November 17, 2021(Wednesday, Rising: 7:50am)
I was contacting a bunch of new potential stockists and drafting e-mails to upcoming contributors for Issue 3. Exciting stuff!
I also finished and shipped a new version of our Mediakit to a potential collaborator 👀
It's autumn in Berlin 🍂 and I'm battling with finishing my taxes... to the help comes my favorite set at the moment:
Yung Singh at Boiler Room London. Damn!
Related article:
Dance music collective Daytimers: ‘Brownness isn’t a hype – it’s who we are’
“Steal a minute here and there during the day and just sit and be quiet. Breathe in for five seconds, hold your breath for five seconds and breathe out for five seconds. Do that four times and get on with your day.” Jaco Marais
Present Hours: 5,5
November 12 – November 16, 2021
Friday afternoon I sent out PRESENT
Newsletter #7.
On Sunday we went to Berghain for the first time since the reopening to dance away all remaining stress and tensions...
The last months have been a pretty wild ride, to say the least. I've rarely worked on bigger client projects in my life, while putting my last drops of energy and time into bringing PRESENT
Issue 2 to life. It’s been pretty challenging and crazy intense, but ultimately rewarding — I have learned more than ever.
Finding from
All About Love, a book I'm currently reading:
“It is possible to speak with our heart directly. Most ancient cultures know this. We can actually converse with our heart as if it were a good friend. In modern life we have become so busy with our daily affairs and thoughts that we have lost this essential art of taking time to converse with our heart.” (Jack Kornfield)
October 12 – November 11, 2021
I spend a few days in a row almost exclusively with preparing PRESENT packages and ship them around the world, which felt great. Thank you to all readers and also our
stockists to have faith in us. Some packages were delivered in person, e.g. to
MagCulture, when we were visiting London, and of course to the Berlin stores.
These days I'm trying to take things a bit slower. More reflection on how and why I do the things I do and where to go next. What I do know: Building things and making PRESENT, having all of you in mind, gives me energy and hope. And I can't wait to show you what we have cooking for the future 👀
I started working on PRESENT Issue 3. I've made a first overview of my
dream contributors and drafted a rough first page plan. There are so many ideas and people we want to work with...
We've published new pictures from our
release party, and Issue 2
in the wild!
RIP
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, discoverer of
Flow.
Cool related article:
How Flow Saved a Chef: A Renowned New York Restaurateur on Using Flow to Run His Business, Make Decisions, and Guide His Life.
October 11, 2021
(Monday, Rising: 9:00am)
Spend most of the day cleaning up all my notes and sketches from the last days and cleaning my place and planning next steps and doing my taxes...this kind of Monday :)
In the afternoon I had a chat with Sofiane Delloue who is working on fascinating stuff – that was fun and interesting!
Continued working on the next Newsletter, I'm only managing baby steps for this one...but really want to ship this soon.
From Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman:
“Piver points out that it can be surprisingly radical and discomfiting, for many of us, to ask how we’d enjoy spending our time. But at the very least, you shouldn’t rule out the possibility that the answer to that question is an indication of how you might use your time best.”
Present Hours: 4,5
October 09, 2021
(Saturday, Rising: 11:00am)
Arrived in Berlin and headed straight to the studio opening of my friend Violaine Toth, where I met Sarah <3 We had a great night as I was battling my slight hangover with good wine...
“What others will mainly remember is our presence in their lives rather than the work we did.” (Hugh Macka)
October 08, 2021(Friday, Rising: 9:30am)
Thankful for this week in London. Can't believe how much I love this city and wondering why I haven't been for so long...I'll be back soon :)
In the night we had a nice dinner with Basti & Alexa and the Yukiko's (Michelle and Johannes) who where visiting from Berlin. Good times!
Recommendation: I recently made a
life audit, which is an exercise in self-reflection and basically a spring-cleaning for the soul that helps you
clear the cobwebs of noisy, external goals and current distractions, and revisit or uncover the real themes and core values that drive and inspire you. October 07, 2021(Thursday, Rising: 9:10am)
The whole morning I just felt a deep sence of gratefulness that we managed to put out Present Issue 2. I'm proud we took this journey — and completed it. Now I feel my motivation to plan and tackle new adventures is coming back!
I met-up with my former NYC roomie Ari Sawyers, which was amazing! It was so good seeing him again. Very lovely and smart man. Good talking. He is building a new company called
Aerial and it's fascinating.
In the afternoon I went to the
Barcican and was blown away. So good! Amazing building, great vibe, endless interesting things to discover ...got espresso and a beer and checked out the
Isamu Noguchi exhibition. Afterwards I thought: Finally an exhibition that was truly inspiring. Haven't had this feeling in a while. This made me happy.
In the night I went to
The Spurstowe Arms pub again. Met my friend Toeni and Sang (Woo Kim) and Anton there. Great energy all around!
October 06, 2021
(Wednesday, Rising: 9:00am)
Woke up a little groggy and restless.. Probably should eat more fresh fruits and vegetables...too much pub food?!
Grateful I could tone down the client work for a bit and focus on my stuff and my next steps.
Got some good coffee an a fantastic café around the corner from our Airbnb called Violet. Afterwards some writing before I went to Pophams Bakery for a sandwich and more coffee. A walk in the park. Then took the bus to the city and went to the Tate Modern. Nice at first, but didn't really kick me for some reason...maybe I just didn't have the right energy today.
In the night I met my old friend Basti Christ in the fantastic neighborhood pub The Spurstowe Arms...🍻
October 05, 2021(Tuesday, Rising: 8:15am)
I had a nice, early, quiet Tuesday morning. After completing my core habits routine, I firstly worked on the next edition of the Present Newsletter. There's a lot to cover from the last months...
I then worked on next social actions and shipped a
Printing Behind The Scenes post.
In the afternoon I had a stormy but real nice 8k
run through London Fields and Victoria Park with Carlo. And now I'm looking forward watching the new James Bond in the cinema tonight :)
Present Hours: 4,5
October 04, 2021(Monday, Rising: 9:30am)
I had a very nice and warm welcome in London. This city makes me so happy so far. That's also thanks to my friends my friends Andrew and Toeni who hosted us for the first night before we headed to the Airbnb yesterday. We had such an amazing sunny Sunday yesterday <3
Lots of "sorting and cleaning" at first. (Taxes, mails,...)
Now it's time for me to make an overview and plan my next steps.
The whole day I was torn between
really relax for once, lay on the couch and read, and
let's get shit done and make some progress. It was weird as I had strong bursts of both throughout the day...and I just went with it.
I started reading "
Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals" the brand new book by PRESENT contributor Oliver Burkeman, and I could barely put it down, as it spoke to me so much and is so well written.
Present Hours: 1
October 02, 2021(Saturday, Rising: 10:00am)
I'm grateful we had such a good time in Greece and everything worked out. Yesterday we took the ferry from Milos back to Athens, and today I'm flying from Athens to London, where I'm meeting with my buddy Carlo. We are staying for one week. Haven't been in London for a while and really looking forward to it!
Great
interview with Sari Azout, from one of my favorite newsletter (bundles):
Every, which is fantastic, even in the free version!
September 23–October 10, 2021
We went on holidays. Destination: The island of Milos in Greece.
I love it here. It feels so good to get some last summer days. I'm running everyday and then we had to the beach. Lots of reading. And lots of beer and wine. We are here together with two good friends. Life's good!
September 17, 2021
(Friday, Rising: 7:00am)
Today is the day! I'm so excited. Woke up early to make last preparations for our release party later today. If you are in Berlin: Join us from 6pm onwards at Schinkestr. 9 for drinks, food and goodies!
I’m incredibly proud of the work of our team and all contributors. The biggest achievement of Issue 1 was to attract so many amazing humans from all corners of the world. I want to thank you all for your dedication in these extraordinary times.
My greatest thanks go out to Sarah. I feel like the luckiest person to have her wholehearted support. It takes confidence, sensibility, and stamina to do this. PRESENT is better because of her, and I’m proud of how we built this together.
“Gratitude is the wine of the soul. Go on. Get drunk!” (Rumi)
September 16, 2021(Thursday, Rising: 9:00am)
YES! We have confirmation that the new and final magazines will be delivered tomorrow!
And yes, we will have a
party tomorrow. Can't wait. Super relieved and pumped.
“The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great at whatever they want to do.” (Kobe Bryant)
September 15, 2021
(Wednesday, Rising: 8:30am)
We are still waiting for final confirmation on the new delivery — this determines if we can do the release party on Friday, as planned. Fingers crossed!
September 14, 2021
(Tuesday, Rising: 9:00am)
I have to find confidence again. The last days were brutal. Thankful for all the teachings in the last weeks.
Called again with the printer. Too many worries and unclarity. It's frankly killing me right now. But: This too shall pass.
“If I had to live my life again, I’d make the same mistakes, only sooner.” (Tallulah Bankhead)
Present Hours: 1,5
September 13, 2021
(Monday, Rising: 6:50am)
At 10:30 I finally got the notification from the printer that we can come at 12:30 for the printing.
This was the best news in a while. I felt fresh energy kicking back in. Finally. I felt much lighter all of a sudden.
We went there and stayed for the whole printing process, adapting the colors with the printer until everything finally looked perfect :)
Present Hours: 7,5
September 11, 2021
(Saturday, Rising: 11:00am)
We went to Berghain Garden to blow some steam off. First time dancing in a while. It felt really good...
September 10, 2021
(Friday, Rising: 8:30am)
Again, no new clarity from the printer today. Whick means one more weekend of waiting for a new delivery date. Made me angry and sad. Grateful to have good friends to pick me up.
Tried to distract myself with working on the upcoming newsletter and my new portfolio.
“A failure is like fertiliser; it stinks to be sure, but it makes things grow faster in the future.” (Denis Waitle)
September 8, 2021(Wednesday, Rising: 9:00am)
Stressful day because there is still uncertainty for the reprinting date, and there is nothing we can do...very frustrating.
This whole situation really costs energy...couldn't get myself to get much done. Watched
Capital in the Twenty-First Century — super interesting and important, recommended!
September 7, 2021
(Tuesday, Rising: 9:30am)
I had a call with a person from Carhartt in Paris about a possible partnership in the future. That was a great conversation and I felt pumped afterwards!
But afterwards, again, a disappointing mail from the printer. We can reprint, but have to pay 50% (on top of the full price for the failed prints). It seems like the only way forward is to accept the printer's offer. It's a bitter pill to swallow, but I don't see having another choice.
We had a long call with the printer and felt just crushed in the end...
“This too shall pass.” (Seneca)
Present Hours: 5
September 6, 2021
(Monday, Rising: 6:50am)
Trying to figure out what went wrong in the printing.
We drove to the printer to check and compare initial proofs with the failed prints and discuss further steps. They seemed sort of understanding. I gave it all I have to understand and negotiate.
And I'm tired of fighting. I simply need the magazine now.
We watched a fantastic Georgia O' Keefe documentary on Arte...
September 03, 2021
(Friday, Rising: 8:00am)
Okay, here we go! We are suppost to receive the finished printed magazines from the printer today in the afternoon. I'm super excited (and pretty nervous)
While waiting, we went to Café Mugrabi with my sister.
We were all too nervous to do anything productive today.
Whatever happens: I'm proud of myself. Forward!
Finally the delivery arrived. We couldn't help but directly open a box and check the magazines, still in the truck. And then the shock: All images have a greenish/yellowish tint to them. What the hell?
We got all boxes upstairs and checked more magazines: same thing. We couldn't believe it. What the hell went wrong?
I immediately felt: This is a drama that I have to deal with the next weeks. I was crushed.
From expecting that it's now finally over, we now have to postpone the release and figure out what went wrong.
We decided to try to calm down and still do the dinner we had planned with friends. And we celebrated anyway. Because what we did was a crazy job and we did it. We will sort the printing out in the next days...
September 01, 2021
(Wednesday, Rising: 6:30am)
We visited the embossing atelier to check what they did for the cover for Issue 2. I was so incredibly relieved to see how good it looked! Yes!
Started giving "Ted Lasso" a try...fucking loving it. Exactly what I needed right now.
Present Hours: 3
August 31, 2021
(Tuesday, Rising: 9:30am)
A whole day for myself. No appointments. Trying to make sense of it all...
Started the with the upcoming Present Newsletter #7. It's been a while since the last one, need to create new momentum.
“For me, success is not a public thing. It’s a private thing. It’s when you have fewer and fewer regrets.” (Toni Morrison)
Present Hours: 4
August 30, 2021
(Monday, Rising: 8:30am)
Riding the train back to Berlin. Reminiscing about the great birthday weekend in Cologne. Seeing family and many old friends. Good to be away from work and the big screen...
But I'm feeling quite anxious as well ... hoping everything will work out. I gotta stay chill. Everything will be fine. More than fine! Those fucking worries...
“The difference between the stoic and the common man is in this example; the common man prays that he is spared of misfortune, the stoic prays that he can find the strength to accept misfortune.” (Unknown)
Present Hours: 2
August 25, 2021
(Wednesday, Rising: 9:00am)
We took a train to Cologne for my sister's birthday. Mostly e-mails and reading on the ride ... and haunted by worries if every will work out with the printing.
At midnight we celebrated my sister's 30th birthday with only Marina, Luisa, Sarah and me in a bar. It was super nice. Happiest Birthday to the best sister in the whole wide world :)
Present Hours: 3,5
August 24, 2021(Tuesday, Rising: 7:20am)
Checking, mailing, calling with the with printer many times to organise everything.
We have launched another small
teaser video today, which i was so happy about! Sarah did a fantastic job with that.
Found this quote by Sam Harris, and it's simplicity and depth blew me away:
“The punchline of life really is: You can't become happy, you can only be happy.”
Present Hours: 8,5
August 20, 2021(Friday, Rising: 9:10am)
We drove to
max-color to check the proofs: looking fantastic! This put us in a really great mood :)
In the evening we had dinner in a new restaurant in my neighborhood, and afterwards a cozy movie night.
What I'm reading right now:
David Goggins: Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the OddsPresent Hours: 2,5
August 19, 2021
(Thursday, Rising: 7:10am)
We reviewed everything one more time and then sent everything to max-color who will then write the final print-pdf's.
In the evening Sarah organized the next edition of her Club Apéro in Körnerpark. This was really nice after another crazy day.
“An old friend of mine, a journalist, once said that paradise on earth was to work all day alone in anticipation of an evening in interesting company.” (Ian McEwa)
Present Hours: 3,5
August 18, 2021(Wednesday, Rising: 8:45am)
Lotsssss of mails and finishing last details ... tough decision making today. In the afternoon had a meeting with Vani & Rea of Nea Kosma to discuss next steps of our collaboration for my accounting.
What I'm reading at the moment:
The Almanack of Naval Ravikant: A Guide to Wealth and Happiness
Present Hours: 4,5
August 17, 2021
(Tuesday, Rising: 7:45am)
Layout reviews with Sarah. Then I took care of more boring but necessary stuff like the barcode and ISSN number....
We went to the max-color studio and he showed us their current status. I left feeling relieved because we now have more clarity on the timing.
Worked on assembling all final advertisment pages for the magazine. We worked on finishing the Present People spread.
Present Hours: 7,5
August 16, 2021(Monday, Rising: 9:50am)
Firstly, I finished the colophon, the off-voice, and the table of contents.
I watched "
Roadrunner" the documentary on Anthony Bourdain, which I found very fascinating and touching.
Present Hours: 5,5
August 14, 2021
(Saturday, Rising: 9:30am)
Back in Berlin and excited to get this baby to print press. Big last page plan review. Finishing last layouts. Finalising the cover.
“The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great at whatever they want to do.” (Kobe Bryant)
Present Hours: 4,5
July 27–August 13, 2021
Okay, we are taking some time off! At least we are trying to :)
We rented a van and are heading to Bretagne and further down the French Atlantic for a roadtrip.
We have send everything to the lithography/pre-press, who will work on making all pictures print-ready until we're back!
July 26, 2021
(Monday, Rising: 8:00am)
Received a great offer from the printer, which made me pretty happy!
Layout review session with Sarah. Afterwards a thousand small things to take care of ... it was quite hardcore.
Present Hours: 7
July 24, 2021(Saturday, Rising: 10:00am)
We started the weekend with an hour of yoga with Brooklyn at our friend Karlie's
Original Feelings studio. I haven't done yoga with a real teacher in a studio for a while and it was great!
Afterwards went back home and got some work done: a handful of e-mails to contributors and checking some finance stuff, and finished some layout details (for the Sibusiso and Vormann stories). In the evening I ordered food and watched the Naomi Osaka documentary.
Present Hours: 5,5
July 23, 2021
(Friday, Rising: 9:00am)
Continuted layouting. Post-office tour. Had a call with a former client in Brasil.
In the afternoon we printed the whole "chemin de fer", every page of the magazine in a small size (ca. 8cm wide per double page) and arranged it all on the floor to decide for the final page plan. It took us only ten minutes! Everything kind of made sense and came together quite naturally! It was a great feeling. And an important milestone for us.
We also thought: OMG, we have produced so much stuff...crazyness.
In the night we drove to Charlottenburg where we had a dinner at our buddy Luca Tito and Karl Heidelbach's place with a bunch of good people. Fantastic food, fantasic wine...bliss.
Present Hours: 6
July 22, 2021
(Thursday, Rising: 8:20am)
Finished Mothers and Daughthers layout and reviewed this one and others with Sarah.
Met with my buddy Carlo for lunch at Israelian "Kitten Deli" in my neighborhood. That was nice.
Worked on the the David Geckeler text and brief with S for our editor Loll. Finished all DOJO layouts.
We had dinner at "RE Cucina" with Marina, afterwards had a glas of wine at one of our favorite places "Facciola" where I spontaneouly asked Aurora, the owner to participate in our Present People section!
Present Hours: 4,5
July 21, 2021
(Wednesday, Rising: 7:20am)
I applied for the ISSN number today. Finished a new layout version of the Elsa Kostic story. Worked on a client project (for SSENSE). Calls with max-color, finishing Dennis Freischlad layout adaption.
Watched "Shiva's Baby"
Present Hours: 6,5
July 20, 2021
(Tuesday, Rising: 8:00am)
Continued writing the editor's letter, writing mails to advertisers, contributors, and printers.
We went to max-color's office. It was a lot of input. Fascinating stuff. Late-lunch then I had to figure a bunch of stuff out. New clarity.
layout reviews + cleaning, dunkelberg, dozens of mails....
In the evening we cooked and watched "Luca" (newest movie by Pixar) which was lovely. Recommended!
Present Hours: 6,5
July 17, 2021
(Saturday, Rising: 9:20am)
I worked on the cover and on the opening pages (that we want to have directly after the cover, similar to Issue 1).
In the afternoon we had layout reviews with my sister Marina, who is supporting us as photo editor.
In the evening lots of pizza and lots of drinks with friends...
Present Hours: 2,5
July 16, 2021
(Friday, Rising: 9:30am)
More work on getting advertisment partners. It's pretty exhausting work. Same ol': Lots of mails and as much progress with layouting as possible.
I had a cool call with Max from "max-color" to arrange a first meeting. Looking forward to work with him and his team on the lithography for Present Issue 2.
In the afternoon we picked up a fridge for Sarah's new apartment and brought a bunch of Present Product packages ot the post office.
Evening: We cooked and watched "Family Guy" on the projector, that felt good.
Present Hours: 7
July 15, 2021
(Thursday, Rising: 8:10am)
We worked in Berlin-Mitte at Sarah's place and started by organising new incoming advertisment pages.
Then we drove to Kreuzberg to mine and continued on layouts for: Present Catalogue, Present People, Mothers & Daughters, Octavio Barrera, and more.
This was a really great and intense layout session today. Lots of good decisions. I had to think about my time at Meiré und Meiré back in the day. Working with Tim and Mike in the evening, when everyone else was gone already, experimenting and churning out layouts ... great memories.
We ordered food and watched the finale of the French edition of "Top Chef" on my projector, which was an ideal relaxation :)
Present Hours: 9
July 14, 2021
(Wednesday, Rising: 8:00am)
Super intense day. Good focus.
Worked on layouts for the stories of: Pia Brückner, Bobby Kolade, Shui Zong, Ryan H., Sibusiso Vilane.)
Present Hours: 8
July 13, 2021
(Tuesday, Rising: 8:10am)
I felt a bit weird and sad today. When Sarah asked me what's up I accepted vulnerability and told her: "I feel like crying, because I'm so stressed. S: "Then cry." And it felt good. "Everything will work out, Hugo. Don't worry so much."
Reminder to self: As soon as you feel panic: Breathe, Run, Pause, Drink Coffee, Drink Tee, Talk.
Rest of the day: intense layout reviews, and more layouting afterwards.
I will fight. I'm strong. I've managed to do it all so far and I'll do it this time too!
Present Hours: 7,5
July 12, 2021
(Monday, Rising: 8:30am)
In the morning I've send a few layouts to my old mentor Tim Giesen (creative director editorial at Meiré und Meiré) for advice.
I also reached out to a bunch of printers all over Europe for offers.
Had some mild panic attacks. Just feeling stressed. Still so much to do and take care of. Feeling overwhelmed. Gotta stay calm and keep moving.
Many mails again. So many e-mails these days...
I tackled my taxes in the last hours of the day, just numbers and sorting for "relaxation", sort of...
Present Hours: 5
July 10, 2021
(Saturday, Rising: 10:30am)
Drove back to Berlin today. Happy to have had dinner and a chill night with Sarah and good friends.
July 08, 2021
(Thursday, Rising: 8:30am)
Drove to Nördlingen with my aunt Eva to meet the rest of the family there. (It's the hometown of my Grandfather.)
Eva drives a smooth VW T5 and I could work the whole 3-hour ride. (Shipped updated Violaine Toth and Hendrik Vormann Dojo layouts, continued layouting the Mothers and Daughters story, and of course many many mails...
Present Hours: 4
July 07, 2021
(Wednesday, Rising: 6:30am)
I had to catch an early train to go to Siegen, on the opposite side of Germany, for the funeral service of my Grandmother Erika Röthinger.
It was a very sad but also a day full of love and togetherness with my whole family. I felt good to be sad together. We all had dinner, talked into the night and slept in the old apartment of my Oma.
July 06, 2021
(Tuesday, Rising: 6:40am)
I took care of activating more potential advertising partners for the next issue.
Reviews and new briefings for our assistant designers. Continued with the Sibusiso Vilane layout. Had calls with David Geckeler regarding his contribution and with the Public Possession team regarding the Aroma Pitch artworks. Worked on updates for the Ssense project. And a lot of mails ... it was an intense day.
Getting more and more into crypto these days ... it's fascinating and such a different world that it's relaxing me to write and watch about it.
Present Hours: 3,5
July 05, 2021
(Monday, Rising: 8:00am)
A fresh week. Feeling slightly stressed and overwhelmed. Under pressure. I made a great push over the weekend, which I'm proud of. But there is just so much to do still...
I started writing the introduction/editor's letter. This will take a few days...it's not the easiest of tasks for me! But I find it so important to find the right words for this one (obviously). Worked on some final decision for the Bobby Kolade interview layout. E-mail and layout shipped to Massimo Vitali. (And I got my vaccine shot today!)
Present Hours: 4,5
July 04, 2021
(Sunday, Rising: 8:40am)
I wrote a dozen mails to contributors and finished a bunch of layouts and sent to Sarah for feedback.
Organized a VW camper for our upcoming roadtrip (going for a little holiday in France soon, if everything works out!)
I was feeling happy having had a real good sitting session. Just sitting, thinking about where we are with the project. My mind slowed down a bit and new insights came...
Quote for today: “A failure is like fertiliser; it stinks to be sure, but it makes things grow faster in the future.” (Denis Waitley)
Present Hours: 6
July 03, 2021
(Saturday, Rising: 8:50am)
Fresh, early Saturday morning. I'm loving it.
Trying to achieve a big push this weekend. Trying my very best. Trying to eat healther also. I need all the energy I can get if I want to pull this off...
I sometimes think I'm crazy to be doing this project. It's basically just me and Sarah and this vision of Issue 2. A hyper ambitious endeavor which already grew to 300 pages. We have to bring this baby home now...
It's so much organisation. Every story, every contribution is its only little island with so many tasks involved...
I took a run in the sun in the afternoon. Running is something so important for me and my sanity. For the inside and outside.
Present Hours: 4
July 02, 2021
(Friday, Rising: 9:40am)
Many intense sessions of layouting and text editing today. (Hendrik Vormann Dojo, Massimo Vitali interview, Florence Tétier contribution).
Longer calls with Sarah, Carlo and my father.
Watched football in the night to relax.
Present Hours: 5,5
July 01, 2021
(Thursday, Rising: 8:20am)
Mode: Push.
Emotional rollercoaster ride between super motivated and little anxious this week.
But at least today I can fully focus on Present after having wrapped up most of my client projects yesterday.
Happy for that!
“A writer — and, I believe, generally all persons — must think that whatever happens to him or her is a resource. All things have been given to us for a purpose, and an artist must feel this more intensely. All that happens to us, including our humiliations, our misfortunes, our embarrassments, all is given to us as raw material, as clay, so that we may shape our art.” Jorge Luis Borges on transforming every experience into a resource.
Present Hours: 8,5
June 29, 2021
(Tuesday, Rising: 8:30am)
I will try everything today to push as hard as I can towards a finalisation of some layouts. It's a critical phase right now. Do or die! I'm catching myself often in the last days switching betwenn the feeling: I'm taking this all too seriously — and: I'm taking this all too lightly.
Update: I need to take more breaks. Breaks are good.
The quote for today comes from Bill Murray: “The more relaxed you are, the better you are at everything: the better you are with your loved ones, the better you are with your enemies, the better you are at your job, the better you are with yourself.”
Present Hours: 5,5
June 28, 2021
(Monday, Rising: 6:30am)
It's a new week and I'm feeling slightly overwhelmed. There is just so much things I still have to take care of...
I have a lot of worries at the moment. Am I able to finish it all on time? Will it all work out?
I have to trust myself. I have to keep making baby steps forward. I have to keep pushing. I will stay focused. I won't give negative thoughts any of my attention.
I continued with the layouts for the "My Dojo" stories in the upcoming issue and had some good review and thinking sessions with Sarah.
Quote for today: “The reality of your life is always now. And to realize this, we will see, is liberating. In fact, I think there is nothing more important to understand if you want to be happy in this world.” (Sam Harris)
Present Hours: 10
June 26, 2021
(Saturday, Rising: 10:00am)
Starting my work day with tons of e-mails. A bunch of reminders and check-in's with contributors and collaborators.
Happy for a calm and sunny Saturday morning. I love early Saturdays by myself. Haven't had this in a while. Just such a nice energy. I feel like I can tackle everything!
Grateful for the lovely Friday night yesterday with my buddies Carlo and Julian. Such good talks with two of my best friends.
A thought I had today: Fuck old mistakes. The only thing that counts is that you are able to improve. And that you keep on improving. The tempo is not important, the moving on is.
Present Hours: 6
June 24, 2021
(Thursday, Rising: 7:30am)
Starting my work day with tons of e-mails. A bunch of reminders and check-in's with contributors and collaborators.
Timing is racing. I'm trying to keep a cool head. The deadline's for Present are my own creation afterall. We have to finish this beast. The second issue is a very ambitious project. We are aiming at 300 pages right now.
It can be overwhelming at times organising, managing, and design it all. I'm lucky to have Sarah supporting me. Today I will work on finalising the layouts for the new Dojo's...
Present Hours: 9,5
June 23, 2021
(Wednesday, Rising: 8:00am)
I'm proud to have managed to get some contributors taking part in Presnt Issue 2 that I thought were not possible to get.
And I'm proud to have created something that people from all over the world are happy to contribute to.
Planning the next weeks. I managed to wrap almost all client projects up for full focus on Present for the upcoming weeks.
Present Hours: 6,5
June 21, 2021
(Monday, Rising: 8:00am)
Today is Sarah's Birthday! ❤️ We didn't work today, but made a huge picknick in the park with lots of friends ... it was beautiful!
June 18, 2021
(Friday, Rising: 8:30am)
Today only a mini morning program, then I immediately started writing the next e-mails to potential advertising partners for Issue 2. Let's see how this goes! It's my first time inquiring about magazine ad's.
Afterwards I started to work on layouts for the Oliver Burkeman and Ryan Holiday stories. I love the writing of both of them, so it's been a pleasure to bringing the texts to life...
Shout-out's to our wonderful interns Ivana and Sergio who are also doing great work at the moment!
Present Hours: 4,5
June 17, 2021
(Thursday, Rising: 9:00am)
I started with sending a bunch of check-in's to contributors. Then I spend some time to give feedback and new briefings for Ivana and Sergio. I took some time for reflection today and had a good run. Afterwards I prepared some gifts for Sarah for her birthday on Monday.
I was happy for a good nap in the afternoon which gave some fresh energy and thoughts...
In the evening I printed out almost all the layouts we have completed so far for Issue 2. The first installment of the "chemin de fer" i.e. filling my work space with all printed layouts in real size in the potential order of the final magazine.
A saying worth repeating: “‘Chi non mangia non fa briciole’ is Italian for ‘The person who doesn’t eat doesn’t leave crumbs behind.’ It means that doing something might cause a bit of a mess, but it’s still better than not doing it at all. In other words, imperfect action trumps perfect inaction.” (Alessandra Canella)
Present Hours: 7,5
June 15, 2021
(Tuesday, Rising: 8:30am)
Had a call with Tereza Mundilová to brief her for the shooting with David Geckeler next week.
In the night we met with friends to watch the first game of the Euro of the German football team against France. It was big fun and relaxation — I have always loved watching Euro/Worldcup
Updated the table of contents and defined the top priority tasks for the next two weeks in order to get Issue 2 to a good place.
Feedback and briefings to Sergio and Ivana.
Reached out to Loll Jungeburth if she can help us with proof-reading again.
Contacted David Zilber for a new dojo.
Present Hours: ?
June 12, 2021
(Saturday, Rising: 9:30am)
A fresh Saturday morning and I got some Present action in. Finally shipped a bunch of messages I was working on. I printed out some layouts and started the "chemin de fer". I took a run and unpacked my stuff from the Barcelona trip, then sent feedback to our interns. I meditated twice today, which made me feel good.
Quote for today: “Meditation is intermittent fasting for the mind. Too much sugar leads to a heavy body, and too many distractions lead to a heavy mind. Time spent undistracted and alone, in self-examination, journaling, meditation, resolves the unresolved and takes us from mentally fat to fit.” (Naval Ravikant)
Present Hours: 3,5
June 11, 2021
(Friday, Rising: 8:00am)
I said goodbye to Johannes and headed to the airport to fly back to Berlin. I managed to get some work done. on the plane, which felt great!
I had a really nice evening with Sarah, who flew back to Berlin already last week. We had apéro and then went to our friend Klara's birthday at Körnerpark, where we meet more good people...it was a very fun and heartwarming reunion.
Present Hours: 6
June 10, 2021
(Thursday, Rising: 10:00am)
Present work and client work. Intesity is high right now. A run through Barcelona in the afternoon. Afterwards continued working on the empty rooftop of the hotel. In the night I showed Johannes two of my favorite restaurants in Barcelona: "El Xampanyet" and "Cerveceria di Vaso de Oro". That was super nice. Thankful to have such an old and special friend.
“There is no such thing as lazyness, it's fear.” —Alain de Botton
Present Hours: 4
June 09, 2021
(Wednesday, Rising: 9:30am)
I checked-out of our apartment at noon and met my old friend Leon Laskowski for lunch, who plans on staying in Barcelona long-term.
Afterwards I went to meet my even older buddy Johannes Breyer, who just landed in the city. For my last few days in Barcelona I will stay with him at the Casa Bonay hotel, where we want to work and spend some quality time.
Lots of client work today. I was pushing through. I was lucky I could do my work from the rooftop terrace.
After my client presentation, I directly went to ELISAVA (School of Design and Engineering) where I gave the introduction to the lecture of Johannes. I loved doing that! Shout-out to Marc Panero! We had drinks with him afterwards and it was amazing listening to his stories: he was one of the founding members of Base design and a fascinating and kind man.
Present Hours: 1,5
June 07, 2021
(Monday, Rising: 8:20am)
Crazy day full of client work.
I also wrote many many e-mails today to collaborators and contributors. (Bennie Julian Gay, Oliver Burkeman, Ryan Holiday, Neven Allgaier, Lamin Fofana, Bobby Kolade, Anne-Laure Le Cunff, Ioana Man, ...)
I also had a good call with Peter Basma-Lord. Afterwards I continued working on the Ssense project.
Present Hours: 3,5
June 03, 2021(Thursday, Rising: 8:40am)
I had a call with Hannah Kuhlmann in Cologne to prepare her upcoming My Dojo shoot with Neven Allgeier.
Later today we hiked up Park Güell, and from there to a nice tapas bar called "Al Norte" where we met Octavio Barrera and Ampi Aristu, who contributed
A Primitive Walk last to Present.xxx (and in the upcoming print issue this year). It was super lovely finally meeting irl!
Present Hours: 5
June 01, 2021(Tuesday, Rising: 8:50am)
I made a new overview and updated new table of contents.
We released Shidō today! The first PRESENT scent in collaboration with Ryoko Hori. Find all info
here!
In the afternoon I worked on the client project for Ssense and prepared my presentation for tomorrow's meeting.
Quote for today:
“Elimination is the highest form of optimization.” (James Clear)
Present Hours: 6,5
May 31, 2021
(Monday, Rising: 8:00am)
Putting the finishing touches on the website and communication for our Shidō release.
I also worked on new briefs and input for some new and exciting contributions for Issue 2!
I'm so happy and excited how it all develops ... it will be a challenging journey still, that's for sure, but at least we are on the right track!
Present Hours: 4,5
May 30, 2021
(Sunday, Rising: 11:00am)
We had a nice video call with Eloise Harris and Sophie Coates from Garb Life planning their contribution to the upcoming issue 2. Exciting!
I got positive answers from to potential contributors I have massive resprect for: food artist Laila Gohar and author Oliver Burkeman. Yeah! This is always such a good feeling when people you admire are willing to participate in your project. Feeling thankful!
In the evening we walked to "Barcaloneta" to have an Aperol Spritz and do some Present brainstorming — that was amazing!
Present Hours: 6
May 28, 2021
(Friday, Rising: 8:30am)
Good Present sessions today. Mainly worked on the release of Shidō, plus shipped many many mails. That was good. In the afternoon we just strolled through the town...until we found a nice place to eat and relax a little...
Present Hours: 5,5
May 27, 2021
(Thursday, Rising: 8:00am)
Layout reviews with Sarah and a whole bunch of e-mails to the contributors to brief and/or give feedback.
Working in parallel to wrap up projects for Cologne Sessions, Omega, and an upcoming branding project for a fashion label, supported by Ssense — these are intense days...
Videocall with Marina to talk about life and her upcoming Present contributions. So cool to have my sister on board!
Present Hours: 6,5
May 24, 2021
(Monday, Rising: 8:00am)
A thought today: If could could eliminate more tasks I would be better at the remaining important tasks, plus enjoy life more.
“Instead of adding things, thoughts, and tasks to our day, how about we go in the other direction. Let’s try removing things. With greater empty space in our minds, there will be a clearer view from the windows of our eyes. With more empty space in our bodies, there will be more room to breathe.” (Cory Allen)
Present Hours: 4,5
May 20, 2021
(Thursday, Rising: 7:30am)
So happy to be in Barcelona. Such a priviledge to be able to work from here!
Had a good call with David Geckeler to talk about his upcoming contribution for issue 2. Reached out to Tereza Mundilova afterwards, who we'd love to photograph the story.
At 6pm we had our first call with Sergio
second design support for issue 2. Sergio is a designer from Mexico, now living in Salt Lake City, USA, with his wife and kid.
e-mails, e-mails, e-mails ... it's just so much organisation! I'm trying to juggle it all
layouting, layouting, layouting...
Present Hours: 4,5
May 19, 2021
(Wednesday, Rising: 7:30am)
I'm wrapping up several client projects at the same time which makes it all quite intense, as usual :)
What I'm struggling with:
Uncomplicating my life. Saying No is still hard. I'm still spreading myself too thin, too often. I'd love to freeze time to be able to do everything I want to do in this world.
There is just so much to take care of...
I'm thankful to be in Barcelona right now and to be able to work from here. This change of environment feels good for the soul.
Present Hours: 4,5
May 14, 2021
(Friday, Rising: 8:00am)
It's a bit cloudy in Barcelona today. Feeling thankful for a great first week of focused work and lots of tapas!
This morning I was mainly writing mails to contributors, then working on new ideas for social. Afterwards I was continuing on the Sibusiso Vilane layout for the print issue.
This morning I was also working on the communication for the upcoming Present scent. Exciting! Next week my sister and very talented photographer Marina will shoot the product images. Then we will launch.
“Happiness is simply to allow everything to be exactly as it is from moment to moment.” (Rupert Spira)
Present Hours: 4,5
May 13, 2021
(Thursday, Rising: 6:30am)
So much client work still. Trying to push as hard as I can everyday to fight for some time for some Present time...
I had a two hour call with Annette Lorenz, a design student at the Masters program in Nuremberg, about "creative blocks" and how to conquer them. It's a subject I like talking about, so it was good fun :)
I was running in my favorite park in Barcelona, close to the Arc de Triomf. This felt super good.
Present Issue 2 layout reviews wit Sarah, afterwards we rewarded us with a trip to the fantastic "Bar Brutal"...
Present Hours: 3
May 10, 2021(Monday, Rising: 6:45am)
I flew to Barcelona today to join Sarah who got there last week already. We are planning to have a change of environment for a while to have some fresh energy and perspective to finish Issue 2.
On the flight I worked on one of my rebranding projects for Salomon and Ssense.
Barcelona is so incredible. We had an amazing first night in Barcelona. This city is so incredible. We went to a really lovely tapas bar ... bars and restaurants have opened here again!
Have you seen the newest Pixar movie
Soul? I think it's great :)
Present Hours: 1
May 09, 2021
(Sunday, Rising: 9:30am)
I cooked a Shakshouka for my sister Marina, who just moved to Berlin and my friend Magi. It was a really nice and sunny balcony-sunday-brunch. Blessed! Afterwards I went back home to work on Present with good energy.
Mainly e-mails, but also some preparation and sketching for the interview with Authentically Plastic, an amazing ... in Kampala, Uganda, who will be interviewed by my friend Bobby Kolade for Present. I was writing again with Conor Clinch, a photographer that I really like, who will also contribute to Present.
I had a call with Vanessa and Rea of Nea Kosma regarding their Present contribution. That was super nice and we discussed some exciting and promising ideas.
I continued to watch "Drive to Survive" the Netflix documentary series about the Formula 1. It's fascinating!
Present Hours: 3,5
May 09, 2021
(Sunday, Rising: 9:30am)
I cooked a Shakshouka for my sister Marina, who just moved to Berlin and my friend Magi. It was a really nice and sunny balcony-sunday-brunch. Blessed! Afterwards I went back home to work on Present with good energy.
Mainly e-mails, but also some preparation and sketching for the interview with Authentically Plastic, an amazing ... in Kampala, Uganda, who will be interviewed by my friend Bobby Kolade for Present. I was writing again with Conor Clinch, a photographer that I really like, who will also contribute to Present.
I had a call with Vanessa and Rea of Nea Kosma regarding their Present contribution. That was super nice and we discussed some exciting and promising ideas.
I continued to watch "Drive to Survive" the Netflix documentary series about the Formula 1. It's fascinating!
Present Hours: 3,5
May 05, 2021(Monday, Rising: 8:30am)
The last two weeks have been wild! Unfortunately the
daily log had to suffer, but that'll change again :)
I just quit my gig with Apple to be able to focus more on Issue #2 in the coming weeks.
Sarah and I decided to bring in support so we had a call for designers — and the responses and applications have been overwhelmingy fantastic! It was so diffucult to decide, but we put many amazing designers on the watchlist — until next time!
I created and hand-screenprinted three custom longsleeves for my homies at Aroma Pitch who played an amazing
live set at HÖR Berlin yesterday.
Present Hours: 2,5
April 26, 2021
(Monday, Rising: 9:00am)
Wishing you all a great start into the week!
Monday sometimes start a bit slow for me and I'm using this not-super-fresh-energy to get rid of admin tasks like my taxes.
In the afternoon we picked up the finished bottles of our upcoming Present scents at Ryoko Hori's workshop. Smelling (and looking) super good!
Btw: we finally watched Nomadland last night. I had to cry a lot. It was great!:)
“We don’t get to choose what happens to us, but we can always choose how we feel about it. And why on earth would you choose to feel anything but good? If the event must occur, Amor fati (a love of fate) is the response. Don’t waste a second looking back at your expectations. Face forward, and face it with a smug little grin.” From The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday
Present Hours: 2,5
April 24, 2021
(Friday, Rising: 8:30am)
Thank you all for your great applications on our design intern position. I will get back to you in the coming days! This is exciting and I'm proud to have made this step. (Thanks to Sarah for the push! ✨)
Feeling thankful for this week. It wasn't an easy one, but nevertheless it went by so crazy fast. I was mostly burried with client work this week.
Still made some solid progress on Present I think, but there is always this nagging feeling that it was not enough...I think I need to relax.
I'm wishing you all a peaceful weekend!
“Sometimes you win sometimes you learn.”
Present Hours: 2
April 21, 2021(Wednesday, Rising: 7:50am)
I published a
post about my "Just get started" mantra. I love it because it is helping me literally everyday, so it felt good sharing it.
What I'm struggling with: There is too much on my plate at the moment. I feel like I'm spreading myself too thin. And I hate this. I have to review and reduce again, because jumping around between so many different projects is just stressful.
I discovered this breathing technique in an interview with Michael Phelps, and it helps when everything is feeling too much:
“Lion’s Breath involves breathing in deeply, holding the air for a second, then letting out a roar-like exhale. Sometimes, people stick out their tongues, stretch out their face, and unclench their jaws during that dramatic exhale.”
Present Hours: 2,5
April 19, 2021
(Monday, Rising: 7:00am)
I'm thankful for the past weekend. Some drinks with friends, some good movies, some forrest-bathing. Yesterday was mainly an 'admin monday' for me. In the afternoon heavy client work. Not enough Present, I hope I can carve out more time for it today.
What I'm struggling with: Squeezing everything I want to do into one day, every day. In May I plan to reduce client work drastically to be able to focus more exclusively on Present Issue 2!
Quote for today:
“Most of our pain, most of our suffering comes from resistance to what is. Life is. And when we resist what life is, we suffer. When you can say yes to life, surrender to life and say: “Okay, what should I be now?” That’s where power comes from.” (Kamal Ravikant)
Present Hours: 1,5
April 16, 2021
(Friday, Rising: 7:30am)
I'm thankful for being able to do my work. It's a priviledge in these crazy times. Many around me are struggling, everything is still closed in Berlin. It's rough to not have a clear end in sight. Everything is still moving forward so slowly. It's hard to stay positive these days. But we got to. I wish you peace and strength, in whatever situation you are right now.
“We have two lives, and the second begins when we realize we only have one.” (Confucius)
Present Hours: 3
April 15, 2021(Rising: 6:40am)
Still getting the Forum ready. I have big hopes for this. I believe this will be a huge step forward in building a strong, supporting and sustainable community. I'm aiming to make it public and accessible beginning of May.
Short but intense run after lunch, which gave some much needed energy boost. Big push on client projects before and after that.
Managed to squeeze in a few more Present sprints, working on some new shirts and the upcoming essay by architect Pia Brückner on Lia Bo Bardi.
I rewatched Kobe Bryant's last
interview. So wholesome, smart and inspiring. Still so hard to believe he's gone. What a man.
“Pain doesn’t tell you when you ought to stop. Pain is the little voice in your head that tries to hold you back because it knows if you continue you will change.” (Kobe Bryant)
Present Hours: 3
April 15, 2021(Rising: 6:40am)
Still getting the Forum ready. I have big hopes for this. I believe this will be a huge step forward in building a strong, supporting and sustainable community. I'm aiming to make it public and accessible beginning of May.
Short but intense run after lunch, which gave some much needed energy boost. Big push on client projects before and after that.
Managed to squeeze in a few more Present sprints, working on some new shirts and the upcoming essay by architect Pia Brückner on Lia Bo Bardi.
I rewatched Kobe Bryant's last
interview. So wholesome, smart and inspiring. Still so hard to believe he's gone. What a man.
“Pain doesn’t tell you when you ought to stop. Pain is the little voice in your head that tries to hold you back because it knows if you continue you will change.” (Kobe Bryant)
Present Hours: 3
April 14, 2021(Rising: 7:30am)
First of all a shout-out to
Sarah for being a constant support and inspiration. Present is so much better because of her.
Finally made the step to publish what I'm writing right here in this little micro-blogging-space also on IG as a daily story. I hope this proves useful and valuable for whoever is reading this.
“The moment that you feel, just possibly, you are walking down the street naked, exposing too much of your heart and your mind, and what exists on the inside, showing too much of yourself ... that is the moment, you might be starting to get it right.” (Neil Gaimain)
Full focus on client work in the afternoon. It's demanding and intense right now, but I certainly can't complain about it.
In the night we watched an episode of the French edition of
Top Chef, which is somehow super relaxing, and the skills and creativity of the young cooks is fascinating!
Present Hours: 2,5
April 13, 2021(Rising: 6:30am)
After I finished my core habits in the early morning, I worked on the upcoming Present Forum, preparing and testing the channels with the goal to invite some 'beta testers' aka my close friends for a first run this week.
A bunch of new Present stickers arrived and super happy how they turned out ... you'll find them with the next orders! :~)
Yesterday night we watched a fascinating documentary about Chinese architect
Wang Shu and afterwards another documentary called
My Octopus Teacher...both recommended!
Quote for today:
“The reality of your life is always now. And to realize this, we will see, is liberating. In fact, I think there is nothing more important to understand if you want to be happy in this world.” (Sam Harris
)
Present Hours: 3,5
April 12, 2021(Rising: 8:00am)
Rough Monday! Feeling a bit slow. Pushing through some admin stuff and client work.
I'm feel thankful for the nice and sunny weekend I had. I saw a bunch few good friends for dinner (we tested us before) and my
sister moved to Berlin this weekend. We haven't lived in the same city since many years, so I'm very happy for this!
I also finished
All or Nothing: Manchester City, which was so good. Even if you are not a football fan, it'd recommend to give it a shot, it really gives a whole new perspective on the world of professional sports.
Sarah and I went to the Grunewald (a nice forrest in Berlin) to collect some wild Bärlauch (Ramsons) and made a epic pesto out of it.
April 08, 2021(Rising: 7:00am)
I started the day with finalising
two posts: A tribute to the ever present Kenojuak Ashevak (1927–2013) who is regarded as a pioneer of modern Inuit art and was one of Canada’s most acclaimed graphic artists. Her long list of achievements and honours is surpassed only by her stamina and good humour 🌞
“You can let go of all the edgy anticipation and stop trying to live five seconds in the future. When you do, eyes light up and deepen like they are their own singular universes. Muscles of the body soften, find a restful peace, and fidgetiness fades. This is when the heart begins to open. Then you can be there to share the moment with the people you care about and let the joyful conversation flow. And it flows.” (Cory Allen in Now Is the Way)
Present Hours: 2
April 07, 2021(Rising: 7:00am)
Thankful to have managed to get up earlier and without hitting snooze in the last days. I needed this. I need earlier starts into my days again, otherwise I simply won't be able to manage it all ... and become so unnecessarily stressed.
Planning, cleaning Present to-do lists... I feel like I also make everything quite complex at first (planning maximalism?) just to further and further edit down later...but I guess I have to just accept this as my process.
Anticipation: I'm visiting a potential new place for living plus Present office today. Looking forward to more space live, love, work, think.
I was listening to two excellent podcast episodes of
On Being with Krista Tippett, one with
Devendra Banhart and one with
Brené Brown.
Last night I have finished reading: "
Lying" by Sam Harris and Annaka Harris.
“Ultimately, we all die, and the only question is, what have you done between the time you’re born and the time you die? Did you make the most of this unique opportunity?” (Sam Harris)
Present Hours: 2
April 06, 2021(Rising: 7:00am)
Trying to work strictly with Pomodoro's today. Haven't used this technique in a while. The spark came throught this
essay in the New York Times I read this weekend. (Also watched
Belly, the 1998 movie debut by Hype Williams on the weekend, it was great!)
I gotta wrap up some client projects in the coming weeks until I can fully commit to designing and finalising Issue 2. In the meantime the early morning hours and late evening hours have to be sufficient (if there is hopefully some energy left in the tank...)
Quote for today:
When you create a difference in someone’s life, you not only impact their life, you impact everyone influenced by them throughout their entire lifetime. No act is ever too small. (Danielle Doby)
Present Hours: 3,5
April 01, 2021
(Rising: 7:30am)
Spring is here! I took a run and then finally finished the design for the new symbol for Present. The whole process took a few weeks and I'm glad that I took the time to finalise this today — and I'm happy with the result.
I ordered a bunch of new stickers and stamps, the first use will be for the packaging of our upcoming Present scent collaboration with Ryoko Hori.
This is list of morning questions is a pretty great way to start the day and integrated into my morning routine for a while now:
Morning Questions:
What am I most grateful this morning?
What would be my big win today?
Who can I reach out to and send some love?
What do I need to be kinder towards myself for today
What kindness can I spread?
What deserves my energy today?
What do I need to remind myself of?
What can I do today simply because I enjoy it?
What can I let go of today?
How can I take one small step towards a goal that feels out of reach?
(via @werenotreallystrangers)
Present Hours: 4
March 25, 2021(Rising: 7:30am)
Posted an interview with Irma Boom. Worked on the page plan. Updated the website
Archive.
I also showed Sarah the current pageplan and we are on track to make it all happen.
On another note: I'm very much into sport documentaries. Currently:
Best Shot about former NBA player Jay Williams mentoring an inner-city high school team and
All or Nothing an inside look at one of the Premier League team Tottenham Hotspur.
Quote for today:
“You can't think things better.”Present Hours: 3
March 17, 2021
(Rising: 8:00am)
Still working on the final page plan. I also collected everything we have so far for issue 2 in one big InDesign file and started creating a flow to see what is still missing ...
Currently reading: The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday
Quote for today: “The sooner you make a choice, the sooner you can make an adjustment.” (James Clear)
Present Hours: 3,5
March 12, 2021(Rising: 8:00am)
In the morning hours I was mainly working on the upcoming PRESENT Forum. I'm still figuring out the different channels etc. I also continued with the final page plan for Issue 2.
Quick recommendation: Our friends at Heftwerk produced a great indie
publishing guide which you can also order in print for free.
What I listened to: Steven Pressfield (author of one of my favorite books The War of Art) on the
Rich Roll Podcast.
Quote for today:
“The point of doing nothing, as I define it, isn’t to return to work refreshed and ready to be more productive, but rather to question what we currently perceive as productive.” (Jenny Odell in
How to Do Nothing)
Present Hours: 2,5
March 11, 2021(Rising: 9:00am)
I spent a total of 12 hours on the train yesterday. It was an exhausting day. But I got some solid work done! (I also published a third
post for our Sibusiso Vilane feature.)
Quote for today:
“There is something wonderfully bold and liberating about saying yes to our entire imperfect and messy life.” (Tara Brach)
March 10, 2021(Rising: 7:10am)
Working from the train today! In the morning I was preparing more follow-up posts for Sibusiso Vilane feature. Afterwards I continued working on the page plan for Issue 2...
Quote for today:
do less
do better
know why
(Cal Newport)
Currently reading:
How to do Nothing by Jenny Odell
March 09, 2021(Rising: 8:00am)
We did our first deeper planning session in a while, regarding Issue 2. Excited for this.
I need to tell some clients that I won't be available from April on. But I'm feeling good about this. I can't wait to have more space again for Present...
Posted a follow-up for the Sibusiso Vilane feature.
In the evening, after I was done with everything else, I finally got myself to work on the Present symbol and new clothing ideas. That felt good. I'm hoping to be able to take more time for this in the coming weeks.
March 08, 2021(Rising: 8:20am)
Hope you are having a great start into the week!
...feeling a bit tired but will push through.
Started preparing follow-up posts for the Sibusiso Vilane interview that I
published on Friday.
(This weekend I watched a great new movie called "Minari" and I rewatched "Arrival" — both highly recommended!)
March 03, 2021
(Rising: 8:10am)
Time is running very fast these past two months.
In the last three days I finally was able to take some time for Present. I made a new action plan for the coming monhts. This will be good!
This morning I got green light by Sibusiso Vilane for our feature. This made me really happy!
“Your favorite athlete's first workout was just as bad as yours. Your favorite chef's first meal was just as bad as yours. Your favorite artist’s first work was just as bad as yours. Keep going.” (James Clear)
March 01, 2021
I finished up the interview and design for the upcoming Sibusiso Vilane feature and send it to him for approval. This was a milestone for me as I had trouble finishing this one, because the last months were so busy...I'm happy I could finally make it happen.
“The quality of presence determines the quality of life.” (Jack Kornfield)
February 19, 2021
(Rising: 7:30am)
It's been a long but good week. I wrapped up an important project and feel good about it. I had more client work to deal with until I finally could start to put in some time into Present.
I made some website updates and afterwards I finalised and shipped the label designs for our scent collaboration with Ryoko Hori. This was one of the last steps to bring this project to life! We are super excited for this product.
Two great series I recently watched: "I May Destroy You" by Michaela Coel and Best Shot, I basketball documentary by Michael John Warren.
“The desire for more positive experience is itself a negative experience. And, paradoxically, the acceptance of one's negative experience is itself a positive experience.” (Mark Manson)
February 17, 2021
Quite a gap between the first days of January and today. I hope I will be able be to be more consistent with the daily tracker here.
I took on two high profile jobs. It is going great, but the fight for 'Present time' has never been more tough. The juggling is real. But I'll get there.
The money I'm earning goes straight to the Present budget, in order to make great things in the coming months.
“A piece of advice worth passing on: Vocalise and externalise your compliments. If you’re thinking nice thoughts about a person, instead of silently admiring them, make it a practice to tell them.” (Unknown)
January 07, 2021
“The monk said: I say yes. To everything that happens, I say yes.
— Most of our pain, most of our suffering comes from resistance to what is. Life is. And when we resist what life is, we suffer. When you can say yes to life, surrender to life and say: “Okay, what should I be now?” That’s where power comes from. When the weather is bad, when your crush won’t answer, when the obstacle won’t budge, don’t say no. Don’t dig in your heels and push and shove until your veins pop out in frustration. Say yes. Accept. Breathe. Life is flowing. Always. It’s us trying to swim upstream. Let the current carry you instead.” (Unknown)
January 06, 2021
Finally back in the rhythm!
Woke up early today despite falling asleep late. I was a bit tired in the morning, but also happy to have done this. Countered it with a nap in the afternoon.Good progress on upcoming content launches for the website. I also fixed a bunch of little bugs on website.Continued working on the upcoming membership model for Present! Excited about kicking this off hopefully soon.
Quote for today:
The most important conversation is the conversation you have with yourself each day. (Unknown)
January 04, 2021
Welcome to the New Year!
After coming back from Cologne yesterday night, today was the first real work day of the year — and the first day restarting my normal rhythm.
1— Core's (journaling, meditation, workout+cold shower)
2— Present Round 1 (deep work)
3— HHH (portfolio, socials)
4— Externals (messages, client work, maintanence, etc.)
5— Present Round 2
6— Reflect (sitting, reading, reviewing, running)
I started installing the upcoming Present Forum and starting building it for testing in the coming weeks ...excited about this!
“The moment that you feel, just possibly, you are walking down the street naked, exposing too much of your heart and your mind, and what exists on the inside, showing too much of yourself...That is the moment, you might be starting to get it right.” (Neil Gaimain)
December 30, 2020
Friends, this year is slowly coming to an end. We eant to sincerely thank all of you who are supporting and following us on our PRESENT journey. We do all this for you. And a special thank you to all collaborators and contributors and supporters. We are always at the beginning!
The overarching feeling is one of gratefulness. Grateful that our families, friends and our community stayed healthy despite everything. Grateful that there is light at the end of tunnel. Grateful for all the experiences and lessons this special year has taught us.
We are looking forward to whatever the new year will bring and what will inevitably make us grow together. Cheers and stay safe and stay present! 🤍☮️🍾
December 22, 2020
(Rising: 7:30am)
Finally (almost) finished the upcoming newsletter, I think I'll send it out tomorrow.
I'm still having some work to finish for a big client until the 23th, so I will to give this some time for the rest of today :) Feeling good!
Quote for today:
“Which do you want: the pain of staying where you are, or the pain of growth?” (Judith Hanson Lasater)
Present Hours: 3,5
December 21, 2020
(Rising: 7:45am)
Feeling super awake and fit today! Very thankful for that. Part of it definitely thanks to those bloody cold showers in the morning...
Often, right before I'm turning the water in my shower to ice cold, I'm thinking about what Mike Tyson said when asked What is displine? "Do what you hate to do, but do it like you love it."
Spend some time figuring out and planning the next actions steps for Present for the beginning of 2021.
In evening I ordered pizza watched the Toni Kroos documentary. It was actually so so good! I never saw such a direct and intimate insight into a footballer's life, ever. I thought it was really honest and actually quite deep. (Thanks to Magnus for the recommendation!)
Present Hours: 3,5
December 20, 2020(Rising: 9:40am)
Chill Sunday. I had a long morning ritual and was reading in bed. Afterwards I shared a movie recommendation:
Samurai Architect is a documentary about the legendary Japanese architect and poet Tadao Ando. The understated creations of the 79-year-old former boxer and self-taught architect are stark contrasts to his intense personality, sharp tongue and unique sense of humor.
Present Hours: 2
December 14, 2020(Rising: 6:30am)
Finished and released our newest feature and interview on
SIA ARNIKA!
I'm very happy with it. As always, thanks to Sarah for the support, and thanks to Sia for her patience.
Afterwards I worked on Mugler and had a call where we planned the next steps for the coming weeks.
Quote for today:
“What would it be like if I could accept life —accept this moment— exactly as it is?” (Tara Brach)
Present Hours: 5,5
December 11, 2020(Rising: 6:30am)
Posted a xmas PRESENT
(s) post...so grateful for the collaborations and products we were able to put out this year. So if you are in need for presents, let's go :)
Quote for today:
“The sense of presence I described in the opening is the result of a balanced watching and doing mind. When your mind is aware and crisp yet calm and seated in the now, you can move through the day without tension. You can indulge in the richness of the present and mindfully do what you need to do.” (Cory Allen)
Present Hours: 4
December 09, 2020
(Rising: 7:10am)
I prepared the Sia Arnika feature and all Instagram posts we want to publish alongside it.
A big chunk of today was spend on writing offers, sending invoices, and taking care of my taxes for last month. (Shout out's to the great Vanessa Olt for supporting me on thi. Her help has been a game-changer for me this year.)
I also worked on Mugler and Leorosa and had calls with my new client, a tech company in the US (which has to stay nameless for now). It was a good day!
Quote for today:
“Just getting it done — whether that’s a decision you have to make or work you have to do — will leave you more satisfied than if you had agonized over the task in the pursuit of perfection. Even better, you’ll actually finish.” (Tim Herrera)
Present Hours: 3,5
November 24, 2020(Rising: 6:40am)
A beautiful Tuesday morning! We are still in Portugal, but leaving this week and going back to Berlin, where new projects and old friends await.
In the morning and until noon I worked on next social post, the Sia Arnika and Pia Brückner features, I continued writing on the next Present Priniciples... afterwards I finished and send my contribution to the
Creative Voyage team to be published soon. (Thank you for having me!)
On a social channels we published an input
recommendation and a
tip to "fall into being" in the last days, check them out :)
Interesting essay I read yesterday:
The 'Future Book' Is Here, but It's Not What We Expected
Quote for today:
“The present moment is the substance with which the future is made. Therefore, the best way to take care of the future is to take care of the present moment. What else can you do?” (Epicurus)
Present Hours: 4,5
November 11, 2020(Rising: 7:15am)
I continued work on the Sia Arnika feature and interview. Not as much as I wanted to though! Lots of client things to work on today...
We did some gardening in the afternoon, which was a beautiful break.
Currently reading:
Breath by James Nestor
Currently watching:
Lennox Hill on Netflix
“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.” (Epicurus)
Present Hours: 2,5
November 06, 2020(Rising: 7:10am)
We are still in Portugal. It's raining hard today since the early morning hours. But we feel good and lucky to be able to live and work from here since the last weeks. This week I couldn't work as much as I wished for on Present, as there were several deadlines for clients I had to take care of.
Nevertheless we have
published the project and conversation and with
Octavio Barrera. I'm now working on the upcoming feature on fashion designer Sia Arnika's first collection.
I also added an
article from Oliver Burkeman to the frontpage, plus a recommendation on a
documentary about Rickson Gracie.
“My mind begins to seem like a video game: I can either play it intelligently, learning more in each round, or I can be killed in the same spot by the same monster, again and again.” (Sam Harris)
Present Hours: 4.5
October 29, 2020(Rising: 6:00am)
Finalised the upcoming Octavio Barrera feature and programmed a new footer for the website.
“The quality of your mind determines the quality of your life.”Waking Up is my favorite meditation tool (and I've tried them all!) and became inseparable from my daily morning routine. If you haven't already PRESENT readers can now try it for free via
share.wakingup.com/9a0738. I hope it may give you a little relief in these trying times.
Present Hours: 3.5
October 24, 2020(Rising: 9:30am)
Focusing on collaborations this year allowed us to explore so many new perspectives and territories. And making these products will—hopefully—support and keep this project alive.
We decided to publish Issue 2 in Spring 2021. The obstacles were simply too big this year for a physical issue, BUT with the new website we launched this year we are now able to share exciting new content frequently with you! From essays to interviews and fashion editorials that we produced in the last months together with amazing supporters and contributors.
Here is a sneak peak into the creation of our next product in collaboration with Ryoko Hori. This has been such a rewarding experience since the beginning and we are super excited for the results to be released soon!
Present Hours: 2
October 22, 2020 (Rising: 7:50am)
I worked on the same things as yesterday, but getting closer to shipping! I took my first run in Braga today, through the fields, in the autumn sun, this made me very happy. At noon we made a
post about our Incence Holders.
Quite a lot of client work this afternoon...
“Instead of adding things, thoughts, and tasks to our day, how about we go in the other direction. Let’s try removing things. With greater empty space in our minds, there will be a clearer view from the windows of our eyes. With more empty space in our bodies, there will be more room to breathe.” (Cory Allen)
Present Hours: 4
October 21, 2020
(Rising: 7:40am)
We had a beautiful first morning in Portugal! We did our routines, picked and pressed some fresh lemons from the garden and started working.
I continued with the naming and packaging of the upcoming RYOKO collaboration, then working Octavio Barrera, followed by preparing the next social posts, and on with the Newsletter...
“We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all that we need to make us really happy is something to be enthusiastic about.” (Charles Kingsley)
Present Hours: 5,5
October 20, 2020
(Rising: 4:10am)
We woke up early this morning to catch a flight to Porto and then drove to the city of Braga, where we will spend the next two weeks in the (empty) house of Sarah's grandmother.
We want to have some time away from Berlin to enjoy the Portuguese autumn and to work on Present and other projects. We will still continue to work for our clients from here, just with a nicer view on corn fields and lemon trees.
Quite fittingly we were watching "Lisbon Story" in the evening, the very charming movie by Wim Wenders about a sound engineer who obtains a mysterous postcard of a friend who is currently shooting a film in Lisbon saying that he should visit. He sets out across Europe to find him and help him. Boa noite!
October 16, 2020
(Rising: 6:15am)
I had a better morning and fresher energy today. Feeling grateful for being healthy and fit and able to wake up so early these last two weeks. It gave me a special kind of contentment, having the feeling of being in the right place, at the right time, working on the right stuff. (I actually missed this feeling for quite a while.)
Continued with layouting the upcoming Octavio Barrera piece, Then worked for a while on the next social posts and the content plan for the coming months. I realized how much Resistance I feel when I have to write something, it's crazy, in today's case an important message to the community, attached to the upcoming post.
But again, once I managed to get myself to start, it became less scary it was ridiculous. Starting is everything. Happy I could make good progress.
Now on to the Newsletter!
(Same Resistance here...man, this is hard work for me)
Refreshing the content plan felt good. I also made a clear timeline of when to publish what and prepared to brief Sarah to help with layouting.
Today I really took my mission seriously to start with the hardest task first and by 10:30 I got quite a lot done, which I'm proud of. Let's keep it upppp!
“It doesn’t matter how slow you go as long as you keep moving.”
Present Hours: 3,5 (ongoing)
October 15, 2020
(Rising: 7:20am)
This morning I finished the translation for Frank Berzbach's upcoming essay and send it to a native speaker to double-check it.
Then I took care of cleaning all lists for all Present projects that where getting terribly cluttered and chaotic. It felt good and was necessary, although in the back on my mind I felt like I was procrastinating. Currently procrastinating on: social media posts.
Update: Making it crysal clear to myself that I just have to keep it simple and honest and reminding myself to JUST GET STARTED helped me out of my misery, once again. (Worked on social posts, and the Octavio Barrera feature.)
In the afternoon I was tired. Took care of client projects, then took a nap, which only partly helped. Towards the end of the day I felt a bit weird energy-wise. But that's okay. Happy I got so much shit done in the morning!
Present Hours: 4 (ongoing)
October 14, 2020 (Rising: 6:45am)
After finishing my morning routine, I started with translating the upcoming essay for Present by Frank Berzbach. I look very much forward sharing this one with the world soon, it's a great piece and really practical and helpful.
I then had an early morning meeting with my friend and type designer
Erkin Karamemet. It is a very grey and rainy day here in Berlin, but we sat outside of La Maison with a coffee and it was very nice. We talked about our upcoming collaboration on a Present type family that we were thinking about for quite a while now, but decided to take it far further and more seriously now, exciting!
Back in the office I continued working on the Octavio Barrera feature, programming the custom sub-page on the website, that I am to publish as soon as possible in the coming days.
Present Hours: 5
October 13, 2020 (Rising: 6:30am)
Today I send our packaging design proposals
Ryoko Hori for our upcoming product collaboration. Then a bunch of e-mails and messages, afterwards continued working on the
Sibusiso Vilane interview. I'm super excited about those two and can't wait to share them with you!
In the afternoon I managed to sneak another hour to work on the next
Newsletter, and contacted a few new possible contributors for our
Better Together charity.
(Client work today: mainly for the fashion brand Leorosa and the band AnnenMayKantereit)
Present Hours: 3,5
October 10, 2020 It's Saturday and I'm feeling hungover. We were chilling in bed the whole morning and had a big brunch. In the afternoon we visited a pop-up store of our friend and Issue 1 contributor Jasmin who is doing
Truongii (fashion brand) and
Migle (jewellery), two great designers you should check out and follow!
Present Hours: –
October 09, 2020
(Rising time: 6am)
I started early today. Earlier than in a long time. Just really felt the need to do that in order to have some solid hours for myself and for dedicating to Present. Firstly I was working on the new membership model and the community forum, that I'm planning to launch. I think this could really change the dynamic of the whole project in a great way!
Afterwards I worked on the layout and coding for the upcoming feature and interview with Octavio Barrera.
Then I worked on the 6th edition of the PRESENT Newsletter to be released this month. Ended the morning session with socials posts preparation.
Quote for today:
“If you want to create something worthwhile with your life, you need to draw a line between the world’s demands and your own ambitions.” (Jocelyn K. Glei)
Present Hours: 5,5
October 08, 2020 (Rising time: 7am)
This morning I was mainly writing e-mails (so many e-mails!) and then took care of the next social media posts and the content plan for the next weeks.
There was a lots of client work today, but in the afternoon I managed to sneak in some more time for Present and
posted a homage to the painter Vasilis Dimitriou.
This quote for today:
"The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another." (William James)
Present Hours: 2,5
October 07, 2020 (Rising time: 7:30am)
I continued to work on the packaging for our upcoming collaboration with Ryoko Hori. And I wrote with Sia Arnika regarding the upcoming Present feature on her inaugural collection. The rest of the day was pretty full with client work...very busy day!
Sarah shared this fantastic interview with Irma Boom with me today:
Irma Boom on standing up for yourself, even in the face of controversy
Present Hours: 1,5
October 06, 2020
8:23am: Reactivation of the Project Tracker!
We have been hard at work in the last months.
Today we will work on finalising the packaging for our collaboration with Ryoko Hori. I will also continue with the next Newsletter edition.
I discovered this great article on The Guardian:
Want to really live in the present? Embrace life’s nasty bits, too by Oliver Burkeman
Present Hours: 3
October 05, 2020
Today was a Monday with a ton of client work and deadlines to take care of. Sadly there was no energy left for Present work, despite some little fixes and messages. Hoping that tomorrow will be better!
(Today I worked on projects for my clients Mugler, AnnenMayKantereit, Leorosa)
On another note: I'm currently reading
Breath by James Nestor, which is really great!
Hours: 0,5
October 03, 2020
I continued working on the upcoming Sibusiso Vilane interview.
Hours: 2
October 02, 2020
A simple realization: The more I manage to work on Present, the more happier I become. Short term and long term.
Hours: 3,5
September 26, 2020
Finalised and
launched the Massimo Vitali interview!
Hours: 4,5
September 08, 2020
Finalised and
launched the Florence Tétier contribution! And wrote an e-mail to Timothy Schaumburg for possible contribution.
Hours: 5
September 07, 2020
Website bug fixes and new arrangement, continued work on Florence Tétier, created a new banner for our Joao Drumond collaboration
Hours: 3
September 04, 2020
Made a
post about our Better Together charity. Open call for all makers and creators: become part of it!
Hours: 1,5
September 03, 2020
Continued working on the Florence Tétier contribution presentation.
Hours: 3
September 02, 2020
Today I had a video call with Intisar Abdul-Kader for her upcoming contribution. That was great! Looking so forward to this!
In the afternoon I did a screenprinting session and produced some t-shirts. In the evening I continued with the Florence Tétier contribution.
Hours: 5,5
September 01, 2020
Started working on the presentation of the upcoming Massimo Vitali interview on the Present website.
Hours: 2,5
August 14, 2020
We came back refreshed today from our holiday roadtrip. Full of new ideas!
July 28, 2020
Friends, we are on holidays until Mid-August! We needed a break. We'll be back with fresh ideas for you soon :)
July 22, 2020
Worked on the interview with Sibusiso Vilane, made some technical improvements on the website. In the afternoon I finally worked on a new Present symbol and more research and experimentinig with new design ideas
Hours: 7.5
July 21, 2020
I mainly updated the website today with small additions and bug fixes. Then I was writing with collaborators and working on a few new product graphics.
Hours: 2.5
July 17, 2020
Lots of correspondance with future contributors ... exciting!
Hours: 3
July 16, 2020
More fixes for the website and e-mails to contributors.
Hours: 4.5
July 15, 2020
Last changes and fixes to the new Website and the Newsletter until the afternoon ... and boooom, we are online! Thank you to Sarah for the last minute feedback and support!
Hours: 6
July 14, 2020
Woke up and worked on finalising the upcoming Newsletter #5. Made many tests for screen capturing the new website and turned one into a gif for the Newsletter. At the end of the day there were too many things to do still, but tomorrow it's on!
Hours: 9.5
July 13, 2020
Thinking about launching the new website tomorrow. It needs to see the light of day! I'm worrying that all the "fixing" is just fear of launching ...
Hours: 8.5
July 12, 2020
Cleaning up and researching for the next Newsletter.
Hours: 6
July 11, 2020
Lots of e-mail drafting today. Reaching out to future contributors, giving feedback to current contributors, and more research...
Hours: 6.5
July 10, 2020
Improved the mobile experience for the new website. It starts to feel like a never-ending trip. There are so many small details to improve!
Hours: 7
July 09, 2020
I added many more new features and content to the new website. At one point I have to stop adding new stuff and launch it already. But it still doesn't feel "right", but I feel that we are getting there...
Hours: 11
July 08, 2020
The new website is a beast. I enjoy wearing different "glasses", one is for designing, one is for writing and editing, one is for web-development. I have to admit that it is also pretty exhausting after a while. I need to find a way to finalise and ship it! Soon!
Hours: 8.5
July 07, 2020
Thankful to have Sarah, who is such a tremendous help and partner-in-crime. I'm trusting her opinion and are sensibility with 100%. And I feel so lucky to have someone who I can bounce all my ideas off — and who gets what I'm trying to accomplish.
Hours: 7
July 06, 2020
As usual I had to juggle all client projects and PRESENT today. But today was extra-crazy. I was jumping from one task to another. Running in the late afternoon helped a lot calm my mind and destress. I continued with upcoming Newsletter #5 and fixed/improved many areas of the new website.
Hours: 10.5
July 05, 2020
I worked on many small things on the new website. Lots of technical stuff today. But that actually fun. Sometimes this is such a good contrast to designing and conceptualising ... feeling grateful to be able to develop the website myself.
Hours: 7
July 04, 2020
Exactly one year ago we launched PRESENT Issue 1. Great memories came up today. And it makes me wanting to release the new website even more! And then finalise Issue 2!
Hours: 1
July 02, 2020
More testing and fixing bugs for the new website.
Hours: 5.5
June 30, 2020
This was a long day of fixing bugs on the website...
Also, e-mails and research.
Hours: 7
June 29, 2020
We worked on some collaborations. Figured prices and production costs, and made mock-up's.
Hours: 4
June 24, 2020
• Website fixes
• Contributor Mails
• Cleaned/improved the Present Team Workspace on Notion
Hours: 2
June 23, 2020
• Newsletter #5 Research and Prodcution
• Website Fixes
• Drafted e-mails to new Contributors
Hours: 4,5
June 22, 2020
• Website fixes: Mobile Navigation, Search function, …
Hours: 2,5
June 22, 2020
• Website fixes: Mobile Navigation, Search function, …
Hours: 2,5
June 20, 2020
Cleaning the (very massive) backburner, to-do's and future plans lists. Composing an e-mail to a new contributor.
Hours: 3
June 19, 2020
At 10am we had the interview with Massimo Vitali over Skype. We talked with him for 1,5 hours. It was fantastic!
Afterwards, at 12, we went to Ryoko and she presented us four directions she created for the upcoming Present Sense.
In the afternoon I wrote e-mails to new potential collaborators and contributors.
Hours: 5,5
June 18, 2020
Continued to prepare the interview with Massimo Vitali.
Hours: 2.5
June 17, 2020
More e-mails to more contributors! And I prepared new feedback to existing contributors. And worked on the interview with Massimo Vitali tomorrow.
(Hours: 3.5)
June 15, 2020
We received the first pictures from Florence Tétier! Super nice!
(Hours: 0.5)
June 12, 2020
More e-mail to contributors!
(Hours: 1)
June 11, 2020
I approached two contributors that I have been putting off for a while. Maybe because I don't know them personally.But this felt like really good progress.
(Hours: 2)
June 10, 2020
• Contacted new contributors. Research for Newsletter #5.
• Soft launch test for the new website
(Hours: 3)
June 09, 2020
Continued implementing notes and contents into Notion (our new organisation tool)
• Continued with the new website. (Had some struggles with transfering to the new domain to the new hosting.)
• Drafted more e-mails to new contributors.
(Hours: 3)
June 08, 2020
We started implementing NOTION into our workflow for PRESENT. We collected so many different files and folders and notes and tasks, it became too messy. Notion seems very promising!
• Sent reminders to PatchDevil and Bobby Kolade
• Continued with new website
(Hours: 4)
June 07, 2020
We had a good brainstorming/admin/planning meeting today!
(Hours: 1,5)
June 04, 2020
Same same: Worked all day as hard as I could on the website. Finishing texts and developing a bunch of things.
(Hours: 10)
June 03, 2020
I had almost the whole day to push the new website towards finalisation. Made some really solid progress. Feeling super excited to finally get this online!
(Hours: 6,5)
June 02, 2020
Felt overwhelmed by all the shit that's going on in the world right now. Made a statement for PRESENT on social media. We are going to donate all proceedings from Better Together and Present to CIJ, an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing equality and justice for all. In the afternoon I continued working on the new website.
(Hours: 5,5)
June 01, 2020
Today we had the next meeting with Ryoko Hori to discuss our collaboration for a PRESENT product. It was very exciting and educative. At the end of the day I had one hour to continue working on the new website.
(Hours: 2,5)
May 31, 2020
I had a few hours this Sunday afternoon to finalise and send out Newsletter #4! Afterwards I was working on some improvements of the new website.
(Hours: 3)
May 30, 2020
Some e-mails to a few contributors in the morning.
(Hours: 0,5)
May 29, 2020
Continued work on the Newsletter. Otherwise, this was a packed day as we had a presentation to a client in the evening.
(Hours: 2)
May 28, 2020
New Website improvements: Figured out how to implement the site-wide search function. Exciting stuff!
(Hours: 3,5)
May 27, 2020
New Website: Tinkered on the shop system and added more content.
(Hours: 4)
May 13, 2020
Good progress on the New Website. Good progress on Contributor E-Mails. Felt overwhelmed today, because of many action plans for PRS but many things to do for my clients. New ideas came while running.
(Hours: 4,5)
May 12, 2020
Continued to work mostly on the New Website. Also progress on the upcoming Newsletter #4.
(Hours: 3)
May 03, 2020
Great meeting with Sarah, planning the next steps.
(Hours: 3)
April 06, 2020
Finally shipped the e-mails to two contributors, whose work I deeply admire.
(Hours: 2)
April 04, 2020
I presented the current status of the page plan to Sarah. We talked about all the ideas, and it was very helpful to share and step out of my “bubble”.
[Hours: 1,5]
April 03, 2020
I finished the Mediakit. It took me longer than expected, but it turned out to be a great exercise. It made me re-evaluate the whole project again. And it felt good doing this. This is now a useful tool to contact the rest of the contributors for Issue 2. Fingers crossed!
[Hours: 2,5]
March 31, 2020
Continued working on the mediakit and researched and wrote new sections for Newsletter #3.
[Hours: 3,5]
March 28, 2020
Social posts preparation and shipping.
[Hours: 1,5]
March 26, 2020
Mediakit, e-mails, and social media post preparations for the next days — and posted one today!
[Hours: 1,5]
March 24, 2020
Today: continuation on research for Issue 2 and the next Newsletter.
[Hours: 1,5]
March 23, 2020
Research for Issue 2 and the next Newsletter. Mediakit improvements. Preparation of new social posts.
[Hours: 2,5]
March 22, 2020
Preparation of new social posts. That’s it!
[Hours: 0,5]
March 21, 2020
I just prepared a new (silkscreen) screen for a printing session tomorrow. In other news: I shaved my head for the very first time. Consider it a “favorite unrealized project” solved :) Very unusual feeling, but fresh!
[Hours: 0,5]
March 20, 2020
Mainly worked on the mediakit today. Slowly getting there! It’s a good exercise in boiling everything down to the core. I think this will make communicating this whole project much more straightforward in the future...
[Hours: 1,5]
March 19, 2020
I took it all a bit easier today. Lots of calls with friends and family. I did put in some work into the medikit though. It takes more time than I thought! I mostly tried to reduce it more to the essentials, after the document grow way too big and complex...[Hours: 2]
March 19, 2020
I took it all a bit easier today. Lots of calls with friends and family. I did put in some work into the medikit though. It takes more time than I thought! I mostly tried to reduce it more to the essentials, after the document grow way too big and complex...[Hours: 2]
March 18, 2020
Finalised the Newsletter in the morning hours and sent it out at noon. Next up is the mediakit (which I aim to finish it this week), followed by designing new products for Spring!
[Hours: 3]
March 17, 2020
Continued working on the Newsletter that I want to send out tomorrow. Afterwards I continued sketching a new icon/symbol for Present. Feels good to design something, in this way. (As a balance to layouting, type-setting, writing.)
[Hours: 6.5]
March 16, 2020
A new week! Started with improving the mediakit, then published a new post on Instagram. (A series of scans of Issue 1, by Readellion, one of our stockists in Ukraine.) Continued to work on the second edition of the Present Newsletter.
[Hours: 2.5]
March 15, 2020
Worked on the mediakit and prepared social media posts for next week. (On another note, we went to Schinkel Pavillon to see the current exhibition by Danica Barboza and Mohamed Bourouissa.)[Hours: 1]
March 14, 2020
Posted an extract of Present Newsletter #1 on Instagram in hope to inspire new subscribers for the next edition. Then worked on the next newsletter.
[Hours: 1.5]
March 13, 2020
Prepared more e-mails to send out to contributors next week. It’s mid-march already, and I really need to get this rolling now … I aim to have more time and space for the design process this time.[Hours: 2.5]
March 12, 2020
Good progress on the page-plan and concept. Today it was more about simplifying and re-arranging. So, this will be my priority for the rest of the day — after I finished client work, which I have to tackle right now, after I spend the entire morning on Present
[Hours: 4.5]
March 11, 2020
Today I contacted some first possible contributors. Felt good to take this action. Also, I discussed a new idea with my sister, PRESENT partnering up for a good cause.
[Hours: 2]
March 10, 2020
Worked on the next newsletter, prepared social posts, and posted an extract of “Present Newsletter No. 1” on Instagram.
[Hours: 3]
March 09, 2020
Page plan and mediakit. Continued to prepare the next social Posts and worked on the next edition of the newsletter.
[Hours: 1.5]
March 08, 2020
Continued with the concept, the mediakit and the newsletter. Afterwards I researched some product ideas. I’m really aiming to be able to offer a range of new products in the shop by spring!
[Hours: 2]
March 06, 2020
Page plan: I reviewed ideas that didn’t make it into Issue 1 due to timing or other reasons. And if and how they could fit into the next issue. Then, more social media posts preparations. I’m having four posts lined-up now, but they need some last refinement. I wish I would be quicker with posting, but my process with this is still quite … slow.
[Hours: 1.5]
March 05, 2020
Page plan, social media posts preparation. On another note: I was visiting the reading of Present contributor Frank Berzbach’s new book, which was great! It’s called “Die Schönheit der Begegnung“ and it’s going to be released today.
[Hours: 1.5]
March 04, 2020
New post on Instagram/FB. Felt good! Thankful that Sarah helped me preparing this. Afterwards, more progress on the new page plan.[Hours: 1.5]
February 27, 2020
While I was sitting in the ECAL library and working on my talk and presentation later today, Yoo-Mi, the librarian showed me an article about PRESENT in the magazine called “magazine”. In the evening I was giving a talk about my career and PRESENT and life, 9 years after graduating at ECAL. I talked about all the steps that brought me to finally publish a “real” magazine.[Hours: 3.5]
February 07, 2020
Many meetings and client work today and I could only work a little bit on the page plan, and on the next Instagram post.
[Hours: 0.5]
February 06, 2020
Continued the page plan, mediakit…Posted HOW TO WORK BETTER (happy for the nice response!)
[Hours: 1.5]
February 05, 2020
Continued the page plan, mediakit, preparing social media posts, posted Louise Friedlaender portrait from the MY DOJO section in Issue 1 on Instagram. It’s already February! Feels good to have posted something again. The mediakit advances slowly, collecting stuff, but no red thread yet...but getting there.
[Hours: 2.5]
April 4, 2020
I presented the current status of the page plan to Sarah. We talked about all the ideas, and it was very helpful to share and step out of my “bubble”.
[Hours: 1,5]
April 3, 2020
I finished the Mediakit. It took me longer than expected, but it turned out to be a great exercise. It made me re-evaluate the whole project again. And it felt good doing this. This is now a useful tool to contact the rest of the contributors for Issue 2. Fingers crossed!
[Hours: 2,5]
March 31, 2020
Continued working on the mediakit and researched and wrote new sections for Newsletter #3.
[Hours: 3,5]
March 28, 2020
Social posts preparation and shipping.
[Hours: 1,5]
March 26, 2020
Mediakit, e-mails, and social media post preparations for the next days — and posted one today![Hours: 1,5]
March 25, 2020
Today: continuation on research for Issue 2 and the next Newsletter.[Hours: 2,5]
March 24, 2020
Today: continuation on research for Issue 2 and the next Newsletter.[Hours: 1,5]
March 23, 2020
Research for Issue 2 and the next Newsletter. Mediakit improvements. Preparation of new social posts.
[Hours: 2,5]
March 22, 2020
Preparation of new social posts. That’s it!
[Hours: 0,5]
March 21, 2020
I just prepared a new (silkscreen) screen for a printing session tomorrow. In other news: I shaved my head for the very first time. Consider it a “favorite unrealized project” solved :) Very unusual feeling, but fresh!
[Hours: 0,5]
March 20, 2020
Mainly worked on the mediakit today. Slowly getting there! It’s a good exercise in boiling everything down to the core. I think this will make communicating this whole project much more straightforward in the future...[Hours: 1,5]
March 19, 2020
I took it all a bit easier today. Lots of calls with friends and family. I did put in some work into the medikit though. It takes more time than I thought! I mostly tried to reduce it more to the essentials, after the document grow way too big and complex...[Hours: 2]
March 18, 2020
Finalised the Newsletter in the morning hours and sent it out at noon. Next up is the mediakit (which I aim to finish it this week), followed by designing new products for Spring![Hours: 3]
March 17, 2020
Continued working on the Newsletter that I want to send out tomorrow. Afterwards I continued sketching a new icon/symbol for Present. Feels good to design something, in this way. (As a balance to layouting, type-setting, writing.)[Hours: 6.5]
March 16, 2020
A new week! Started with improving the mediakit, then published a new post on Instagram. (A series of scans of Issue 1, by Readellion, one of our stockists in Ukraine.) Continued to work on the second edition of the Present Newsletter.[Hours: 2.5]
March 15, 2020
Worked on the mediakit and prepared social media posts for next week. (On another note, we went to Schinkel Pavillon to see the current exhibition by Danica Barboza and Mohamed Bourouissa.)[Hours: 1]
March 14, 2020
Posted an extract of Present Newsletter #1 on Instagram in hope to inspire new subscribers for the next edition. Then worked on the next newsletter.[Hours: 1.5]
March 13, 2020
Prepared more e-mails to send out to contributors next week. It’s mid-march already, and I really need to get this rolling now … I aim to have more time and space for the design process this time.[Hours: 2.5]
March 12, 2020
Good progress on the page-plan and concept. Today it was more about simplifying and re-arranging. So, this will be my priority for the rest of the day — after I finished client work, which I have to tackle right now, after I spend the entire morning on Present
[Hours: 4.5]
March 11, 2020
Today I contacted some first possible contributors. Felt good to take this action. Also, I discussed a new idea with my sister, PRESENT partnering up for a good cause.
[Hours: 2]
March 10, 2020
Worked on the next newsletter, prepared social posts, and posted an extract of “Present Newsletter No. 1” on Instagram.
[Hours: 3]
March 9, 2020
Page plan and mediakit. Continued to prepare the next social Posts and worked on the next edition of the newsletter.
[Hours: 1.5]
March 8, 2020
Continued with the concept, the mediakit and the newsletter. Afterwards I researched some product ideas. I’m really aiming to be able to offer a range of new products in the shop by spring!
[Hours: 2]
March 6, 2020
Page plan: I reviewed ideas that didn’t make it into Issue 1 due to timing or other reasons. And if and how they could fit into the next issue. Then, more social media posts preparations. I’m having four posts lined-up now, but they need some last refinement. I wish I would be quicker with posting, but my process with this is still quite … slow.
[Hours: 1.5]
March 5, 2020
Page plan, social media posts preparation. On another note: I was visiting the reading of Present contributor Frank Berzbach’s new book, which was great! It’s called “Die Schönheit der Begegnung“ and it’s going to be released today.
[Hours: 1.5]
March 4, 2020
New post on Instagram/FB. Felt good! Thankful that Sarah helped me preparing this. Afterwards, more progress on the new page plan.[Hours: 1.5]
Feb 27, 2020
While I was sitting in the ECAL library and working on my talk and presentation later today, Yoo-Mi, the librarian showed me an article about PRESENT in the magazine called “magazine”. In the evening I was giving a talk about my career and PRESENT and life, 9 years after graduating at ECAL. I talked about all the steps that brought me to finally publish a “real” magazine.[Hours: 3.5]
Feb 7, 2020
Many meetings and client work today and I could only work a little bit on the page plan, and on the next Instagram post.
[Hours: 0.5]
Feb 6, 2020
Continued the page plan, mediakit…Posted HOW TO WORK BETTER (happy for the nice response!)
[Hours: 1.5]
Feb 5, 2020
Continued the page plan, mediakit, preparing social media posts, posted Louise Friedlaender portrait from the MY DOJO section in Issue 1 on Instagram. It’s already February! Feels good to have posted something again. The mediakit advances slowly, collecting stuff, but no red thread yet. This feels pressing because there are some players I feel I need to send the mediakit otherwise they don’t get it?
[Hours: 2.5]
