Here’s a selection of typefaces I’ve fallen in love with this season.
Dive in and find some fresh inspiration!

1. EROS by VJ-TYPE

https://vj-type.com/17-eros
Display Typeface Inspired by the Art Movement of Jugendstil.
Designed by Jérémy Schneider.

2. NINNA by Margot Lévêque Studio

https://margotleveque.com/collections/ninna
A Roman Display Typeface Inspired by Historical Forms.
Designed by Margot Lévêque.

3. BRIER by Type Department

https://type-department.com/products/brier
A Serif Display Typeface Primarily Inspired by Elements of Nature.
Designed by Fatima Abbas.

4. MAKA Typeface by Taylor Penton

https://www.taylorpenton.com/fonts/p/kula-jl3ps
A Wide-Set Serif Typeface Built Ford Tough.
Designed by Taylor Penton.

5. PATRÍZIA Typeface by Guilherme Bidarra

https://www.bidarra.com.br/patrizia-typeface
Serif Typeface Inspired by the Renaissance Era.
Designed by Guilherme Bidarra.

I hope some of these fonts will inspire you in your upcoming projects.
And if you need even more design inspiration, follow me on Instagram.

Arohanui,
Nina x

Der Beitrag Typography Inspiration | FW 2024 Font Selection erschien zuerst auf Studio GRL.

Lately I celebrated 3 years of Studio GRL, which made me reflect how much growth this wild ride has initiated. I’m not pointing at my Adobe skills here, but on how the self-employed lifestyle has worked on my being. I’ve never freelanced in my life before and once I took the leap, I realised how different it really is to working for a boss. The entrepreneurial lifestyle often appears very glamorous: working for amazing clients from fancy coffee places and embarking on global adventures. Yet, beneath the surface lies a complex world that mostly remains unseen from the outside.

Leaving the corporate world to pursue my career as a creative freelancer, brought up various challenges: the uncertainty of when the next job would come along, overwork leading to burnout, loneliness and feeling overwhelmed by the never-ending to-do list.

In this post, I’ll share 7 lessons from my journey as a Brand and Web Designer, along with tools, methods, and tips. You may have already stumbled upon or are on the verge of uncovering some harsh truths as you venture on this path.

1. Having a Wide Range of Skills.

Pouring my creativity into my work lets me pursue passion and freedom, but running a business involves a variety of additional tasks beyond the creative process. Besides the artist, I am also the account manager, business developer, sales – and finance manager, copywriter, social media content creator. When working for a company I’m responsible for one task. As a freelancer a lot of time (unless I hire an assistant) is consumed by additional tasks. Those can be answering emails, sending proposals, client calls, managing bookings, marketing my services, organising client files, doing taxes, creating content for social media, maintaining my website and portfolio.

In my experience, these tasks usually take up about half of my time before I can dive into the creative process of my projects. By refining my systematic process and figuring out how to work more efficiently over the past few years, I’ve been able to minimise the time spent on these tasks by working smarter, not harder.

The requirement for such a large skillset is often overlooked and can be quite overwhelming when starting out.But there are plenty of resources out there to help you work smarter and more efficiently. I’ve learned the most from other talking to other freelancers that have more experience than me. It can also be local or online courses, freelancing communities, business mentors, YouTube and so on. As always, becoming a master of something requires patience. Also, try to delegate tasks that can be handled by others and outsource responsibilities to streamline your workload – 10 hours of your time is 1 hour of some experts time.

TOOLS

– Monotasking
– Learn how to prioritize tasks
– Get organized with apps
– Set up your (clean & organised) workspace
– Hire an expert
– Invest in fast working devices (You’ll thank yourself later)
– Google Calendar
– Google Meet for setting up meetings
– Toggl (Free Time Tracking Software)
– Notion (Client Management, Project & Finance Tracking)
– Monday.com (Project Management Tool)

2. Self-Motivation and Discipline

It’s the dream of many to have the freedom to work where and when we please. But also, without traditional workplace structure, inner drive is crucial for meeting deadlines and financial obligations without a regular salary.

For the past 2 years, I’ve lived as a digital nomad, working from diverse locations worldwide. Regulary changing environments kept me motivated, inspired and connected to amazing people. But like in everything, it’s all about balance. Despite the adventure, I sometimes missed having an uninterrupted and spacious studio space “to get in the zone”.

Successful freelancers have to be disciplined – you have to spend time (months, sometimes years) building up a nest egg so that you don’t run out of money if you don’t get another job straight away. And it takes time to stay top of mind in your industry. All that hard work pays off when you can finally enjoy your downtime and not worry about where your next commission is coming from, because you know it will. It think to succeed in life, whether it’s cultivating physical strength, mastering a skill, or establishing a sustainable business, it’s important to know that freelancing is a marathon, not a sprint.

TOOLS

– Switch up your usual work-environment from time to time
– Practice mindfulness (meditation, yoga, journaling)
– Invest in positive self-talk
– Write down WHY you choose to become a freelancer
– Hang out with people that are better at motivating themselves
– Write down where you want to be next year
– Keep on pushing outside of your comfort zone
– Remember to take breaks to rest & restore
– Pomodoro technique
– Focus (iOS App)

3. It Can Be Lonely.

Working without the daily interactions that come with a traditional office setting, I often find myself working alone for an extended period of time, which makes scheduling social-time a necessity for me to maintain sanity. Even amidst the hustle of a coffee shop or co-working space, loneliness can set in without like-minded companions who understand and empathize with my experiences.

As a Scorpio Sun and Cancer Moon, time alone is something I really enjoy and offers a source of nourishment for me. “Getting in the zone”, merging with my creations and losing the sense of time around me, is a fertile ground for my art and my soul. On the other hand, it’s very easy for me to isolate myself and get lost in my work. Over the last years I’ve got to know myself better and I know when it’s time to make an appointment with a friend.

We all have different social needs and either have introverted or more extroverted personalities – it’s important to know yourself here and create the social life that fulfills your needs. Building a supportive community of close friends, family and likeminded fellow freelancers is invaluable in feeling socially statisfied and providing encouragement & support during challenging times.

TOOLS

– Find places and spaces: check out local co-working spaces
– Be kind to yourself
– Collaborate: Starting with your clients – the aren’t the enemy and can also be part of meaningful connections
– Join groups to connect with other passionate creatives (Moana Temple Freelance Facebook Group)
– Add a timeblocks of social activity in your calendar too!
– Support others: Find opportunities where you can also help people in need of connection and support
– Start a podcast (great way to network & make new friends)

4. You’ll Be Responsible.

Freelancing gives me a lot of independence and freedom, plus if something goes wrong, it’s my fault and it’s up to me to fix it. It can be a deadline I’ve missed, a client who doesn’t like my design, an email I haven’t seen, a file I’ve forgotten to send, etc. I am not only responsible for delivering quality work to my clients, but also for marketing my services, doing taxes, negotiating contracts, managing finances and meeting deadlines. Without the security of a steady paycheck or employee benefits like health insurance, I must independently manage tasks such as taxes, insurance, and retirement planning.

I’d like to infuse some yogic wisdom into this discussion. In yoga, “responsibility” is understood as “response-ability” – the capacity to naturally and spontaneously respond from a core of inner stillness, in such a way as to take a situation to a higher level. How we respond depends on my inner state; fatigue, anger, or distraction hinder effective responses. Most big mistakes happen because my state is somehow impaired. So a practice of self-awareness, a self-check-in, can make a big difference.

It can be quite overwhelming at first when we take on this role as a constant problem solver when a problems arise. The most important principle to remember here is not to take things personally and to understand that it is normal for things to go wrong and that misunderstandings happen. We are all human and trying our best.

TOOLS

– Don’t take it personally
– Communicate Your Availability
– Design your daily routine with mental well-being in mind, fostering resilience and sustained productivity
– Stay formal & kind (If that’s not possible, cool down first)
– Learn to Say No
– Learn to accept mistakes
– Establish healthy boundaries

5. Building a Support System

Something I’ve definitely learned to embrace more in my life is that I can’t do it all by myself. Running a business is a big job and releasing the idea of hyper-independence is a crucial first step for growing (your business). Holding myself back from asking for advice can easily lead me to a downward spiral – if I refuse to ask for support, I may withdraw further and avoid any contact while I try to figure it all out on my own.

I wouldn’t be where I am today without the advice and guidance I’ve received from my dear community to navigate certain challenges. I am beyond grateful for the constant emotional support I receive, especially when I go through a period of self-doubt or burnout.

No one will ever judge you for seeking support from others or asking for their advice and guidance. We are thriving the most when there is a supportive community of friends, family, mentors and freelancers that inspire us to be a better person.

TOOLS

– Share about the project you are currently working on with a friend/family
– Don’t be shy to ask for help & advice
– Moana Temple (Freelance Facebook Group)

6. Energy & Attention Optimization

Valuing my time over money is a big reason why I decided to go freelance. With multiple projects, clients to juggle and all the things that need attention, it’s crucial to manage my time efficiently to stay productive and inspired. Feeling like there’s never enough time to do what I want is a red flag that something is wrong. Taking responsibility here means setting clear priorities and boundaries, breaking tasks down into manageable chunks and allocating time wisely to balance my work and personal life. The aim is always to work joyfully rather than harder and in alignment with energy levels.

When I worked for other companies, I struggled with the monotonous routine, longing to align with my hormonal cycle. This desire was a significant factor in my decision to become self-employed. Since becoming cycle aware, I have made it a priority to let my energy levels guide my work schedule. I prioritize big tasks during times of peak energy and adjust accordingly to my body’s wisdom.

As cyclical beings, it is essential to understand our inner seasons and ask ourselves: How can I optimise my time in balance with my energy levels? To thrive as a freelancer, it is also important to know the value of your work and that time is precious. Valuing your time over money is probably why you’ve chosen to become a freelancer. I think there is no perfect answer to this as everyone has their own way of getting things done and making this life possible. Finding your unique path to concentration is key. Below are some of my tools and tips.

TOOLS

– Create your own pre-written email responses
– Offer package services
– Make a list of your energy drainers + energy givers
– Learn about investing for financial independence
– What distracts you and your focus when you need to be fully present? Make a plan to minimize distractions so you can be at your best when you need to be.
– Schedule breaks in between projects to avoid burnout (If that is financially not possible, I would consider raising your prices if you want to thrive in a sustainable business)
– Screen Zen App (App to control your screentime)
– Toggle – Time Tracking Software to save your working hours on a project
– 28 (Cycle Tracking App)

7. The Work is Never Finished.

Unlike a traditional 9-5 job with set hours I can find myself in a never-ending cycle of projects, to-do checkboxes, deadlines and client demands. When one project is finished, there’s just another one looming on the horizon. So whether it’s answering emails, revising drafts or looking for new clients – there’s always something that needs to be done.

I want to quickly mention a related topic here, which is the time/money connection. It can be very stressful to feel like you never have enough time to do what you want. There is an interesting study that gives more insight into the anxiety of trading time for money. You can find it here.

To avoid burnout amidst the endless stream of tasks, it’s important to set clear work/life boundaries. It’s curcial to have a set time when you fully focus on your work and to have a downtime to completely disconnect yourself from work. If there are certain tasks that make you feel very overwhelmed, write them down and think who can help you with it. Perhaps you can ask your partner to help you with these more challinging task.

TOOLS

– Design a To-Do List that works for you (pen and paper, Notion, Google Sheets,etc.)
– Set official working times when you are available for your clients (Put them on your website)
– Schedule certain business tasks. For example, set aside 15 minutes each evening to deal with emails so you can get on with your work the next morning with confidence and no questions hanging over your head before you go to sleep.
– Go back to pen and paper
– Turn off your notifications
– Exercise (Walking, gym, pilates)
– Keep on raising your prices as you grow

My Conclusion.

In conclusion, freelancing offers a unique blend of freedom, creativity and responsibility. I feel that practicing mindfulness has helped me tremendously in facing the challenging aspects of freelancing. I feel much more confident in what I do, but I honestly still find myself not really knowing what I am doing. I guess this feeling will never fully fade away in this human experience of constant learning, maybe it’s not supposed to.

I hope that these lessons will inspire and inform other talented creatives who are looking to turn passion into a successful and sustainable career.

I’d like to end this article with a quote from Rick Rubin, author of The Creative Act: A Way of Being, that really sums up what freelancing means to me:

“Good habits make good art. The way we do something is the way we do everything. Treat every choice you make, every action you take, every word you speak with skillful care. The aim is to live your life in the service of art”

If you enjoyed this blog post, please take a moment to share it with your network to help inspire and inform other freelancers on their journey.

Thank you for being here x
Arohanui,
Nina

Der Beitrag 7 Things I’ve Learned as a Full-Time Freelance Designer erschien zuerst auf Studio GRL.

We can turn on the stress response just by thought alone. We can think about our problems and turn on those chemicals – that means then our thoughts could make us sick. So if it’s possible that our thoughts can make us sick, is it possible that our thoughts could make us well? The answer is absolutely yess.

Joe Dispenza

Every morning when I head out to start my day, I can see two worlds:
I see screen addication, I see confusion, I see fear of an idea of the future.

Then I take a deep breather and I open my eyes to a world without a story.
I see presence, I see creation, I see trust.

We all know that relaxation is essential – yet it is an art to remain in the state, especially in the sophisticated and fast-paced age we live in, where the ability to be comfortable with not knowing is a skill. Our world is infused with a “virus” that’s tensing humanity up – chronic stress. The information overload and the news that cause a sympathetic activation won’t stop any time soon, but pleasure, gentleness and relaxation can be found now by raising awareness about the causes of stress.
It’s not just about breathing from your belly, out-thinking your stress using affirmations or thinking positive – we cannot use our conscious mind to regulate our nervous system.

Before you start to continue reading, I want to mention that I am not a professional health advisor – I’m just a girl that is very passionate about learning about the nervous system and loves to summarize information that maybe inspires you to become more aware of your body and thoughts.

The Survival State

According to Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine, stress is responsible for causing 95% of our illnesses. Most people spend 70% of their life living in fight n’ flight mode – the hormones of stress, like cortisol can downregulate our genes. Cortisol is a hormone that your adrenal glands (found above the kidneys) produce and release. It regulates your body’s stress response, controls your metabolism, suppresses inflamation, regulates blood pressure and blood sugar, helps to control the sleep-wake cycle. In the state of fight and flight your body also releases adrenaline. Persistently high adrenalines caused by chronic stress can heighten blood pressure, cause digestive problems, insomnia, weight gain, memory & concentration problems.

There are three different types of stress:

• Acute Stress: Short period danger.
• Chronic Stress: Long term stress.
• Traumatic Stress: Experiencing a traumatic experience that influences the present.

Our nervous system is responsible for sensation, perception, feelings & emotions, thoughts and actions. Indicators for an homeostatic imbalance can be feeling stuck, addicted, attached and mentally unable to map a way out. Our whole time perception is influenced by our state – If we are in a relaxed state, we are more in tune with what’s going on inside of us. When we are stressed, the time outside of us seems to go very slowly – for example when we experience difficulties to just lay and do nothing, we feel unable to enjoy doing nothing, slow down and lean into “boredom”. Compared to when we are in a relaxed state, where time seems to just fly by.

Stress itself is not only bad for us – It’s like a phenomenally beautiful biological process that we are fully equipped with to have over and over without harm. Like a gazelle that is hunted by a lion – eventually when the gazelle found a way to get out of the situation it calms down and fully recovers from the event. Stress also activates our immune sytem. That’s why when we work-work-work and as soon as we rest, we are more likely to get sick.

One interesting term I stumbled on my reseach is Mitochondria – tiny power generators that keep our cells healthy and exist by the thousands in each of our body’s 37 trillion cells.

This is how the National Human Genome Research Institude defines Mitochondria: “They are membrane-bound cell organelles that generate most of the chemical energy needed to power the cell’s biochemical reactions. The mitochondria’s purpose is to produce that energy. So for example, the muscle has a lot of mitochondria, the liver does too, the kidney as well, and to a certain extent, the brain, which lives off of the energy those mitochondria produce. So if you have a defect in the pathways that the mitochondria usually functions with, you’re going to have symptoms in the muscle, in the brain, sometimes in the kidneys as well; many different types of symptoms. And we probably don’t know all of the different diseases that mitochondrial dysfunction causes.

Mitochondria are membrane-bound cell organelles that generate most of the chemical energy needed to power the cell’s biochemical reactions. The mitochondria’s purpose is to produce that energy. Some different cells have different amounts of mitochondria because they need more energy. So for example, the muscle has a lot of mitochondria, the liver does too, the kidney as well, and to a certain extent, the brain, which lives off of the energy those mitochondria produce. So if you have a defect in the pathways that the mitochondria usually functions with, you’re going to have symptoms in the muscle, in the brain, sometimes in the kidneys as well; many different types of symptoms. And we probably don’t know all of the different diseases that mitochondrial dysfunction causes.” – National Human Genome Research Institude.

A study of the university in Colombia has shown that it is very sensitive to daily affect and might be under our control. In the study they found out that people that woke up with more positive emotion and they went to bed with more positive emotion they had higher mitochondria. The chronically stress participants had general lower mitchondria overall, but this mood effect pretty much immediately overroad that at the middle of the week of that study.

Small Triggers For Stress

You’ll always find a reason to be stressed, unless you lay your burdens down and say:
“I ,myself, am unable to handle all of these burdens that come along with being a human.
I’m gonna surrender them to god and allow the best to flow, so I can sleep at night and I am not stressed.

Dan McDonald

• Number one – Diet. We can eat as much of what we consider as the “right” healthy foods, when we’re stressed out, our body won’t digest & funtion well. There is no diet that can make up stress.
  
• Expectations – Don’t let other peoples projections define you. We’ve all been consciously or unconsciously expecting friends, family, partners to act a certain way, fe. text us back. Expectations can cause this sensation of closure that can last for days, weeks, months, even years if we hold onto it. A subtle stress in our system caused by a fricking projection. If we simple let go of the expectations that we hold onto, stop putting ourselves and others in a box, there’s a refreshing spaciousness entering our being.
  
• Surrender – Releasing the grip. Practicing faith in a challenging situation takes courage, but choosing to believe it’s gonna work out makes life easier. Also to release the anticipation of the wrost case szenario.
  
• Red flags – Listening closely. Energy’s don’t lie, your body does not lie as well. Our intuition is truly a gift. As soon as we start to listen to the signs our body tries to communicate to us and listen to the red flags of environments, people etc. there will be more easy in our live.
  
• Existential Stress – What’s my purpose? Hope, how to make this a better world without having control over the world? The sense of being on the right path immediatly brings more ease into our system.
  

Screens, Social Media & Mental Health

Year 2023 – a digitalized world is taking over. It’s crucial how many people and especially kids & teenagers suffer from illnesses caused by too much time on the screen and Social Media, especially since the pandemic 2020. These days, a consensus of neuroscientists agree that brain development likely persists until at least the mid-20s – possibly until the 30s. It breaks my heart to learn about the negative effects of screens and seeing young children staring into a screen watching tiktok videos.

Screens excite the nervous system visually, cognitively and psychologically. The stimulation of screens are interpreted as forms of stress by our brains – they release stress hormones, raise blood pressure and increase our general alertness. Dr. Victoria Dunckley, an internationally recognized expert on the impacts of screen time on the developing brain says: “Eventually, all of these effects overwhelm the brains “short circuit”, the brain’s frontal lobe – the most developed part of the brain that makes us human. This happens, in part, by the shifting of blood flow away from the frontal lobe and toward the deeper, more primitive parts of the brain. Thus, any or all of the frontal lobe’s functions can be impaired. This includes mood regualtion, focus and executive functioning (getting things done), impulse control (emotional reaction), creativity and even things like kindness and empathy.”

Doorways / Practices

Bringing your awareness into your body, your thoguhts. There are so many practices that can bring you into the state of relaxation. Here are a few inspirations that help to witness inner workings and how the mind is affecting the mind and body. Learning how to watch the mind and starting the journey of developing good habits and displacing destructive ones that cause pain.

– Vows & Prayer
– Body Check-In: Tense face, eyebrows, hands. What am I feeling in my body and mind when nothing is happening? – Window into unconscious stress.
– Stay focused on self regulation (Daily & Weekly Time managent)
– Meditation (Resting back & Trusting the unknown meditation)
– Breathing
– Yin Yoga (My favorite free online class)
– Releasing Natural dopamine invoked by Play and Humor. Have you ever felt tensed up and your friend starts to be silly and you feel your whole body relax? Laughing promotes the release of endorphins and suppresses cortisol
– Sauna – Optimizes stress responses (Scientific studys)
– Nature Emersion
– Intentional Plant Medicine
– Activating Sensory Cues: Touch, Massage
– Stop rushing ~ Seeing the beauty
– Hypnosis: Deep relax, not sleep, deep focus
– Managing Media Consumption
– Having one screen-free day a week (Planning your downtime with screen-free leisure activities so you don’t resort to your phone the minute you’re bored)
– Sun Exposure
– Conscious stress (Conditioning our emotional and physiological stress response): HIIT training, Sauna, Cold Exposure
– Embracing uncertainty, living the impermanence
– Appreciation & Gratitude
– Changing the scene, switching things up and getting out of the routine


Thank you for reading towards the end, I hope that this article brings some inspiration and wonder to learn more about it!

What’s your number one stress regulator? Let me know in the comments.

Sources & Inspirations

– How to move about your day in a relaxed, soft & peaceful state | Taylor Brianne:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdbuWsHX_80
– Podcast Joe Rogan #1513 – Andrew Huberman:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1HnJSVAxlfZVREkojSJ39c?si=89b1430a1f2448a6
– Video: “HOW TO AVOID THE #1 CAUSE OF DISEASE AND DEATH!” https://fb.watch/ij1Ex6aF5w/
– Podcast “Tech making Kids Moody, Crazy and Lazy?” with Dr. Victoria Dunckley: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0T1Ohg3xIL4wbPN1sH3ssI?si=1ff61414b95844bb
– Stress is KILLING You | This is WHY and What You Can Do | Dr. Joe Dispenza: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfdvbZFXbNA
– Podcast “Digital Hygiene, Screen Time, Brain Health & Protecting Our Kids”:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1QIzjSwRMYFE8gjEZWI7Ns?si=22481dbe7eed4953
– People Really DON’T WANT To Become Successful | Joe Dispenza: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XucQiu_d5-A
– How To Reduce The Harmful Effects Of Chronic Stress with Dr. Elissa Epel: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3dVDQheKgo6XQahT7bF3XB?si=00b9ec1b8f364532

Der Beitrag Pleasure Found In The Idleness Of Nothing erschien zuerst auf Studio GRL.