by every measure, Dave RadparvarCo-Founder, Holstee & Reflection.app P.S. Thanks to Holstee’s talented designers, Nicole and Carrie, you can have these six dimensions, as well as many other concepts, in beautiful, bitesize infographics. P.P.S. We believe that this wellness practice is so important that we’ve made it a cornerstone of our Reflection.app. Every month, in your Monthly Review, you are prompted to reflect on each dimension — with the app automatically surfacing your journal entries tagged by dimension. Reflection.app and these built-in Monthly Reviews are free, and you can access the app on web, iOS and Android.
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Q&A with Maggie Chiang
In March, we partner with Northern California illustrator, Maggie Chiang. Some of Maggie's hobbies include gaming, gardening, and taking care of her fresh water aquarium full of shrimp and fish. Maggie's art for our theme of Wellness "...represents, a snippet of daily life, an appreciation for the little things." Maggie says, "Taking breaks, watering my plants, doing yoga and creating art all help my physical and mental wellness. I think it’s important to do things that make you happy." For a little more about Maggie, here's a short Q&A: Where is home for you? California. What is your definition of a successful life? Living a happy comfortable life, with good friends and a healthy family. Describe your perfect day. A beautiful sunny day with a light breeze, and going out for a cup of tea at a relaxing cafe. How did you get into design? I’ve always loved drawing as a kid, and decided in high school to pursue my hobby as a career. Where do you find inspiration? Inspiration comes from everywhere. It could come from a conversation, something that I see while driving, or a past memory. What's your dream design project? I have thought about this question for a long time, and I don’t really have an answer, but I will say that I have been very fortunate, and super grateful, for the career that I’ve had so far. All the projects I’ve done, I never thought I’d get the opportunity to do so. Which designers or thinkers influence/inspire you? As cheesy as this may sound, my friends really inspire me. Seeing the work theycreate and the drive that they have is really inspiring. I recommend checking them out! There’s Leonard Santamaria, Lisa Kogawa, Sally Deng, Alycea Tinoyan, Lina Yu, Aj Dungo, Amy Matsushita-Beal. What was the inspiration behind this design? Like many people, I love indoor plants and yoga! So, I drew this piece in celebration for those things, an appreciation of the little things in life. At the moment, what is your favorite… Color: Light Indigo Food: Fries Song: The Weeknd - In Your Eyes Remix feat. Doja Cat Quote: Don’t think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it’s good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art. - Andy Warhol Thanks for sharing with us, Maggie!
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