A SHORT STORY BY STINA PAGLIERO
It says it should be over here. Just a little further.
Ok Peter but we’ve been driving for 30 minutes so I would expect us to arrive at this so called monument if it’s as easy as you said it was.
Yes I know, just a little closer. Kid, keep your eyes open.
The station wagon pulls over. The top is filled to the brim with everything imaginable to live a life of someone who might take a spontaneous road trip, but planned a lifetime of convenience for it. Sleeping bags even though they are always staying overnight at hotels. A coffee grinder because you never know if the 5 star centrally located city spas will brew espresso just the right way. A solar operated headlamp for the later 6-7PM drives.
Dad, you said there would be things to see here.
All places have space but all spaces do not have place. That’s how bad it got in the year 2157. The government in response was so smart that it designed the place Earth for space as a moving target of vacations to help incentivize people to live ephemerally. You could take a vacation back to Earth to feel. Earth was Disney World for “Outer Space”, which was the only thing humans really used the word “space” to equate any geographical meaning to in the English vocabulary when they lived there.
Now it lives as a place, an emotional Pokemon Go time capsule in reverse. As soon as you collected the feeling after being in the place, you moved on to the next. Museums had been doing it for hundreds of years and pyramids before that. People in every day relationships created places and spaces called boundaries subconsciously all the time.
How do we relate to space?
As the car doors slam and the dust settles, a younger woman dressed like an astronaut comes out of a small toll booth.
Welcome to SMH - The Space Museum and Monument for Humans.
Welcome to what? I don’t see anything.
The astronaut gestures.
It’s here. It’s everywhere. It’s nowhere. It’s wherever you see it to be. Any questions?
Well what do you mean it’s here squeals the woman.
We didn’t pay 1.5T bitcoin to have someone hand gesture. We came to make memories at this place. I’m calling the travel agency on this one. Going straight to their voicemail naturally. Now what Peter. You said we would see things.
Ok Wendy let’s just wait. Maybe this lady can help us here.
The dad motions to the woman in the exact coordinates that the brochure mentions as the destination. As if she didn’t understand English, his voice raises a decibel and he goes slower.
It says here that there should be a telephone booth. There’s no photo though. How do we know what it looks like? What is a telephone booth?
I’m not at liberty to talk about that sir.
The woman says.
There is one rule I am here to enforce at The Space Museum and Monument for Humans. And that’s you will know the space when you see it. But first you must see it.
Oh great that is so very insightful thank you.
More shrugs from Wendy.
Dad look what about that man over there. He is smiling and looking at something.
So it is that the family and the architect meet. A place is a location created by human experiences. The meaning we give to space correlates with the distance from human to the place.
Ahoy Sir! We are looking for a telephone booth. Do you see it?
Of course I do. I never left Earth. Where are you from?
We are from Galaxy Tesla.
The architect snuffs under his breath. There are a few who appear looking for him to solve the same problem. It’s why he stayed back on Earth frankly. More likely to run into people who recognize the space when they see it. Even it means running into these types. Here and at all the SMH locations in the SW of the USA.
So he begins.
Space is internal expansiveness. It is not a place. The place is the knowing inside you which brings your ability to find it. Which it sounds like you don’t know you have or are in and therefore can’t use it to find what you’re looking for. So you should probably call the travel agency and ask for your money back. You won’t find what you think you’re looking for yet. You aren’t here.
Wales from Wendy and the kid resounds.
The fantastical people pleasing radar from Peter is in full overdrive.
Now wait wait just a second. We ARE here. The hologram brochure riddle lists the coordinates, then says here, “The telephone booth therefore is where you least expect it. Frankly you didn’t have to leave the galaxy or your own mind to find it. But we’re not here to tell you how to live your life. You did so you did. All we can tell you is it’s here. It will appear when you see it. It is never in the same space for everyone, but it is always in the same place. See?”
The architect is ready.
I know what the brochure says and that’s why if you already are asking me, you won’t find it.
He points to the space in front of him and shakes his head.
Where are you? You must know where the space begins here and then you will see it. And then we can talk.
Dad, if it’s what he says, how do we know where it is? Can we go home yet? This isn’t fun. I really want to see my friends and play video games.
Peter, honestly, we don’t have time for this. We have things to do and people to see. You can’t find it this time again, ok? Let’s just get out of here.
Wendy’s middle name is Contempt with a capital C.
Inside him, something is building. He has lived his whole life doing the exact opposite of what this man has just said. Not relating to the space. Not creating the space. Not even knowing there was space. HA.Relating only to the other space. Others space. Outer space. Just like that, the need for space becomes even more crucial and yet disappears entirely. What is between where we and another begin? How can we always see it?
Somewhere in the distance a telephone rings.
Hello Peter.
—
STINA PAGLIERO
Stina Pagliero is an American product builder, teacher, and writer who relocated from Brooklyn to live and work in Copenhagen. She is currently building product experiences at an edu-tech start up Labster and teaching a PM course at a global training school General Assembly. This has taken her all over the world—from the US to the Middle East to Europe.
Outside Empirical and GA, you can find her: spending time with loved ones, outside in nature, working on her book of short stories, or learning a new skill or in an art museum.
Growing up, Stina read every and any book she could get her hands on in libraries, shops or family homes. She never adapted to the form being taught. She encourages everyone to tell their own stories and keep finding new ways to relate to themselves and the world through reading. To those reading this now, never stop turning the pages.
—
WE LOVE TO CONNECT PEOPLE
WRITER Stina Pagliero
INSTAGRAM @stinzitas
ILLUSTRATION Chelle Toulouse
INSTAGRAM @chelletoulouse
PHOTO Jakub Jezny
INSTAGRAM @jakubjezny
A SHORT STORY BY STINA PAGLIERO
The doorbell to the flower shop clinks. The day has just begun. Three funeral orders are in progress. The woman ushers herself in and stops at the magnolias. Her eyes glaze over, staring into the shop space. She inhales. The scissors meet the lily’s flower stem he is cutting. There’s buckets of fresh flowers everywhere. A stack of blue and white porcelain urns sit in the background. A jungle of random plants surround her, the ones that need lots of sunlight and ones that don’t. He’s standing behind a large old wooden counter with a worn-in cutting board and lots of tissue paper.
She doesn’t have much time. Clears her throat. Excuse me. He doesn’t look up, but she can tell he’s heard. She shifts her weight. Dressed all in black. Hands folded over her Birkin bag. Poised and ready to ask for what someone else wants. Jeff is waiting in the car. It was his last wish after all and she’s here to fulfill even that one. She steps forward. I’d like to know how much. He looks up to follow her eyes to the specific bucket. Her eyes are looking at him. He doesn’t blink and is about to go back to cutting the stem when she firmly says it. For the shop.
His gaze stops mid way and he looks back up at her. He’s never seen her in here. The shop is not for sale, he says blankly. Not because it isn’t for sale, but because this is not part of the script of the day. People come in and ask for a particular kind of flower. If he sees them before they walk in and depending on their entrance, he asks if they need help. If it’s a busy day, he acknowledges them and carries on, waiting for curiosity to interrupt. He has been doing this for decades. Every day the same routine and transition. Always him and the flowers and the customers. And not once, not once has anyone ever said this.
My client is prepared to make a considerable offer. She stands in the same position, not changing her eyes from his gaze. Is this what it’s like when death is coming for you and you’ve been unconscious the whole time? The soft music plays on in the shop. Erik Satie today. His parents work in finance. They moved here to open a flower shop and then struck it big in the stock market. How do you say “ I inherited millions and if money was no object, I would be a performance artist. So here I am. The flowers are my puppets now, you are my audience, and I am the ventriloquist”.
The doorbell clinks again. It’s the delivery guy with today’s shipment. Hundreds of thousands of dollars of flowers. Maybe .003% will sell from the cemetery. The money isn’t what it’s about. He’s always felt safe here. The cemetery being across the street and all.
It’s not that you could say she is cold. But they spent all of their life together. She knew nothing else. So in many ways, he is still here and no one else really is. Except somewhere she knows he’s not. After they met, his favorite thing was to come to this flower shop. Owning it is what he wanted. It all happened so fast. She had come here before they were together. Several times. Late for a meeting. Needed to pick something up for a dinner party. The man and woman working in the shop always obliged to help. Even when she couldn’t afford them, the flowers were an escape. Jeff noticed this right away when they met. Your apartment has no photos and no tupperware. But always these flowers. How do we want to be preserved? How do we want to preserve? Oh these, I picked these up on the way home. They never brought it up again.
They didn’t have to. Each time the doorbell rang, his hands contained .1% of the most expensive flowers in the whole city. She knew because they only sold them there. And if you were someone who wanted flowers and to just viscerally feel like you were escaping your circumstances just for a moment, you knew where to find the best ones in the city. They never discussed what happened after to the flowers he brought. Where they went.. No the ending was never considered. It wasn’t romantic. Save a petal in a book so it stays forever. There was only the routine anticipation of what flowers would come with him, their subtle symbolism not lost on her. They found a way to communicate through life itself. She never gave a thought to life without flowers or life without him. Why would she. And so when his life was taken, there was only one thing to do.
So here she was, asking this man behind the counter to buy his business for which she had no prior knowledge of simply other than for the fact that it was the last big bouquet her husband wanted to give her forever. Death after all is the thing for which we place the most significance in visualizing.
The man behind the counter stayed silent in thought. His parents were still young. Death did not run in his family so he couldn’t quite say if this feeling in the left part of chest was grief or sadness he witnessed so often here. Because of the cemetery and all. He thought he might have felt it when he was eleven. He had broken one of his mother’s most expensive porcelain vases. No it wasn’t that. Plus he had meticulously glued the pieces back together. Not that his mother had even noticed. That wasn’t what it was about. Every year since then, they had exchanged a collection of them. Each opened by the house’s wait staff, lined up on the shelf and dusted daily. But that feeling was in his stomach now that he thought of it.
Why?
It was a simple question.
That’s not your concern.
It was so eloquently put. A presentation of everlasting devotion to revisit. Surely there must be another way to grieve. There must be more time. Buy an immortelle. It requires less water than a business. What could he have possibly wished her to have with this shop? Couldn’t she have taken the bid up with his parents or the family estate? Why him? He wants to scream. Something is building inside him. Of course he has a right to say no. He always has. It is his. But something tugs somewhere deep.
Ok.
Great the team will be in touch to draw up the contract.
The doorbell clinks. We leave the same way we came.
—
STINA PAGLIERO
Stina Pagliero is an American product builder and writer who relocated from Brooklyn to live and work in Copenhagen. Currently she oversee the digital product experience at a flavor company called Empirical and teach a course in Product Management for people looking to up-skill or transition careers at General Assembly. This has taken her all over the world—from the US to the Middle East to Europe.
Outside Empirical and GA, you can find her: spending time with loved ones, outside in nature, working on her book of short stories, or learning a new skill or in an art museum.
Growing up, Stina read every and any book she could get her hands on in libraries, shops or family homes. She never adapted to the form being taught. She encourages everyone to tell their own stories and keep finding new ways to relate to themselves and the world through reading. To those reading this now, never stop turning the pages.
—
WE LOVE TO CONNECT PEOPLE
WRITER Stina Pagliero
INSTAGRAM @stinzitas
ILLUSTRATION Jim Brunnestom
INSTAGRAM @jim_brrr
PHOTO Jakub Jezny
INSTAGRAM @jakubjezny
Who is Jon Doe?
Jon is an LA-based DJ, wedding biz owner (@veilandvinyls), and foodie who reached out to us because he'd love to curate one of our playlists. We love to connect with new people and, of course, didn't hesitate to say yes.
As we have gotten to know Jon, we have found that his life revolves around his brilliant wife/ partner in crime @janesdotyu, personal growth, DJing, health, and fitness. He is curious about anything that has to do with personal development. He seems to be continually working on how he can be a better human being than he was yesterday and finding ways to impact the people around him in positive ways.
Like us, Jon is a big fan of the book Mindset by Carol Dweck. Understanding the growth mindset concept was a game-changer for him—being a learner is everything.
As a former NYC resident, Jon has had the opportunity to take inspiration from the best of both coasts and has blended a selection of sounds that influenced him throughout his life. As an open-format and multi-genre DJ, he doesn't let any particular genre define him but likes playing the music that moves him, including Hip-hop, R&B/Soul, Dance/Electronica (EDM, Disco, House), Pop, Top 40s, Funk, Reggae and everything in between.
Enjoy!
—
—
—
WE LOVE TO CONNECT PEOPLE
NAME Jon Doe
INSTAGRAM @whosjondoe
BUSINESS @veilandvinlys
SOUNDCLOUD whosjondoe
TWITCH whosjondoe
A SHORT STORY BY STINA PAGLIERO
He’s sitting outside the door in the same place he always sits. It’s 10 minutes til open. He watches the movement inside as the sun beats down. He rubs the side of his cheek and his jaw adjusts. His blank stare is indifferent at best. The librarian unlocks the door. She knows what’s coming and so does he. She has watched the same movement each week for as long as she can remember. She has said the exact same words to him. He walks up the stairs methodically, straight to Classic Fiction. Browses for about 5-10 minutes. Sits down for an hour. Eventually the time comes when it’s time to check out. He walks up to the desk with the book.
“Sir I’m sorry but you can’t check out books without a library card”.
And each time she feels more numb. More hopeless that something, she doesn’t quite know, is wrong with the system. He seems to process. It’s never been about the book for him. The human component is the routine ask after arriving somewhere. For a moment, he is like everyone else again. He stops. Looks puzzled and she can’t tell if he’s processed what she said. She never can. So she waits patiently. Watches families start to come in. Waves hello or smiles never quite taking her eyes off this man. She’s not afraid. She’s unnerved. Unphased to the extent she can be. He leaves the book on the desk. Turns around toward the door. Begins to walk. His jeans are worn. The faint smell of beer lingers. She doesn’t say anything more as he pushes open the door. What would he even do with the information? Perhaps the next donor will invest in cards that don’t require an address. She tries to reassure herself as she smiles at the next person walking in.
—
STINA PAGLIERO
Stina Pagliero is an American product builder and writer who relocated from Brooklyn to live and work in Copenhagen. Currently she oversee the digital product experience at a flavor company called Empirical and teach a course in Product Management for people looking to up-skill or transition careers at General Assembly. This has taken her all over the world—from the US to the Middle East to Europe.
Outside Empirical and GA, you can find her: spending time with loved ones, outside in nature, working on her book of short stories, or learning a new skill or in an art museum.
Growing up, Stina read every and any book she could get her hands on in libraries, shops or family homes. She never adapted to the form being taught. She encourages everyone to tell their own stories and keep finding new ways to relate to themselves and the world through reading. To those reading this now, never stop turning the pages.
—
WE LOVE TO CONNECT PEOPLE
WRITER Stina Pagliero
INSTAGRAM @stinzitas
ILLUSTRATION Katie Meade
INSTAGRAM @katiemeade
PHOTO Jakub Jezny
INSTAGRAM @jakubjezny
#instagramlove is a series of posts where we share some of the accounts we enjoy following. We love accounts that leave us feeling inspired, motivated, and curious. Read more about the series and our view on Instagram here.
Don't forget to unfollow accounts
that make you feel like shit!
—
Emilie Lilja (DK) — a Danish influencer, DJ, writer, and entrepreneur. She is funny, unpretentious, and very relatable. Emilie is the mother of Torben (a Bichon Havanais dog) and the PA of Miljømulle, a passionate cartoon girl who first showed up in Emilie's stories and later created her own account where she shares research and knowledge about climate change as well as tips and tricks for living more sustainably and making better everyday choices.
Emilie has worked with the community, GirlTalk, to help young girls and women who struggle with issues such as loneliness and low self-esteem. She is currently working with Joannahuset, a newly opened crisis center in Copenhagen, who gives children and young adults in vulnerable situations a sanctuary, someone to talk to, and a bed to sleep in 24/7, all year round.
Emilie openly shares some of her personal battles; examples are the hardcore training she did to get in shape for a pro boxing match (which she won), and her fight against the osteoarthritis diagnosis she lives with, and her work towards becoming free of chronic pain in a meaningful partnership with @emme_niyo and Adidas.
We have the utmost respect for influencers like Emilie, who use their voice and following to help others and make the world a little bit better.
TEKLA Fabrics — a Copenhagen-based homeware and textile company, founded by Charlie Hedin in 2017. It's no secret that we're suckers for great entrepreneurial stories — this is no exception. TEKLA is an environmentally-conscious and design-led lifestyle brand. We love them for their durable, visually pleasing, and sustainable products that ooze tranquility and comfort. They have created a range of products for sleep, bath, and living to complement any home with a desire to embrace functional, minimalistic, and straightforward living.
Celeste Barber — an Australian actor, comedian, and writer who has become world-famous for her hilarious and down to earth interpretations of celebrities and famous women's post and videos on social media under the hashtag #celestechallengeaccepted. She lives in Sydney with her husband, Api Robin (@hothusband), and their children.
Barber has more than 7.6M followers and has used this following to create awareness around good causes on several occasions. During the devastating 2019–20 Australian bushfire season, she launched a fundraising appeal with a target of raising A$15,000 for the New South Wales Rural Fire Service's RFS Brigades Donation Fund. The fundraiser raised over A$50 million, making it the largest ever held on Facebook. Crazy in a fantastic way.
Marz Lovejoy — an American mama, wife, multi-media artist, and visionary. She's a songwriter, performer, model, actor, opining-maker, and public speaker on everything from happiness & wellness to inclusion, creativity, actualizing personal dreams, and equality. She has worked with homeless shelters, the LGBTQ community, Women of Color empowerment groups, as well as Black and Brown doulas, midwives, and organizations steeped in birth work.
Marz is the editor in chief @theblackutopia.world; she makes things happen @officemagazinenyc and has founded @smallactsmatter. She raised $45k for Black Mothers and birth workers when she created a campaign around the live stream of her home birth. Months later, she went on to be the face of Nike's debut (M)aternity line and organized a bike ride in New York City with Nike to celebrate and raise money for Black women.
And as if that wasn't enough, she also shares insight into her family life with her beautiful children, Nomi and Mars, and her husband, stylist, and founder of Office Magazine, Simon Rasmussen.
What we admire the most is her ability to not let herself be limited by what other people think is or isn't possible.
Girls Are Awesome — a community, brand, and impact agency that creates content, experiences, products, and partnerships towards gender equality—a conversation starter.
The community seeks to create enabling conditions for change through culture and business. That means showcasing role models, writing articles, hosting events, recording podcasts, shooting videos, developing products, and working with corporate partners on projects that increase female representation and level the playing field.
Girls Are Awesome is an international team of makers and doers based in Copenhagen and Stockholm, with collaborators & fam from Accra to L.A. Their backgrounds are dotted across media, retail, design, finance, hospitality, and the NGO world, and they share a love for shaping culture, delivering experiences, and pushing the envelope on female representation.
And believe it or not, founded by a couple of guys. What's not to like?
FOREWORD BY LOUISE BØGESKOV HOU, FOUNDER OF LULU—LAND
Almost two years ago, I left a great job as a consultant. I wanted to travel and work remotely. I had pitched the idea to my employer, but at that time, the company wasn't ready to take on the experiment. This became the beginning of a new chapter for me working as a location independent entrepreneur.
During the past two years, I've traveled around the world while building LULU—LAND and have gotten to know a lot of wonderful and talented people who had the same dream as I did. One of them is Pieter Levels, the founder of Nomad List and Remote OK. Pieter was a first-mover when it comes to traveling and working remotely. He is a big pusher of remote work and continuously tries to analyze the effects it will have on society.
Fortunately, Pieter has allowed us to republish the first part of his 5-part series on how remote work will transform society in the next ten years. I hope his thesis will make you curious and give you food for thought.
Don't hesitate to reach out if you want to know more about the future of (remote) work, digital nomadism, building and facilitating remote workplaces(/spaces), and tapping into the talent pool of people already working remotely.
—
FIRST PUBLISHED ON LEVELS.IO NOV 20—2020/ REPUBLISHED ON LULU—LAND WITH THE PERMISSION OF PIETER LEVELS
The future of remote work: how the greatest human migration in history will happen in the next ten years
Here's my thesis on the next decade of remote work and how it'll transform society. I think we're on the verge of the greatest migration in human history. It won't be nomads traveling around the world perpetually, but it will be millions of people relocating semi-permanently to places better fit for their way of living. In this thesis I'll argue why this will happen, how it might happen and how we can benefit from this movement.
Five years ago I made a presentation about the future of remote work. This is the sequel to that. Back then I predicted there would be 1 billion digital nomads by 2035. I defined a nomad as a person who'd work remotely from a different country than their home country at least part of the year. My prediction was picked up by the press including The Economist and TechCrunch and people quit their jobs and started companies based on it.
Even I was slightly skeptical about my own prediction though, I mean, it was quite out there. Would it actually happen so soon? What if remote work was just a fad? We would all figure out it didn't actually work and just go back to the office, I got push back for coming up with such an insane number and most people said I was exaggerating the growth of remote work.
That is, until 2020.
2020
As you know, 2020 changed everything.
With a global pandemic infecting and killing millions of people around the world, and offices being one of the major places where it spread, companies were forced to adopt remote work for the safety of their workers.
In the United States in February 2020, pre-pandemic, 8% of the workforce worked remotely. When the pandemic hit, that rose to 35% in May and bounced back to 24% in August. In Canada, in 2018 ~13% worked remotely, that grew to nearly 40% of the workforce working remotely in March 2020 [3,4]. In Europe, pre-pandemic, 5.4% of the workforce worked remotely, which rose to nearly 40% a result of the pandemic. We can assume there's growth in remote work in regions outside US/ EU too.
In just a few months the amount of people working remotely ballooned to ~125 million people in North America (US, Canada) and Europe, or over 5 times the amount before the pandemic.
During a pandemic, people are forced to work remotely though, it's not really a free choice. Will people want to remain doing so post-pandemic? A survey by IBM discovered the majority does in fact:
• 54% of people working remotely now would like to keep doing so after the pandemic
• 75% would like to work remotely at least occasionally
With remote work shooting into the mainstream, suddenly my prediction for 2035 didn't seem so crazy anymore.
The office is a legacy concept
Working remotely is uncovering something many of us already knew for a while: a lot of time is wasted by working from offices.
There's
• The daily commute to the office which in the U.S. averages to almost one hour per day.
• Meetings where people have to schedule to be in the same room together, when a lot of that work could happen asynchronously
• The interruptions from being in open plan offices
• Traveling to meet people face-to-face
If a regular work day in an office takes ~1 hour to commute, 9 hours of inefficient working, we have 8 hours to sleep, that leaves us with ~6 hours to do groceries, cooking, errands and spend our free time.
The benefits of working remotely
With remote work, we can remove many of the inefficiencies of traditional offices:
• The commute can be as short as seconds if you work from home and minutes if you work in a local coworking or cafe.
• Instead of meetings, we can switch to asynchronous communication.
• Instead of open plan offices that distract workers, we can create our own personally optimal workspaces. With people in coworking spaces, by ourselves in spaces likes this, or any other way that works for you.
• Instead of traveling in cars or planes for hours to meet people face-to-face, in most cases, a simple video call would suffice.
And while the sudden transition to working remotely this year has not been painless, once people have gotten used to remote work, they're generally more productive.
Cal Newport, best-selling author of Deep Work writes: “Three to four hours of continuous, undisturbed deep work each day is all it takes to see a transformational change in our productivity and our lives"
Remote work seems like a perfect match for deep work. If we can optimize our own working conditions, which is the freedom remote work now offers us, we may be able to reduce the work day to just four hours of deep work.
That gives us 8 hours of sleep, 0 hours of commuting, 4 hours of deep work and 12 hours of time left in the day.
Life becomes about living, not working
That'd mean time spent outside work doubles and for the first time we'd be able spend more time in a day outside of work than on work.
For the first time in human history, for millions of people now and hundreds of millions in the next decade life might then stop being primarily about working, and instead be about living.
The biggest shift in work since the Industrial Revolution.
Working remotely can mean the time spent outside work doubles and for the first time we'll be able spend more time in a day outside of work than on work.
This isn't new for many of us. Me and my friends have been living our lives like this for the last decade or longer. It was people like us who could make money on the internet who were the first to embrace this: the digital nomads.
For the last two decades, digital nomads have replaced the routine of office life with traveling to explore the world and then finding better places to live. Optimizing for the weather they like, the cost of living they could afford and where their friends are.
Digital nomads were ridiculed as a fringe subculture for years, and then idealized as the perfect life on Instagram (none of them being true).
What they were though was the early adopters of what will become possible for a significant share of the mainstream population this year: becoming location independent (at least when related to work) and having more say in how we want our daily lives to look, especially the leisure part.
The experiences of digital nomads in the last decade gives us a lot of insight into location independent mainstream may soon experience.
A quick history of remote work
To get a contextual overview of where we're at, let's go back in time and do a little history class on remote work.
"In 1979, IBM was putting its stamp on the American landscape. For 20 years, it had been hiring the greats of modernism to erect buildings where scientists and salespeople could work shoulder-to-shoulder commanding the burgeoning computer industry. But that year, one of its new facilities—the Santa Teresa Laboratory, in Silicon Valley—tried an experiment. To ease a logjam at the office mainframe, it installed boxy, green-screened terminals in the homes of five employees, allowing them to work from home."
In the eighties and nineties with computer network connectivity becoming possible, telecom companies around the world started promoting telecommuting. Obviously if more people would work from home, they'd make money on supplying the connectivity to the office. It never really took off into the mainstream though.
The first remote wave: internet marketers (2007-2013)
In 2007, Tim Ferris wrote the 4-Hour Work Week. It described people building online businesses and using economic arbitrage (e.g. living in cheaper places while making money in expensive places). With internet connectivity rising everywhere, the technology was now just about ready for people to actually nomad and his book started the first wave of people doing it.
The first wave of digital nomadism received criticism for incentivizing people "to escape the 9 to 5" and instead chase short-term profits with low-value products, shady business models like online MLM-style courses, get-rich-quick schemes and affiliate marketing. Anything really went as long as it could get you to make money on the internet so you could go travel and move to the other side of the world. Regardless of how they made their money, those first nomads were the pioneers of the movement.
The second remote wave: digital nomads (2014-2020)
When I made my presentation 5 years ago we were in the middle of a giant digital nomad boom. The first wave had fizzled out and it was the second wave of digital nomadism and it was an exciting time.
I have great nostalgia about this time, personally. My site Nomad List had just launched and suddenly not just the website but the entire movement shot up. This new movement and my site in the center of it was all over the press for years as the new thing and hundreds of thousands of people "became" nomads. I met thousands of people that were traveling in a place because of me or my site. I'm not writing out of achievement humblebrags, but I'm writing it because it's one of the most colorful memories of my life so far.
The scene transformed from somewhat shady internet marketeers in 2007, to now actual people from Silicon Valley working on million and billion dollar startups remotely from nomad hubs like Chiang Mai. I know, because I met them.
Suddenly there was thousands of us meeting up in real life, thinking this would be the thing that'd change everything! Away with the old boring life, in with the new remote working traveling with your life in a backpack. It was exciting and idealistic. And like any new idealistic movement, it was also naive.
Most of the people I know from then either moved back home or picked places around the world as a more permanent home base. What they're not doing is traveling somewhere new every week.
What the digital nomads were right about though:
• It was possible to effectively work remotely as an employee for companies on the other side of the world
• It was viable to build a company while living and working remotely. Me and many of my friends have built companies making $1M/y to $100M/y+ revenue with one of them soon IPO'ing on the stock market for billions of dollars
• The fun aspect of being able to live in different places around the world, immerse in local cultures and increase the share of your life that's not about work was very beneficial to our happiness
The problems the digital nomads faced were big though:
• Hopping around the world and living in different places let us make more friends and acquaintances than we ever did but now they were all spread around the world, resulting in...
• Loneliness being one of the biggest issues with digital nomads
• Related: relationships are hard to maintain unless you live/travel together
• Mental health becomes a real concern with depression and anxiety reported in digital nomad communities
• Visas are a real issue: most work on tourist visas and have to leave a country after 30/60/90 days. That means we're never able to build up real long term social ties
• Friendships needs 2 things: proximity and repetition. Digital nomads have none of these, they don't stay near (proximity) to the same people for long and they don't repeat their interaction with people enough to build long-term friendships
• The novelty of new places wears off after a few years and you realize the world is more similar than you'd expect, which then results in the question "what's the point of all this traveling?"
On the business side: many companies targeting remote workers and digital nomads were started around this time, notably:
• Remote working travel groups like Remote Year raised millions and started offering the "digital nomad" experience as a tour package at $2,000/mo for Americans.
• Coliving companies like Roam raised millions and started offering shared housing, essentially fancy hotels with coworkings built in to them. The cost usually being high-priced at $100-$150/night or $3000-$4,500/mo.
• WeWork famously raised billions of dollars to build a network of coworking spaces all around the world
All these faced the same problems:
• There wasn't enough remote workers when they launched
• The remote workers that were there weren't making enough money to afford $3,000/mo for flexible living or $400/mo for a coworking desk
Most of these ran out of money, crashed and burned or were acquired.
The third remote wave: the mainstream (2021+)
We're about to enter the third wave of remote work.
Remote work has gone mainstream in 2020 and with that location independence suddenly has become a possibility for millions and soon maybe billions for workers. Most people now are stuck in their home countries due to the pandemic closing borders. But once the pandemic ends or becomes controllable, and people can travel again the third wave will start. And I think that's 2021.
It will be different from how digital nomads did it. Most people working remotely and doing it location independent will NOT be fast traveling from place to place, but instead will relocate longer-term to remote work destinations.
Work ties us no longer
We know that what tied people to places were: work, family and friends.
Historically work has been the primary tie though: it's how most people would meet their partners and it's where people make many of their friends.
Especially in the U.S., it's common to move to a different state just for work opportunities.
With remote work, the things remaining that tie us to a place are family and friends.
We're already seeing remote work based migration happening. The rise of "Zoom towns" in the U.S. has been widely reported: places outside of the big cities people are moving to now that they can work remotely (via video calling app Zoom).
What do retirees do?
To get a possible idea of what the regular population will do once they can work remotely, we can look at what people who retire do. In the U.S., 3 million people retire per year and 1 million of them relocate once they hit retirement and are not tied to their work anymore, so about one-third.
Now imagine how many people will relocate once they're not tied to a place by their work anymore. More on that later.
Where do they go? Predictably many retirees move South to be in warmer places so they can be outside more for leisure, the famous place for U.S. retirees of course being Florida, but also Southern California.
Many U.S. retirees also move abroad:
Leisure and interest-based destinations
Back to the remote workers in the Zoom towns. There are some early signs of where we're headed. Many of the Zoom towns in the U.S. are either 1) south: where it's warmer, or 2) outdoor or ski resorts: nice for outdoor sports.
“We are seeing the biggest numbers for October this year (usually off season) and we can’t figure out why. It’s bigger than past years by a landslide” — Business owner in Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in Wyoming, US who owns and runs multiple hotels there.
People into outdoor sports like running, hiking, cycling, kayaking etc. might move closer to nature.
Meanwhile, many of the top digital nomad destinations for Americans are surf towns on the beach in Mexico like Playa del Carmen and Cabo San Lucas. And the primary digital nomad spot worldwide right now is Canggu, a beach town in Bali.
The pattern here is that once work doesn't limit them anymore, many people will pick places based on their leisure activities.
Where traditionally holiday destinations for many meant hanging on the beach to recover from the stress of office work. If work becomes more less stressful as it goes remote, destinations can become more meaningful and active too: e.g. sports or other activity destinations.
It's not just sports though. If a person's interest is anime (not me), they might enjoy living in Tokyo for a few years or longer being close to the anime scene, artists and fans.
If a person is passionate about country music, they might enjoy living in Nashville for while being close to the music scene and live shows.
If you're into yoga and meditation, living in Ubud, Bali might work for you.
I have a friend who's now living on farms and eco villages around Portugal. He says they feel like small tribes centered around interests or ideals. Usually with at least some of their food supply coming from their own farm.
Community-based destinations
If your interests or activities are one reason to relocate somewhere, community is another one.
"In a survey of 20,000 Americans, nearly half reported always or sometimes feeling lonely or left out. Young adults ages 18 to 22 are the loneliest generation of all, the survey found." - WebMD
Many of us have friends from everywhere, also related to our interests. For example, I have lots of friends who are online entrepreneurs. None of these people I met in my home country. The challenge is that the relationships with these people become close to 100% online-only. And it makes sense as the biggest share of communication now happens online, via chat apps. As much as I love that we are in contact on a daily basis, I'd love it even more if we'd see each other in real life. And I'm probably not the only one.
Remote work gives the ability (that is if you and your community of people wants it) to move closer together. And it's already happening for people not tied to a place by work.
Joe Rogan moved from Los Angeles to Austin, Texas this year. And as an influential person in his community, he was able to bring a big share of his friends of comedians and other celebrities over to Austin too.
Kanye West bought a $14 million dollar, 6,000-acre ranch in Wyoming and is building an eco-village with a farm, houses and schools where his kids will go. And there's more famous people who are planning the same.
The founder of Bali's most popular coworking space Dojo bought land north from Canggu near the beach and is building his own village. It will focus on creative, entrepreneurial, maker-type people and will feature tens of bungalow-style apartments, coworking spaces, a maker space and since it's in Bali: probably lots of swimming pools.
The idea with all of these is the same: get out of cities that feel isolating (think of Los Angeles' giant sprawl) and move to a place where you can be physically closer to your community of people: being able to walk to each other, instead of an hour car ride away.
Most of us don't have the fame or money to buy land and build a village though.
Luckily, we don't need to build a village to get the same benefits of community. Simply moving to places together, maybe in the same neighborhood, with people you care about is the point.
And if the communes of the 1960s taught us anything: it's that trying to re-invent society by building a new mini society in a village usually doesn't work out and sometimes even ends bad:
“But the problem is this: I can’t stay out here forever, neither physically nor mentally. As much as I might want to live in the woods where my phone doesn’t work, or shun newspapers with Michael Weiss at his cabin in the Catskills, or devote my life to contemplating potatoes in Epicurus’s garden, total renunciation would be a mistake. The story of the communes teaches me that there is no escaping the political fabric of the world [...] The world needs my participation now more than ever. Again it is not a question of whether, but how.” ― Jenny Odell, How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy
The 1960s teaches us maybe the point isn't to try build entirely new artificially designed communities from the ground up, but instead iterate on the places that organically rise up for remote workers, improve them and solve the problems remote workers there have.
Facilitating remote work destinations
We know that many businesses didn't work out in the previous nomad wave. Many businesses simply didn't have enough nomads to cater to, and the nomads that they found didn't have enough money to spend.
So what businesses would work in a new reality of remote work destinations?
If we assume that the volume of people relocating to, or visiting remote work hubs will be 10x or 100x higher than during the nomad wave. The diversity in people and also income ranges will increase. That means many of the ideas that failed during the previous nomad wave (coworking, coliving etc.), might finally work once the mainstream joins, as there'll be more people and people with higher incomes available to market to.
Traditional businesses can profit from the remote work wave too. Especially the hospitality industry. Instead of nightly stays, hotels are already offering long-term stays, and considering adapting their rooms with kitchens and offering Airbnb-style suites. If they like, coffee places can adapt to become a place where remote workers can do their work and socialize. Related to socializing, local companies that offer activities like sports and trips can target remote workers who are new to a place to quickly immerse themselves.
As remote work becomes the norm and employees demand to relocate, BigTech giants like Google, Facebook, Apple, Netflix, Amazon and Microsoft may start facilitating this and building campuses around the world. Think a tech campus in snow resort Aspen, CO, or in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico or in Canggu, Bali.
We know Google already has been building coworking spaces all around the world (currently in London, Madrid, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Tel Aviv, Tokyo and Warsaw), that are free to use (and they already call it Google Campus). Next would be actual campuses with housing and other living facilities.
With BigTech opening campuses there, it can ignite ecosystems around these destinations with smaller startups moving to or being founded on its edges. Just like the university campus of Stanford made Silicon Valley possible:
"More than 50% of Silicon Valley product is due to companies started by Stanford alumni." - WIPO
This fits with the common idea that the next Silicon Valley won't be a single place, but it will be distributed around the world, and I'd argue in these future remote work destinations.
Especially since immigration to the U.S. for startup founders has become a lot more difficult in recent years:
The role of the government
One of the primary challenges digital nomads faced was getting kicked out of a country after 30, 60 or 90 days based on their tourist visa. Digital nomads get so much flack for working on tourist visas, usually by people who never did it themselves. If they'd do it themselves, they'd realize getting a longer visa is a monumental pain in most places. It usually means navigating a bureaucratic law system in a foreign country, often a developing country where the process is rife with corruption, bribes and uncertainty. If it'd was easy, most digital nomads wouldn't be working on tourist visas right now.
One of the reasons you see digital nomads still hop around every 30/60/90 days, is because that's the visa limit. If there'd be no visa limit, I believe they'd stay much longer.
There's some developments here too though, and there have been for awhile. Right now most governments "know of" digital nomads and remote workers. And many have spoken about it, usually positive. Bali's governor and Bali's tourism board, Indonesia's minister of tourism and even Indonesia's president Joko Widodo have all spoken out positively about attracting digital nomads and foreign tech workers as a strategy to get more foreign spending and as a transfer of technological skills to locals.
Many countries now have programs to attract remote workers: Portugal, Estonia, Bermuda, Barbados and Georgia.
The opportunities for cities and countries are big if they can create a process by which they can attract high-skilled high-income remote workers to work in their countries for long-term. High-income so that money flows into their local economies, high-skilled because it'll mean transfer of skills to locals is possible.
The changes necessary are small compared to the opportunities it gives: create a remote worker visa that can be requested online, assess people's income, work and skills, and allow at least a 6 month to 1-year stay with an option to extend it to 5 or 10 years, and some route to the traditional permanent residency and after citizenship.
Right now work permits are made for foreign people getting a local job offer. Remote workers don't need a job offer, they already have a remote job or run their own company. All they need is the legal rights to work in your country, and be able to stay for long-term. The reason for work permits was to avoid competition of foreigners with the local work force, but 99% of remote workers don't even participate in the local market as they work for foreign companies remotely.
Cities can make more money on remote workers than tourists
Nacho Rodriguez is an entrepreneur who works with the government of the Spanish Canary Islands to attract remote workers. He told me it makes a lot more economic sense for governments to attract remote workers than tourists:
An average tourist in Europe goes on a trip for 5.2 nights and spends $70 per day or $356 per trip.
Meanwhile, a high-income tech worker from the U.S. or London makes ~$150,000/year. If they'd relocate to the Canary Islands and spend just half of that, that's $75k/year put into the local economy. That amount of money can create 3 local jobs at local average wages. Additionally, tax is paid on that income if they relocate.
The average tourist spending of $70/day, is $25,000/year. At an average tourist trip length of 5.2 nights, that means hosting 210 tourists makes the same amount of money for the Canary Islands as a single remote worker can bring in.
(Calculation: $70*365.25 days=$25,567/y; 1 trip is 5.2 days; 365.25 days / 5.2 days = 70 tourists/y; 1 remote worker spends 5o% of their income = $75,000/y; $75,000/y remote worker income / $25,567/y tourist income ~= 3; 3 * 7o tourists = 210 tourists)
Even if we estimate more conservatively, where a remote worker spends just $25,000/year, that's still the same amount of money as hosting 70 tourists.
The Canary Islands get 15 million visitors per year. They could make the same money with 100,000 to 200,000 remote workers there.
A remote worker can live more like a local as they stay in the place for months or years renting locally, instead of the short tourist staying in Airbnbs, resulting in less low-quality touristic areas. Caveat is areas will focus on foreign remote workers, which probably means more hipster-type areas. Regardless, places change for foreigners. It depends which way you prefer.
Personally, I think long-term remote workers make better visitors economically and behaviorally than short-term tourists. But I'm biased.
Remote work will boost mixed zoning
Apart from changing where we move to, remote work will also change the neighborhoods we already live in.
When I grew up in the nineties, in our town's street we had a bakery, a butcher, a library and even a blacksmith. That meant you could walk to what you needed in less than a minute.
The bakery and butcher got replaced by a big supermarket, and the blacksmith was shutdown when hardware stores opened up. Both requiring a ~30 minute walk or ~15 minute drive.
As much as U.S. is famous for separated zoning, this is a worldwide phenomenon since the nineties: in many places in the last decades we've moved from a healthy mix of homes and shops in a neighborhood to separating residential and commercial. Instead we now have:
• Residential neighborhoods where people come home to after work and sleep and then leave back to work the next day. There's no commerce like it used to
• Business districts with commercial zoning where people come to shop and work in the day, which then becomes desolate ghost towns in the evening
• A lot of car traffic because the office, shops and our home is all separated and now we need to drive to everything
As many experienced during the lockdowns of 2020, where people were suddenly spending all day at home, in their neighborhoods. The local feeling of community increased as people had time to go outside for walks and run into their neighbors. Neighborhoods became places to live again, not just sleep.
With people working remotely, we'll also see a demand for neighborhoods to become more livable for remote workers. That means residents will demand coworkings and cafes to work from and to meet others in the area. With people spending more time around their house, there'll be an increase in demand for local leisure activities. Locals parks will become more important. As will be local daycare facilities for kids.
That means remote work will enable a push for mixed zoning, and we'll have less far away commuting and cars everywhere.
Education
As millions relocate and work remotely, many will bring their families. That means there'll be a need for high quality schooling from young kids to university students. Lots of places don't have great schools though.
There's a lot of innovation happening in this space now with lots of startups like Galileo offering online education for kids to teenagers.
The problem is that online education and homeschooling lacks the most important part of school I think: an offline social environment with other kids.
A solution to that I think, which will take time to build (and maybe you can help build it) is having a mix of 1) centralized high quality online schooling, executed by an internationally trusted institution like Harvard, 2) practical group classes to do the coursework ran by local schools affiliated to and certified by the trusted institution.
That means we can have 1) the benefits of high quality online education in remote places where schools might not be so great, with 2) the benefits of offline education in local classes where kids also learn the social skills from being in a group.
How many will actually relocate due to remote work?
We know that the majority of the mainstream will be able to work remotely now or in the next few years, but how many will actually use that to their benefit and relocate?
To get a possible idea of what the regular population will do once they can work remotely, we can look at what people who retire do. In the U.S., 3 million people retire per year and 1 million of them relocate once they hit retirement and are not tied to their work anymore, so about one-third.
But retirees might be more tied to a place: 1) they might need care from their kids and 2) they might've already built up life long communities around them, longer than their younger people in the middle of their careers.
Thanks to a recent Upwork study, we actually have some data on it now too:
"Anywhere from 14 to 23 million Americans are planning to move as a result of remote work. Combined with those who are moving regardless of remote work, near-term migration rates may be three to four times what they normally are." - Upwork study in October 2020
I did my own survey too; it's skewed since the people who follow me are mostly in tech and startups. From my followers, almost 57% of people have relocated or are planning to relocate now that they can work remotely.
The combined work force of the U.S., Canada and EU is 400 million people. If 50% of those will work remotely, that's 200 million people. If 20% of those relocate, that's already 40 million people. And that's not including their dependents like partners and family, which could double that number. And then we're not even counting the rest of the world where remote work is also rapidly being adopted.
If we transpose that on the entire world, if 50% of the global work force of 3 billion people will work remotely, and 20% relocate because of that, that's 300 million people.
Even if we go extremely conservative and assume only 10% of the global work force of 3 billion people will work remotely, and 20% relocate because of that, that's already 60 million people.
The largest migration in human history, the Great Atlantic Migration, saw 37 million Europeans move to the United States in the 19th and 20th century.
As remote work becomes accessible to the global workforce in the next decade, we'll have far more than the 37 million people who relocated in the Great Atlantic Migration, as they're not tied to places by office work anymore, making this the greatest migration in human history. Even if it's relocating inside big countries like the U.S, it's still migration.
That makes this this the largest human migration in history, due to the adoption of remote work.
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PIETER LEVELS
A few years ago Pieter sold all his stuff to explore the world, creating 12 startups in 12 months and building $1M+/y in companies as an indie maker such as Nomad List and Remote OK. He's also a big pusher of remote work and tries to analyze the effects it will have on society.
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WE LOVE TO CONNECT PEOPLE
NAME Pieter Levels
COMPANIES Nomad List/ Remote OK
WEBSITE levels.io
TWITTER twitter.com/levelsio
YOUTUBE youtube.com/levelsio
FACEBOOK facebook.com/levelsio
BLOG levels.io
BOOK Make
This year has been a rough and bumpy ride, but we firmly believe that everything we have been through in 2020 will be a catalyst for accelerated positive change in the future. We look forward to sharing a lot of new ideas and more inspiration with all of you in 2021!
LULU—LAND is a tiny global community with followers and contributors from all over the world. Since I founded LULU—LAND, I've been traveling from country to country and working from more places than I can remember (that was before the pandemic). I love exploring new destinations. However, there are two cities that'll always be a little bit closer to my heart; Copenhagen, in Denmark, where I'm from, and New York City, where I feel truly at home.
From the very first time I took a Yellow Cab from the airport to Bowery Street in lower Manhatten, I knew there was something extraordinary about this city. I once read a quote in Quoted Magazine that describes the feeling I had perfectly:
"I was walking the streets. I was noticed, but I wasn't the center of attention. I felt like I fit in. You're not awkward. You're not weird. You're home. It doesn't matter where you're from or what you believe. New York is the city for everyone."
The city is not everyone's cup of tea, but for those who thrive there—New York is magical! However, it can also be a tough place to live. The city is equally relentless, commanding, and addictive. As easily as anything, it can chew you up and spit you out in the middle of the streets.
Last year, the LULU—LAND platform was launched from a small café in Lower East Side in the coldest months of the year. Growing up in Denmark, with low rates of homelessness and one of the absolute best social security systems in the world, seeing people struggle to survive on the streets in the biting cold was absolutely heartbreaking. I kept thinking about ways to help and give back to the city that keeps inspiring me and the people in it who make it so special. This year, I've decided to do something and make a fundraiser in collaboration with The Bowery Mission.
LULU—LAND Fundraiser: The Bowery Mission
The Bowery Mission is one of the oldest rescue missions in the United States. Since the 1870s, the organization has served New Yorkers experiencing homelessness, hunger, and other crises. It's well-known for its history as a soup kitchen and men's shelter located at 227 Bowery. However, today, the Mission provides programs and services at multiple campuses across the New York metro area.
Last year, the privately-funded Mission provided 429,500 hot meals, 104,000 nights of shelter, 27,600 articles of clothing, and 67,500 showers. And during the COVID-19 emergency, the Mission has remained open every day to safely care for their most vulnerable neighbors by offering essential services.
Each meal and every service is an invitation to residential and community programs that help neighbors in need progress towards individual goals such as regaining sobriety, reconnecting with family and faith, and preparing for work and independent living. To empower children to thrive and succeed, they also offer year-round opportunities for enrichment for youth.
I have the utmost respect for The Bowery Mission and their work. I've personally walked past the characteristic red doors on 227 Bowery countless times over the years, with the greatest admiration for those who work there to help people in need every single day. I've been reminded of how privileged I am and thankful I've always had a home and roof over my head no matter where in the world I've been.
I hope this will inspire you to take a little time to learn more about homelessness in New York City, The Bowery Mission, and their work. Further, I hope you'll consider helping us, help them by making a small donation through our official fundraising page. We appreciate every single dollar we can pass on to make a difference. Thank you!
DONATE!
- $10 provides six meals for a New Yorker who is struggling with food insecurity
- $25 provides one night of emergency shelter for a man or woman (each guest receives dinner and is invited to take a hot shower, receive clean clothing and hygiene products, sleep overnight on a comfortable mattress made with freshly laundered linens, and receive breakfast in the morning)
- $75 provides one day of compassionate care services for five people at the Bowery campus (each guest can receive a hot shower, clean clothing, and hygiene products, and is invited to receive care from a social worker and other staff to choose help beyond homelessness through the long-term residential program)
- $240 supports one man in long-term residence for one week as he works through the root causes of homelessness and unemployment
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Homelessness — A Shared Experience in NYC
Chances are you have walked by or shared a train car with someone who is homeless, know someone personally who has been homeless or even experienced homelessness yourself.
Today, more New Yorkers are experiencing homelessness than ever before. In a city of more than 8.3 million people, nearly one in every 106 New Yorkers is homeless — that’s nearly 80,000 men, women and children. Every night, nearly 4,000 people sleep on the street, in the subway system or in other public spaces. However, the vast majority of New Yorkers experiencing homelessness spend the night within the city’s shelter system where they remain unseen. For every person sleeping on sidewalks or on trains, 20 more are sleeping in shelters. And nearby metro areas such as Newark have smaller but persistent populations of individuals experiencing homelessness.
The COVID-19 pandemic began amidst an already raging homelessness crisis. Millions of New Yorkers already lived on the razor's edge, one personal crisis away from homelessness, with 1 in 5 New Yorkers living in poverty and 1 in 4 New Yorkers paying more than half their income in rent. Now, because of the pandemic an estimated 1 in 7 New Yorkers have lost their job and more than 50,000 people are at risk of eviction. Sadly, the many people who have lost work were already in low-income jobs and on the brink of homelessness.
WHAT CAUSES HOMELESSNESS?
In most cases, multiple factors are involved. Common ones include: mental illness, substance abuse, untreated medical issues, traumatic events, violence and abuse, lack of affordable housing and difficulty sustaining employment.
WHO EXPERIENCES HOMELESSNESS?
People of all genders, races, ages, and socioeconomic backgrounds experience homelessness. Among those sleeping in city shelters, more than 13,000 are single men, nearly 5,000 are single women and more than 44,000 are adults or children in families.
HOW MANY CHILDREN ARE AT RISK AND HOW DOES IT EFFECT THEM?
During the course of each year, more than 116,000 different homeless New Yorkers, including more than 42,000 different children, sleep in the shelter system.
Nearly 1 in 3 NYC children live below the poverty line. South Bronx and East Harlem are two New York City neighborhoods suffering from concentrated poverty. Burdened with high crime rates, poor health outcomes, and poor housing conditions, these areas pose high risks for child welfare.
Hundreds of studies have examined the detrimental effects of poverty on the well-being of children. Growing up in poverty may disturb a child's brain development and undermine his social and emotional growth.
Opportunities for enrichment and mentoring can play a critical role in helping children thrive in school and life. Quality programs support children's social and emotional development, helping them grow into adults who are healthy, grounded and economically self-sufficient.
Get to know more about The Bowery Mission and their work to rebuild hope and break the cycles of homelessness and poverty in the New York Metro Area!
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WE LOVE TO CONNECT PEOPLE
ORGANIZATION The Bowery Mission
WEBSITE bowery.org
INSTAGRAM @BoweryMission
FACEBOOK @BoweryMission
TWITTER @BoweryMission
YOUTUBE The Bowery Mission
LINKEDIN The Bowery Mission
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CREDITS
PHOTOGRAPHY Anna Watts / @anasaura_
VIDEO The Bowery Mission
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SOURCES
bowery.org
NYC Department of Homeless Services, Coalition for the Homeless
José Vaca is a California-based entrepreneur, artist, designer, dancer, photographer, and visionary—a full-stack creative, as he describes it himself, who thrives outside the boxes and refuses to be limited by titles and degrees. We were introduced to him by a NY friend, Will Nguyen Cao, a while back.
He is one of those people that continues to surprise us in the good way. An optimist who firmly believes creativity has the power to change the world, with a passion for social activism, storytelling, art, adventure, and making the impossible possible. Oh, and he absolutely loves blueberries.
José grew up in Salinas with Mexican parents. Immigrants who worked extremely hard to provide for him and his sister—and give them the opportunities they didn't have themselves—for which he'll be forever grateful. He studied architecture because saying thank you didn't seem like quite enough. He wanted to build his parents a house, and still want to. However, as time passed, he realized that the only way he can ever start to repay them for his upbringing and the sacrifices they made would be by following his passion, continuously do good, and create opportunities for others.
José's roots and heritage is a vital part of who he is. His family comes from Michoacán in Mexico, and his indigenous roots are P'urhépecha. "Juchari Uinapekua" is a saying on the P'urhépechan flag, meaning "Our Strength," which is a great example of how the culture is ingrained in his mindset. He firmly believes in the strength of collectivity—the power of people and communities.
José is currently pursuing a wild dream that has yet to give him a single dollar—a project called bēkn.
bēkn is a startup with a social consciousness that provides tools for people to easily discover, connect and engage with their local communities, resources, causes, and each other—a space for people to organize, where all voices are heard and where everyone has a seat at the table.
When José isn't working hard to reach his dreams, you'll likely find him breakdancing and becoming one with the music. He's officially been a Soulshifter since 2015. The Circle of Fire x Soulshifters Crew is his extended family. He explains that Soulshifters is more than just a dance crew. It's a collective, a family of artists around the world.
This playlist took us by surprise. It wasn't what we imagined or expected a playlist by José would be like, but we love it. A mix of electronic, ambient, neo-classical, house, hip-hop, and classic rock. Enjoy!
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WE LOVE TO CONNECT PEOPLE
NAME José Vaca
INSTAGRAM @latinheat_soulshifter & @bekn.official
COMPANY bekn.org
PORTFOLIO josevaca.com
LINKEDIN José Vaca
ART jovabit.com
WRITING hello—poetry/ José Vaca
As our content contributor, you'll be responsible for producing original content for the LULU—LAND Journal and Instagram.
Our contributors come from a lot of different backgrounds and bring a wide variety of experiences. They are; creative thinkers, journalists, writers, and poets, opinion makers, reviewers, and critics, photographers and filmmakers, actors and musicians, illustrators and designers, business leaders and entrepreneurs, advocates and activists, gay, straight, bi- and transsexual, men and women, Black, White, Brown, and Asian or perhaps a mix of all the above … we are not fond of putting people in boxes, and we don't discriminate. On the contrary, we advocate for social justice and equality; all that matters is that you have something interesting and inspiring to share with our community.
We use the LULU—LAND Journal categories as a guideline for our content but never let them limit or confine us. If a great idea doesn't fit, we simply change the categories or make a new one. We always leave a bit of space for the unimaginable.
If you are interested, please email hi@lululand.io and tell us;
- a little bit about yourself
- why you want to be a contributor
- how you'd like to contribute
- and most importantly, what inspires you?
Unfortunately, we are not in a position where we can pay for contributions; believe us, if we could, we would. LULU—LAND is a small bootstrapped startup—non of us are getting paid at this point—everything we earn is reinvested in developing the platform and the community. We fully understand if you have a job or study at the same time. We consider ourselves flexible; you can be a one time contributor or contribute on an ongoing basis—it's up to you!
Credits are important to us—we care—and we'll never take the credit for your work or anyone else work.
LULU—LAND is a remote micro-business, currently based in Copenhagen, due to the COVID-19 outbreak. However, you can contribute from anywhere you'd like as long as you have a computer and access to a stable internet connection.
As a LULU—LAND contributor, it's crucial to:
- be proactive and have attention to deadlines (We hate wasting time)
- be able to pitch an idea, execute it independently with a few touchpoints and gates of approval
- be open to constructive critique and editing (Don't take it personally)
- be fluent in English, written and spoken
If you have any questions, please, don't hesitate to reach out. We look forward to getting to know you!
/ THE LULU—LAND TEAM
I first met Lauren in Ubud, Bali, in 2019. I had just arrived at Hubud — a co-working space in the middle of the Balinese Jungle, with cheeky monkeys everywhere. One week earlier, I had a well-paid and secure job as a consultant, which I'd manage to throw overboard to follow my dream; start my own business while traveling the world at the same time. Things had gone pretty fast since I made the decision. I hadn't really had time to think before that morning, where reality hit. There I was, almost 12,000 kilometers away from everything I knew, and pretty far out of my comfort zone.
When I walked into Hubud, the first person I saw was Lauren. She was friendly, she smiled, and waved me over… from that second, I knew everything was going to be alright. The following weeks we shared—and both overcame—the fear of getting on a motorbike for the first time and navigating the at times insane, Balinese traffic chaos.
I see a lot of myself in Lauren. For better and for worse. She is openminded, spontaneous, and has a knack for doing the unexpected. And on top, she is hilarious to be around. I truly admire her courage to follow her own path and live out her dreams—even the ones everyone else thinks of as crazy.
Lauren is a jack of many trades, a hard-working businesswoman, and a spiritual yogi at the same time. She mixes the best of both worlds in a way that I personally find incredibly inspiring. I look forward to visiting her latest project, Beluna, a co-working space for dreamers and doers, she has built from scratch in Ubud, following Balinese traditions and customs for bamboo craftsmanship. During Corona, Lauren has, unlike many foreigners, stayed in Bali. She helps struggling locals in the best ways she can, while the opening of her little gem has been postponed a bit for now.
I have no doubt that we'll be working together somehow in the future; only time will tell how. I could go on ... However, for now, I hope you'll get as inspired by Lauren as we are at LULU—LAND.
/ LOUISE BØGESKOV HOU
—
OK, LET'S START WITH THE EASY ONES
Name:
Lauren Bagley
Birth month/year:
12 January 1988
Nationality:
British
Currently located in:
Bali
What do you do for a living?
Freelance Project Manager, Owner of Events company and Virtual Assistant Company, Owner and founder of Beluna Coworking, Bali
MOST OF US HAVE CERTAIN ROUTINES, LET'S GET TO KNOW YOURS
What is the first thing you do in the morning?
Stretch! Then have a hot lemon water
What is a typical day like for you?
Wake up, hot lemon water, put contact lenses in, throw on some tight yoga lycra items, head to a yoga class in Ubud (try not to think about the ten thousand things in my head and say ohm a few times), head home to shower, listen to a podcast, get dressed, journal, gratitude list then ‘To Do’ List –always a never ending list, usually transferred from the day before…! Jump on my scooter, head to a meeting with either a builder or a potential partnership, work from a café on my Beluna project, which is due to open soon. Drink loads of coffee, eat my first meal of the day around 1pm (I intermittent fast) usually a smoothie bowl and a matcha latte, then I head home, and continue with the Beluna task list, including many zoom meetings and lots of organising and administration. I usually work until 9pm in the evening, then try to switch off phone and laptop. Shower, put some chilled music on, and go to bed around 11pm.
And now that we're at it – what are the last things you do before bedtime?
Switch all digital devices off, light some incense, read a book, do somemore stretching, have a hot shower and usually drown myself in coconut oil
How do you spend your weekends?
Yoga, walks, lunches with friends, beach time, massage, dancing and most importantly lots of eating. The cafes in Ubud are a delight to say the least! I try to switch off from work things as much as possible as my weeks are so full on.
When was the last time you celebrated?
Today, most days. I like to celebrate all things, especially the small wins.
WE ALL HAVE MORE OR LESS FLATTERING TRAITS
What is your guilty pleasure?
Chocolate. Always. Anything chocolate.
What is your superpower?
I have a white streak in my hair like storm from X Men. I can dislocate my hip on demand. I can smile when I’m angry (super power or slightly creepy?Who knows).
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT PASSION, NOT THE FRUIT
What could you spend all day talking about?
Health and nutrition and magic potions that come from nature that can heal the human body. That – or the fact that loads of the Black Mirror episodes have come true. Can we talk about that?
What inspires you?
Nature, dreams, art, colours, poetry, travel, culture, humans, kindess of strangers
LET'S DIG A LITTLE DEEPER INTO WHAT INSPIRES YOU
Repeat or shuffle? What have you been listening to lately, and what are you humming in the shower?
Music: Vivii, Band of Horses, The National, Ben Howard, Future Islands
Podcasts: Abraham Hicks, Joe Dispenza, Louise Haye
Poster or collectors’ items? If we gave you a million, what would be decorating your walls?
Collectors items.
"I don’t actually follow the news... I stopped watching/reading it a long time ago."
Newspapers, journals, magazines, online platforms, digital media, podcasts… you name it – how do you keep yourself updated, and what are your news sources?
I don’t actually follow the news (brainwashing). I stopped watching/reading it a long time ago. I prefer to choose the content I listen to so I follow certain people of interest or inspiration on Instagram, listen to podcasts of inspirational people I would like to learn from, a mixture of business, leadership, spirituality and health.
If you could have lunch with one person, alive or dead, who would that be?
My grandad, my dad’s dad that I never met. I would love to meet him and hear all his stories and memories.
Books, movies, and/or series – what can you recommend?
Books: The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho, 5am Club – Robin Sharma, DaringGreatly – Brené Brown
Movies: The Notebook (of course.), Avatar, Up, Shawshank Redemption,Shutter Island, Bridesmaids
Series: Sense 8, OA, Normal People, Utopia, Black Mirror (an insight into my mind)
Which three Instagram accounts should everyone follow?
Mark Groves – to learn about all the love things
Deepak Chopra – to learn about life and keeping calm for all the life things
Eva Angelina – for lols.
YOUR LIFE SO FAR: SMOOTH SAILING OR OBSTACLE COURSE – A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PAST
Who was your first big love?
Farran Wooler, at School. First love, first heartbreak, first boyfriend that had to carry me home because I was too drunk to walk.
What's the single best realization you have ever had?
That we are completely and utterly responsible for our lives and that we create our reality, whether we choose to perceive things as good or bad, is up to us. Mind blowing. (and a lot of responsibility)
"Everyone thought I had lost my mind and would be back in a month or so (Lauren’s gone cray cray again)."
What's the best bad or crazy decision you have ever made? That moment that seemed so wrong but turned out so right. If you don't make bad or crazy decisions, have you then ever made a decision that changed your entire life?
If you asked my parents, they probably wouldn’t know which one to pick with me…
However, I would have to say cancelling my wedding, quitting my well paid secure London job in the music industry, packing my bags and moving to Ibiza, without a plan, a place to live or a job. Everyone thought I had lost my mind and would be back in a month or so (Lauren’s gone cray cray again).
(I lived there nearly five years.)
AND A LOT MORE ABOUT THE PRESENT
How are you, really? It's nice to check in every once in a while.
I am good, really good. Thanks for asking.
However the past few months have been challenging, confronting and eyeopening. Haven’t they? Who would have thought a virus named after a beer would affect us all so deeply and strangely and bring up all those vulnerable thoughts and moments that we all have that we didn’t know we have, and then make it a reason for your ex’s to message you and see how you are, and your friends to start sending you weird memes because they don’t have a job anymore, and then you just cry for no reason.
But yes, I’m fine. I’m fine.
When are you the happiest?
When I’m eating. Preferably surrounded by loved ones and funny ones.
What scares you the most?
Losing my loved ones
What keeps you up at night these days?
My to do list usually, missing people, lucid dreams, the need to wee.
Tell us one thing people would never know about you by just looking at you?
That I have an obsession with extremely spicy food and put chillis on everything, and can probably out eat the biggest man at the table.
What habit would improve your life?
Daily meditation, to keep me more present. I do it, but still think of 10,000 things at the same time.
We all have qualities that don't really have any rhyme or reason. What is one thing you don't understand about yourself?
Why I am so bad at time keeping. I am terrible at it, always have been. My teacher used to make me write lines on the board at school, like Bart Simpson. But even she gave up.
What works for you at the moment, and what doesn’t?
Works: Morning routine, yoga, being in nature, dancing
Doesn’t: Too much time on the computer, not enough free time, feeling stressed and trying not to
When do you feel the most comfortable in your own skin?
When I’m with my family or with my best friend Sophie, because she knows all my things.
What makes you feel insecure?
Being in a large group of people and having to speak in front of them
AND OF COURSE, A SNEAK PEEK INTO THE FUTURE
"I am currently creating a dream and a vision I have had for a long time, something that will support many people to live the life of their dreams, whilst developing their personal skills, mindsets and growth and opportunities."
What's the best thing about the next thing you are during?
I am currently creating a dream and a vision I have had for a long time, something that will support many people to live the life of their dreams, whilst developing their personal skills, mindsets and growth and opportunities.
"Plans are worthless– but planning is everything" – Dwight D. Eisenhower. What does the future look like for you – what are your dreams and goals?
Living in Bali, traveling more, more free time to spend with my family, continuing to build my business and expanding to other locations, learning new skills
ADVICE – EASY TO GIVE, HADER TO FOLLOW
"I’m quite hard on myself which can be a good thing and a bad thing, but I don’t allow myself to sit around and mope for long. I usually give myself a kick up the ass to put things into action and find a solution."
What (or who) motivates you in difficult times?
Myself mostly. I’m quite hard on myself which can be a good thing and a bad thing, but I don’t allow myself to sit around and mope for long. I usually give myself a kick up the ass to put things into action and find a solution. Failing that, my mum usually tells me how it is when I need to hear it.
Good advice is priceless. What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten?
Remembering that nothing lasts forever. When I first heard this as a little girl it made me feel sad, but now I’m older, I understand it. And I like it. It makes me embrace every single moment and love it for what it is, whether it feels good or it feels uncomfortable. It won’t last forever, so just be in it.
What is the kindest thing anyone ever said to you or the best compliment anyone ever gave you?
That I am like an onion (I know it doesn’t sound very flattering). But the person was saying that they enjoy getting to know me because there are many layers of me and that they can tell that the more I trust someone the more I allow them in, and that it makes them feel special to be in my world. I liked it that someone could get that about me and see me authentically.
How do you heal a broken heart?
You don’t. You just mend it with gold and make it even more big and beautiful than before. Like the Japanese do with pottery – ‘Kintzsugi’
THE FORECAST – TRENDS AND TENDENCIES
What is going to be the next big thing? (concepts, businesses, ideas, mega trends, etc.)
Online businesses and remote teams, Artificial Intelligence, Robots.
We would love to find out about cool new places and things to do in your area. What are your favorite places? Where do you like to go to have fun?
Radiantly Alive for yoga classes,
Sayuri for delectable smoothie bowls,
La Brisa, Canggu for sunset cocktails and music,
Akasha, Ubud for good DJ’s, dancing and cacao ceremonies,
Sage Restaurant for amazing plant based food,
Alchemy, Ubud for the most delicious vegan desserts,
Tjampuhan Spa for rest and relax
Ubud Yoga House, for yoga overlooking the rice terraces
The Traveler, for romantic dinner
Silêncio, for out of this world party experiences
THE ONES THAT DIDN'T FIT INTO THE OTHER CATEGORIES
What is the most favorite, most useful, and most useless object you own, respectively?
Favorite: My scooter – I love the freedom of jumping on it and riding through the rice fields, it’s the best way to see the beauty of Bali
Useful: My computer, it keeps me in touch with my family, my clients, do my shopping, book my flights, take online programs and learn new things – endless possibilities from the box with the apple on it.
Useless: A pair of heeled shoes that I brought back from the UK with me at Christmas. No need for heels in Bali. Ever. But they look lovely on my shelf, collecting all the dust.
What was the last thing you searched for on your phone? Be careful: you might be required to show proof.
‘Isometric exercises’ – because someone told me to do them and I didn’t know what they were.
"Now, that I am on different time zones to my closest friends, we usually leave each other voice notes, then respond when the other is awake. It’s nice to hear their voices, and they are usually hilarious."
Call or text? Which is better, and why?
At the moment – text, because time is a bit limited. It’s nice to be able to respond at a time when I have space rather than rush a phone call. In fact, I prefer voice notes. Now, that I am on different time zones to my closest friends, we usually leave each other voice notes, then respond when the other is awake. It’s nice to hear their voices, and they are usually hilarious.
If I have more time – Calls.
Am I allowed to give 3 answers?
"It costs nothing to be polite, compassionate and kind."
What is your pet peeve?
Oh god. There’s many – rude people, loud people, slow walkers, loud eaters, invasion of personal space, the list goes on!
But my number one would be rude people. I dated someone recently who was very rude to a waiter. I don’t like that, I think it says a lot about someone, and you know one day they will also speak to you like that. It costs nothing to be polite, compassionate and kind.
What is the most interesting thing in your trash can?
An empty spirulina packet?... Awkward.
You’ve been given an elephant. You can’t give it away or sell it. What would you do with it?
Oh I would not want to give it away or sell it. Elephants are my favourite animals because they are strong, mischievious, loyal and the baby ones throw tantrums. I would make my best efforts to get to know the elephant and learn all it’s tricks.
THE BIG ONES
What is the meaning of life?
To find the things that make your heart sing, and do that.
Whilst experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions, heart breaks, wins and losses, confusion, pain, joy, intense love, intense loss, laughs, tears, cuddles and experiences, all along the way.
Look, mom, I made it! – How do you define success?
Living a life of freedom, that fills me with joy and allows me to live an abundant life, in all ways, a life that I can share with my loved ones and share and give to others.
THE FINAL TWO
Name three people you would like to answer these questions?
Daria Kalista, Founder of AF Company
Vasoulla Demetriou, Founder of Soulshine Retreats
Matt & Laura, Founder of Ekommunity
Følg
How would you describe LULU—LAND?
The land in which the ones that know, know. A community hub of all the ones who are crazy enough to believe they can, and they do.
THE END
—
“Keep some room
in your heart
for the
unimaginable”
—
WE LOVE TO CONNECT PEOPLE
NAME Lauren Bagley
EMAIL iam@belunabali.com
WEBSITE belunabali.com
INSTAGRAM @misslcb & @belunabali
—
CREDITS
PUBLISHED BY LULU—LAND
PHOTOS KINDLY LENT FROM LAUREN'S PRIVATE ALBUM
BUSINESS & ENTREPRENEURSHIP
What does progressive fashion that makes a positive difference look like?
If you ask social entrepreneur Veronica D'Souza, part of the answer is to say no to seasons and sales, limit waste and overproduction, and get as far away from the constructed fashion wheel as possible.
We need to say yes to beautifully made timeless clothing that lasts beyond this trend and that. We need to strip down and simplify—in life and in our wardrobe. Fashion with a social conscience never goes out of style!
Veronica founded the clothing brand, Carcel, back in 2016, after having visited and researched female prisons around the world. She found that poverty is the primary cause of female incarceration and decided to do something about it in her own way.
With Carcel, she aims to create sustainable change within the fashion industry while empowering some of the world's most vulnerable and marginalized women, stuck inside a broken system, with production in prisons in Peru and Thailand in places riddled with the highest crime rates due to poverty.
The ambition is to transform the time the women serve in prison into a meaningful and productive stay while creating opportunities for education, developing new skills, and fair wages, in return for their know-how. Hopefully, the experience can be a way out of poverty for the women when released.
We have had the opportunity to meet Veronica at Carcel's tiny Copenhagen headquarter, showroom, and storage combined in one. Where we talked about how she found her own path into social entrepreneurship and had the chance to ask her a couple of questions about the past, present, and future. We hope you'll find the meeting as inspiring as we did.
—
CARCEL
CARCEL IS THE SPANISH WORD FOR JAIL OR PRISON.
DANISH CLOTHING BRAND, FOUNDED IN 2016 BY SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR VERONICA D'SOUZA.
ALL STYLES ARE MADE BY MARGINALIZED WOMEN SERVING SENTENCES IN PERU AND THAILAND, PRIMARILY DUE TO NON-VIOLENT, POVERTY-RELATED CRIMES, TO SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES.
THE WOMEN WORK VOLUNTARILY IN EXCHANGE FOR FAIR WAGES, TRAINING & EDUCATION.
CARCEL DON'T ADHERE TO SEASONS AND SALES. THEY ONLY PRODUCE LIMITED QUALITIES TO ELIMINATE OVERPRODUCTION AND WASTE.
ALL MATERIALS ARE LOCALLY SOURCED AND CAREFULLY SELECTED BASED ON QUALITY, SUSTAINABILITY & DURABILITY.
BY SETTING UP AND RUNNING THEIR OWN PRODUCTION SITES INSIDE THE PRISONS, CARCEL CAN ADJUST TO DEMAND IN REAL-TIME
EVERY PIECE OF CARCEL CLOTHING IS SIGNED BY THE WOMAN WHO MADE IT.
—
INTERVIEW — VERONICA D'SOUZA
How are you... really?
It's a good opening question ... The first thing I think about is when I lived in Nairobi, and when I would ask someone I was working with how they were, the answer would always be plural. We are good. My wife is good. My children are good. My animals are good. The "How are you?" is never about one person; it's always about the community you belong to. I always thought that was nice, instead of talking about the I ...; I didn't really sleep well last night ... you know! I like that the individual emotions are dependent on the greater well-being of a bigger whole, and therefore in order to feel good, you need to invest in your community.
So, I'm going to do it the Kenyan way ... We are really good—both from a family perspective, which is, of course, the closest circle. I feel extremely lucky and grateful that we live here in Denmark, where it's possible and has been possible even through the shutdown, to move around and be outside. Not having to be stuck in a small apartment with the kids and not being able to go anywhere. You just really get to appreciate nature and freedom in these apocalyptic conditions. I feel extremely privileged about health, as well, when there is something like this going around. We are all healthy, and I think that is the bottom line. We are really good.
Also, our employees are healthy, which is really important to me. Obviously, it has been and still is a challenge right now because there is a lot of overpopulation in prisons. It can be detrimental if COVID gets into the prisons we work with, so far, knock on wood, everyone is healthy. We're trying to navigate the best possible way and work with the governments and the prisons to figure out how we work around it—when it is safe to go in and teach, or do work, and when it's not—basically to protect them.
Oh, and the team here in Copenhagen is good, as well. We are all good and healthy.
"Today, more than ever, there is a connection between what has happened in the past and where we want to go in the future. There is no stillness about now."
On the broader range, I'm also very excited about this time. Even though it is full of chaos. A lot of things are coming to the surface that need to be dealt with, discussed, and experienced, not just COVID-19 but also race, gender equality, and capitalism; there is a lot of big conversations right now.
Actually, I have probably been waiting for those conversations my whole life. And been part of them. But they haven't been mainstream topics in society. So, I'm really grateful and happy, but it's also a very vulnerable time and a tough time for many people. It's not just waking up and feeling happy. It's a complicated and thoughtful time. It's full of emotions, and I think historical emotions. There is some kind of...
Okay, this is me, rambling ...
The "How are you?" is for me both "How are we as a community?" but there is also something about the collectivity of time. Today, more than ever, there is a connection between what has happened in the past and where we want to go in the future. There is no stillness about now. We need to understand, deal, and connect with the past to figure out how we move forward. It's the progressive energy in that, which excites me. The progressive energy in the fashion industry, in production, in the conversations that are happening, but also in all the societal movements regarding equality.
Well, that was the long answer to your question.
For people who are unfamiliar with the brand, where did the story of Carcel begin?
Well, it's a brand, but it's actually so much more than that. It's a vision—multiple visions. We have set up production spaces inside of women's prisons in Thailand and Peru. The idea was formed after a visit I had to a prison in Kenya. I started researching and learning that particular women are most often incarcerated due to poverty-related crimes—women who come from low levels of education and extremely marginalized groups in society. Women who have children, who are mothers and when incarcerated, can't provide for their families anymore. When released, there is a lot of stigma in society, and it's very difficult to get a job.
"The point with Carcel is to enter a space where nobody really goes. A place where there isn't a lot of interaction and definitely not a lot of opportunities for making a wage to provide for yourself, send money home, save up, and become included in the economy."
The point with Carcel is to enter a space where nobody really goes. A place where there isn't a lot of interaction and definitely not a lot of opportunities for making a wage to provide for yourself, send money home, save up, and become included in the economy. These are some of the most marginalized women in the world who are most often forgotten about. We want to provide opportunities here and shed light on the women's capabilities, so they can gain dignity and continue to provide for their children, which makes a big difference for them. It's about self-esteem. It's about feeling that you can be a mother, that you can give your child a birthday present, and support them in school. Many of them actually lost connection with their children before because they were ashamed that they couldn't contribute to their lives and be some kind of provider. It's also about education and learning a different skill, so they don't necessarily have to go out into the streets and continue trafficking drugs, which is what most of them did.
The question we asked ourselves was: How do we then create a sustainable business model that can create these jobs in a dignifying way? The way we thought about it was looking into places where there already is an incredible tradition for crafts amongst women in rural areas. Places where their craft is something we honor, where they're actually the best, and where they have the skills to be able to contribute with their know-how, so it's a real exchange.
Carcel is also about looking at the materials we use because thinking about the environment is fundamental for even existing as a fashion brand. That's a key driver. We are an extremely dogmatic company in many ways; we source locally in each country of production and only use natural materials that can become earth again. For now, we use alpaca wool from Peru and handmade silk from Thailand.
What did you do before you started Carcel?
Oh, where do we start? Actually, I was really into music and literature and very idealistic. I wanted to be part of and participate in the world. I've always felt strongly about social justice on a global level, but I'm way too impatient for politics.
I went to UWCAD, an international school, as I got a scholarship to study in Italy when I was 16, together with 200 people from 80 different countries. That was a major game-changer. I came from a small village in Denmark and suddenly found myself in a microcosmos of the world. I was like, wow, okay, you can make friends everywhere, and I was exposed to so many different cultures. That experience made it even more obvious that I wanted to be part of the world somehow and contribute to it.
However, at the same time, I was extremely cynical about NGOs in general, and the UN, like the classic, "do good" field. Not to generalize that every NGO isn't good, I think there are many great NGOs, but unfortunately, there have also been a lot of inefficiencies and focusing more on the fundraising and the fundraisers than understanding how to create solutions that people really want to use. That really didn't motivate me to go into those fields.
"I decided to apply for business school. I thought, if I could get a better vocabulary, infiltrate capitalism from the inside, and understand why it's creating so much harm, then maybe I could find a way to work within it, change it, and somehow make it work for good."
Instead, I chose to look at what I thought was the core evil of the world. The things that were really bad. For me, there were two things; capitalism and the military. This was when I was a bit younger (ha-ha). So, I decided to apply for business school. I thought, if I could get a better vocabulary, infiltrate capitalism from the inside, and understand why it's creating so much harm, then maybe I could find a way to work within it, change it, and somehow make it work for good.
One of the things capitalism does very well is scale. If you could make good solutions scale, you didn't have to convince people to be less selfish. You could just use the system against itself. That was my motivation to go to business school. My mom was like: "Seriously, you do literature and music. Are you sure you really wanna study finances and budgets?" and I was like: "Yeah, there is this whole world of evil, and I know nothing. I want to have a better vocabulary and not just a big anarchist sign."
I think I was lucky. Right when I started, there was a new movement of social business and social entrepreneurship. It was the first year, and it was exactly what I was looking for without knowing it—how to make sustainable business solutions where doing good and solving problems in society is ingrained in the core. I became a supernerd and studied all the cases and literature I could find.
Together with two friends from school, I started my first company in 2011. We tried to apply all the knowledge we had gained from case studies, particularly inspired by the bottom of the pyramid theory ... maybe now is not the time to disclose the literature list (ha-ha). But anyway, we stumbled across a study that said that menstruation was the biggest cause of school dropout for girls living in poverty. This was in 2011, and the study was from 2007. Still, nothing had really been done about it. We thought it was weird that there was this obvious fact from the UN, stating that this is the biggest issue, and then there was just not much else.
My friend was part of a group that was using a menstrual cup. At that time, it was completely unknown, the really early days. She was German, and in Germany, it was connected to some kind of a hippie movement. In Denmark, it was seen as something very gross, unnatural, and weird. We all tried the product, got superexcited, and immediately saw an opportunity to use the cups in a different context. We developed our own product, moved to Kenya, and then founded the business, Ruby Cup, together with women and girls in the slums. It was a very anthropological approach, where we lived there. Everything from the packaging to the marketing, the pricing model, and adjustment to different living situations was done together with the women!
The project was extremely meaningful, and we learned a lot from just starting a company in a different country. There are a lot of things to be said about that, but it was also a lot of fun. That's how I got into that whole field of social entrepreneurship.
"I had never gone to a prison before. I knew nothing, and I couldn't find very much. It always makes me curious when you can't really find anything on Google."
While I was living in Kenya, I visited a women's prison in Nairobi because I was curious about why women were incarcerated. I had never gone to a prison before. I knew nothing, and I couldn't find very much. It always makes me curious when you can't really find anything on Google. For me, it's always about speaking with people: How is it? How do you feel? What is going on? Where are you? The women's answers inspired me to start Carcel. They needed employment, financial inclusion, and something to do they could feel proud of. They needed to be able to be providers for their families. We just needed to find a way to create meaningful and educational employment that would make the women feel valuable.
COVID-19: No one can get around the fact that there is a worldwide pandemic raging; How has it affected you, Carcel, and your employees here and in the prisons in Thailand and Peru? How have you dealt with the current situation?
We have changed our business radically. We saw it as an opportunity. In order to explain that, I need to explain our business model. Like I said in the beginning, Carcel is more a vision than it is a brand. The brand needs to follow the vision. The vision is a lot of different things. What connects everything is an ambition to be a driver for positive change. Both when it comes to the fashion industry and at the same time creating opportunities for responsible employment and new ways of ethical production, inside a system that is meant to deprive you of everything, which is an oxymoron in itself.
"Because the fashion industry is as damaging as it is, there is a need for finding new ways of existing. It's very challenging, but if we are not trying to do that, I don't think that the industry should exist at all."
Because the fashion industry is as damaging as it is, there is a need for finding new ways of existing. It's very challenging, but if we are not trying to do that, I don't think that the industry should exist at all.
We have always been against seasons. We don't have sales, and we don't have collections in order not to be part of the traditional retail wheel, where you basically sell things in stores for a few months, then it goes on sale, and then there is a new collection—so much waste and devaluation of quality and value.
After having worked in the industry for a few years now, I know that retailers are extremely happy if we have a sale-through rate of 60% for an order. If they buy something and sell 60%, that is like the most successful you get. They still stock a brand if it sells in between 30-40%. That's the norm worldwide. Everything else is sold on sale, thrown out, or sold on outlets.
If you just look at that ...
I think there are so many meaningful conversations going on. Especially about materials and innovation when it comes to recycling—and that's great—but if we don't address the consumption pattern, the way we buy and sell products, then we are actually not changing much.
We have been working with many different stores, and until now, what we have done in order to not become part of that system is that we have bought back stock that the stores couldn't sell, and then we have sold it to other stores. Great when you want to save the world, but very bad for business (ha-ha)! We couldn't handle taking the cash flow risk, and we couldn't grow that way, without either compromising on being part of the system and allowing stores to put our products on sale or go out of business.
We have been thinking about that for a long time, and when Corona came, and we basically shut down the world, it was very easy to see that the sell-through rate would be terrible. It wouldn't reach anywhere near 60% because the stores were closed. We thought, now is the right time to do it, to go out of this model. Either we would be left with so much unsold stock that we would have to allow the stores to put it on sale, buy it back, or think of a new model—anyway, the current model wasn't working that well for us. So, we kind of took it as a brave kick in the butt.
We love our retail partners, but let's just say we will be back at some point with a new model. For now, we are stepping out and doing everything online. This also means that we have been able to cut down prices, which I think is a big conversation when it comes to thinking in sustainable ways. If you actually pay proper wages and invest in good materials, it's also an expensive product. There is something about trying to make the prices more accessible to more people. Therefore, we removed the retail markup. Right now, we are developing a new way to be in stores where the stores won't have any stock! We're experimenting with a new way of digital retail.
"There is a value in being physical—this is not a hateful argument towards shops—I love shops! It's just the way that it works right now that doesn't make sense."
There is a value in being physical—this is not a hateful argument towards shops—I love shops! It's just the way that it works right now that doesn't make sense. There is something about redefining and cherishing the reason for being physical. How can we extend that emotion and make that even more special, and when does it make sense to be digital, so we don't continue the way it works today?
We have to admit that we are slightly biased when it comes to the fashion industry and sustainability. At LULU—LAND, we only want to promote brands that attempt to change the status quo of the industry. In your opinion: How are we ever going to get out of this mess we have created? What have you learned? And how can we move forward?
I think I already kind of answered part of this question, like what I have learned and how it works. You sometimes have this conversation; Who is supposed to make the change? Is it the consumers? Is it the politicians? Is it the brands? Who has the responsibility? I think that is such a stupid conversation because obviously, we all have to change! The answer is manifold. There is a need for a business model that allows brands to be seasonless. That is currently not possible. We were set up to be seasonless from the beginning. However, we realized that it was impossible, or close to impossible, in the way retail is set up, and if you want to work with stores. There is a need for structural innovation that makes it possible to work in a different way.
"I honestly feel that if we aren't working on a better solution, we should probably shut down as an industry. In my personal opinion, I don't think there is a right to continue to exist if we don't ambitiously work in better ways. "
We need new business innovation more than guilt. Obviously, if you have a way of doing it, more people would. Right now, it's a shaming game. You shouldn't continue having collections and seasons, and brands are like: "So how are we going to survive?". I honestly feel that if we aren't working on a better solution, we should probably shut down as an industry. In my personal opinion, I don't think there is a right to continue to exist if we don't ambitiously work in better ways.
There is a little bit of time, but not a lot. We should spend that time figuring out how we can use real creativity to create change. Creativity in fashion today is as much about the model as the expression of the garment. There probably isn't a piece of clothing that we haven't seen before somehow. Where fashion is really strong, and the reason why it makes sense to not just kill it is that it can be a powerful way to communicate movements in society, identity, and expression—that's when it becomes progressive. I think that what we have seen for many years is a regressive industry. It's been about clothes and not so much about what is going on in the world. It's been pretty disconnected from the fact that the planet is falling apart and that people are not getting paid. If we do not change that or start working with it, then the industry simply shouldn't exist.
Something that is really on my mind right now, particularly right now, is that there is such a huge need to deconstruct, and there is also a lot of anger that makes sense, but we also need to reconstruct. That inspires me as a creative thinking person. It's much more the construction than the deconstruction.
"At Carcel, we believe it's less about the "need" and more about creating the "want" to change. Talking to the "want" will make it possible to transition humanity to the post-consumer era, the next perception of beauty."
Carcel has always been about a desire to create a movement that people want to be part of. That's also why the clothes need to be beautiful and attractive, and the brand needs to look cool. We want to create an emotional space, which is not a rational argument. We're getting told so many things from a rational point of view ... "did you know that..." and then we are supposed to change behavior, but we don't want to do that.
At Carcel, we believe it's less about the "need" and more about creating the "want" to change. Talking to the "want" will make it possible to transition humanity to the post-consumer era, the next perception of beauty. We need to transition to somewhere and not just say: "everything is shit," "capitalism is shit," "politics is shit," "the climate is shit" that creates apathy. I think that's what we all feel. This feeling of "I don't know what to do about it" and "I can't think about it too much because nothing is good; we shouldn't even be breathing; there are already too many people on the planet, my phone is made by I don't want to know who, and the Internet is using too much CO2"—it's never-ending. What we actually need is human beings to feel agency to create change and drive that change. We can only do that through creating a "want" and "desire" to change.
What are some of the challenges you experience because of the way you do business? When we met you outside of the shop during the Corona lockdown, you mentioned that social media can be harsh and challenging at times?
When you talk about things—it's like at a dinner party—if you bring up intimate and personal stuff, people will comment on it. You need to make a choice. You can't both share everything and then get frustrated when people have opinions about it. For us, part of being progressive is also to be transparent. To allow people to make their own choices and give information about everything—the production cost, labor costs, the materials, the business model—all of it.
However, the most challenging with our brand is that we are operating within a system, which is a prison system. We are doing that in order to create an impact for people who basically have close to no opportunities, but it's also a complicated situation.
It's a really emotional conversation. Particularly in the US, where there is a horrible past and present of putting people in prison because of race and private companies exploiting prisoners as free labor. But it's not just in the States; exploitation of prisoners is taking place globally. Obviously, that is what we are trying to change by creating a different model based on fair living wages, code of conduct, and protection of prisoners' employment rights in order to create rehabilitation. But there are not a lot of great examples to lean against.
We realized this when we had a social media backlash in 2019, which came as a big surprise. Until then, we had been in the media a lot, but only with positive stories. It was a big debate about what we are doing as equal to modern slavery. People on Reddit wrote that we were white supremacists that wanted to exploit poor women of color. It was a huge challenge to communicate how complex this topic is in only a few sentences.
Still, at the end of the day, it also motivated us to pick up the phone and call everyone we could find on this planet in order to talk about this and the different aspects of prison labor. We contacted people from the UNODC who are working with prisons, the ILO (International Labour Organization), and the American Prison Association, amongst others. There is a global framework that everyone has agreed to, and it's called The Nelson Mandela Rules, which are basic human rights for people incarcerated. It's a human right to have access to a job in prison if the job is fairly compensated and voluntary.
However, there are no guidelines to ensure that a prison job is fairly compensated and voluntary. What we realized was that the reason people reacted was that this is not the norm. The norm, across the globe, is that companies are exploiting incarcerated people and that they don't have any rights. This is what people know. It's so brutal and crazy. So it makes sense to doubt our little company, to be critical towards our intentions and demand answers.
For us, this was a wake-up call. We needed to bring in people, and we needed someone who could check on our practices. We asked ourselves: Is there an NGO? Is there a union we can engage with? Is there someone we can look into to improve ourselves, and who can help us find out what we are doing well and where we can do better? But we couldn't find anyone specialized in ethical employment rights for prisoners. In general, there is very little research globally around the topic of work and incarceration. Because of that, we started creating a draft of the first global 'Code of Conduct for Protecting Prisoner's Working Rights' because we needed it ourselves, and we thought it might be useful for others.
We got advisors from different fields, from the UN, from the ILO, from the unions, and asked them to look into this. We started working with a consultant, Luke Smitham, from Kumi Consulting in London, who has in-depth experience working with extremely vulnerable supply chains like mining, places where there are child labor, and risk of exploitation, which can be the case when you're incarcerated. We asked ourselves: How can we create a codex and different steps of implementation that protect prisoners' rights?
We were invited to speak at The OECD Annual Garment & Footwear Meeting in Paris, where guides for responsible business conduct are discussed within the fashion industry. We invited all the unions we could find, governments, NGOs, not to say: "Listen, Carcel is a great idea" but to say ... "Listen, there is an issue here; we have a global population, who is currently working, and no one is upholding their rights. These are some of the thoughts and things we have learned ... We then made a roll-out plan, but are delayed due to COVID-19. Our goal is to both create a case with implementation research and work to lobby for global attention to this group of people. However, this is just to say that we are also very engaged on a political level to actually be part of progress, but within a broken system.
That doesn't mean that we are for or against prisons. I think that's what people sometimes misunderstand. If you work with a prison, then you are pro prisons. That is not how we feel. But, what we do think is that a large group of people in prisons are being forgotten about who deserves a chance to be included as capable humans beings.
"I like constructive criticism, it allows us to have so many meaningful conversations, and it gives us something to work with."
For us, the most important thing is to hear what the women want and what matters to them. They say that having a job is essential for them in order to be able to contribute to their families and to have their dignity back. They are so proud to be a part of this, and it means a lot to them.
Obviously, you get in doubt when you experience a backlash like that, but I think that is a healthy thing. We should always get in doubt when we are critiqued. I like constructive criticism, it allows us to have so many meaningful conversations, and it gives us something to work with.
Compared to Ruby Cup, this has been extremely challenging. Ruby Cup had a straightforward vision. Who doesn't want to keep girls in school? We can all agree that it is not a political topic. Labor in prisons is a political topic. Some people think that prisoners are criminals and don't deserve the right to work and shouldn't get a job. Others believe that prisons are evil and shouldn't exist—if you even engage with the people there, you support prisons' existence. There are a lot of different aspects to it.
I think communication is essential, and that's something we are working on right now. From the outside, you could get the idea—if you don't know us—that we are this huge, wealthy company that has set up production in prisons to exploit cheap labor. However, when you meet us and sit here, you realize that we are 2 1/2 employees and underfunded (ha-ha). We've got so much positive exposure that people sometimes think we are a much larger company. It's not that I'm not proud of the brand, but it's easy for people to think that we are super wealthy, but that's not really how it is at all! That's also why transparency is so important to us. We want to make sure that people understand that everything made on the products is reinvested into the business. No one is exploiting profit from this.
What are you working on right now?
Right now, we are working on a new way to be in retail that eliminates stock and waste—that is the core focus.
We are also working on creating a production facility outside of prison in Thailand—even though we can't go there, so the women who are released can still work together with us if they would like to. We have four women from our team coming out next year. Last week, we learned that they have gotten amnesty, which is many years off their sentences. We are planning for it and also planning to do it in the right way. Corona has speeded things up in some ways, but in other ways, it has also been, "Okay, let's wait a few months more and do it well and hopefully go there and be a part of the process."
Right now, we are also in the exploration phase on how to make our own silk. We probably want to set up a weaving mill outside of prison. Also, there is a lot of natural dye in Thailand. We are thinking in the outside space in terms of different types of craftsmanship that we can use for different projects and products.
Oh, and one of the important outcomes of Corona, which I didn't mention before, is that when you have a humanitarian crisis and a global pandemic like this, overpopulated prisons start to release people before time. We actually just had a woman released who was supposed to stay there for 5-6 years more. As a result, we have started a small production outside of the prison in Peru, with our first employee called Vanessa. During the pandemic where everything was shut down, and we couldn't rent anything, somehow, we managed, and she managed.
This was ahead of time. It has always been something that we wanted to do, but we thought that most of the women had so many years left that we would wait and do things in a different order. All of a sudden, it was like: Okay, she is out. How do we get a machine? How do we get started? We feel really lucky and fortunate to have her on our team, our first employee, on the outside!
Does the work the women do for Carcel have anything to do with them being released ahead of time?
Officially, no. Unofficially, it's different from country to country. If you don't have a hard sentence in Peru, it diminishes your time if you work. But if you are in for a hard sentence, like drug trafficking, it doesn't affect your sentence. But your papers, good behavior, and recommendations do. In that sense, everyone in the prisons can see that it's a really positive system. The prison director in Peru wants us to employ everyone because it changes a lot. She says there are an entirely different energy and positivity among these women. Their goal is to get as many women into the Carcel project as possible because it leaves them with some kind of prospect and creates a positive culture. The same in Thailand.
Does it give the women hope for a better future?
It is always hard to speak on behalf of someone else, but it is also very difficult not to say that it gives them hope because they can't call you up or be here for this interview and answer themselves.
"Whenever there is a bleak day, a shutdown, or business challenges, I always think about our teams in prison. They are incredibly positive and extremely powerful—they really want this!"
Whenever there is a bleak day, a shutdown, or business challenges, I always think about our teams in prison. They are incredibly positive and extremely powerful—they really want this! I may think that life is a little bit hard and that it's challenging to be an entrepreneur sometimes, but their energy motivates me. They are so proud whenever they see their work in magazines or when someone writes an article about us. For them, it's a cultural acceptance—even though they are prisoners, which is such a cultural, social stigma.
One of our women in Thailand said that she thought she was cabbage, which translates to feeling like garbage in Thai, but now she feels that she is a valuable human being. Being incarcerated is so full of shame for these women. We can't possibly understand or relate, but we can listen and try to create ways for the women to be heard and act.
We had the princess of Thailand visit our production facility; she is the UN goodwill ambassador for female prisoners' rights. She came to visit our project. It was such an incredible experience for them to get to show her their work and give her a present that they made themselves. That is basically the highest level of acceptance they can think of; how can we make something for a princess when we are not supposed to be anything?
How will you look back at 2020, and what are your hopes for 2021?
You know, I was always sad that I wasn't born in the 60s. Back then, conversations were about something—at least that was how I felt growing up in the 80s and 90s. I felt that I grew up in a very shallow time. With really shallow music—a lot of it—very bad dance music. Of course, there was some good music, but most of it, like mainstream music, was horrible in the 90s. It was reflected in design as well; everything reflected this shallow wealth era. I think that the conversations were like that as well. People were not going into deep topics, and if you did, it was the "political" conversation.
"You know, I was always sad that I wasn't born in the 60s. Back then, conversations were about something—at least that was how I felt growing up in the 80s and 90s."
In the 60s, things were about something, and things changed. They were also painful and cost lives, but stuff got done; the mass movement for civil rights, women's rights, gay rights, and a lot of other things that are fundamental for how we even think today. I hope that what we are going through in 2020 and hopefully also in 2021 and 2022 is about that. So that the chaos, the pain, and the change are what's necessary in order for us not to have a planet that is heated by more than 2 degrees in the best-case scenario. We will know that within 7-10 years. That's the time frame we have. We need chaos. We need radical transformation. We need either a complete breakdown or a really fast revolution. I'm hoping for the last. But if not, then we need to break down. That is what I hope to look back on this year, but also in the years to come — that it's not just another year. My nightmare would be that we end 2020 or start 2021, and everything is back to normal like it was at the beginning of 2020. Then I would feel really sad. But I don't think that is going to happen. Hopefully, 2020 brings a lot of positive change.
"We need chaos. We need radical transformation. We need either a complete breakdown or a really fast revolution. I'm hoping for the last. But if not, then we need to break down."
What does the future look like? Where do you find your inspiration for the further development of Carcel?
Carcel has always been a very collaborative project. The fact that we were started with a Kickstarter campaign and everyone in Denmark who worked at Carcel worked for free for the first two years, made everyone involved, from interns to the women in the prisons, part of shaping the company. That's also pretty much how it is today. We are a few people who are getting paid now—a little bit—but I think the inspiration and the ideas always come from a collective. We meet new people along the way, and they become part of the journey, in everything from our design processes to strengthening our ties in Peru and Thailand.
"We want to build something bigger than Carcel. That's the dream. Carcel can hopefully be a catalyst for change, and that change can then be a platform for other people to engage."
We set things up in a way that'll hopefully allow our facilities to be its own function run by the women, where they can have other clients and customers. We want to build something bigger than Carcel. That's the dream. Carcel can hopefully be a catalyst for change, and that change can then be a platform for other people to engage.
I hope that it will be a continuity of a collective and collaborations with a lot of people who can chip in and who can participate. In the world I think we should live in, it's never about ownership. We need as many people to get involved as possible to at least try to address some of the things that we have been talking about.
Anything we missed you'd like to add?
Not other than, I think it's a really exciting time. It's nice to think about the fact that we are not alone. I don't think we are a hero company leading the wave. There is a massive movement going on right now, and we can all learn from each other. There's also a new generation who is not stuck up in whether it's "do good" or "fashion," is it "business?" or is it an "NGO?" The young generation sees the world much more connected. It doesn't have to be either-or, and I think looking at the world like that makes a lot more sense. We are moving in the right direction. It's not a conversation on whether we should have sustainability anymore. I'm not concerned if we had the time. If we had 40-50 years, we would definitely get there. My concern is the timeframe that we have if we want a habitable planet for the number of people we are today. We have to do whatever we can to speed up the process—and sometimes that might be inappropriate and not wanted conversations.
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VERONICA D'SOUZA
Veronica is a passionated, business-savvy, social entrepreneur by heart. Prior to Carcel, she co-founded the award-winning social business Ruby Cup in collaboration with local women in Nairobi, Kenya, where she lived. She is recognized as a 'Global Shaper' under World Economic Forum, the youngest jury member at INDEX: Design To Improve Life, a SOCAP selected entrepreneur, a senior fellow of Humanity in action New York, a UWC graduate, and co-author of 'The Road Map for Sustainable Leadership'.
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A SPECIAL THANKS TO EVERYONE ON THE CARCEL TEAM
CHIANG MAI, THAILAND
Suu, Nana, Pang, Rin, N’an, Nong, Pat, Kaim, One, Nu, Mem, Aom, Fon, Pla, Pa, Jang, & Aod
CUSCO, PERU
Surya, Theodomira Q. P., Benigna, Flor Rosa, Edith, Rocio, Nina, Esther, Doris C., Diana, Dianne & Yolanda
OUTSIDE, PERU
Vanessa & Hannah
COPENHAGEN, DENMARK
Veronica, Sofie, Caroline, Frederikke, Mathilde, Ella, Ira & Nana
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WE LOVE TO CONNECT PEOPLE
carcel.co
@carcelclothing
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CREDITS
PUBLISHED BY LULU—LAND
INTERVIEW BY LOUISE BØGESKOV HOU
PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEPHANIE GEDDES & CARCEL PRESS
EDITED BY CATHRINE JOON BJØRNBAK
The ClimateClock is an open-source project assembled by a team of artists, makers, scientists, and activists based in New York.
The project has recently gotten a lot of attention as the group has reprogrammed the Metronome in Union Square to adopt a new environmental mission.
Now, instead of measuring the usual 24-hour cycles, it's measuring what two artists, Gan Golan and Andrew Boyd, present as the critical window for action to prevent the effects of global warming from becoming irreversible.
On Saturday at 3:20 p.m., messages including "The Earth has a deadline" appeared on the display. Then the numbers — 7:103:15:40:07 — showed up, representing the years, days, hours, minutes, and seconds until that deadline.
The idea is to publicly illustrate the urgency of combating climate change and encourage Governments worldwide to take a stand and act against global warming, reduce greenhouse gas emission, and human-caused global heating.
At the launch Boyd said:
"The clock is telling us we must reduce our emissions as much as we can as fast as we can. The technology is there. We can do this—and in the process, create a healthier, more just world for all of us. Our planet has a deadline. But we can turn it into a lifeline."
The clock indicates that we only have limited time to undertake bold transformation of our energy system and economy in hopes of keeping global temperature rise under 1.5°C.
Right before the countdown began, Golan made the following statement:
"This is our way to shout that number from the rooftops!"
"Metronome" is a large public art installation by Andrew Ginzel and Kristin Jones, covering a 10-story-residential high rise located along the south end of Union Square in New York City. The work also includes concentric circles rendered in gold-flecked brick that ripple outward from a round opening. When it was unveiled in 1999, clouds of steam and musical tones were issued from the facade. Over the years, the sound and steam have ceased. However, the numbers kept moving.
Allegedly, the original artists had already been thinking about reimagining the work to address the deepening climate crisis when they got a letter from the Boyd & Golan in February. Call it magic or beautiful synchronicity.
When asked about why they put the number on public display, Boyd has said:
"This is arguably the most important number in the world ... A monument is often how society shows what's important, what it elevates, what is at center stage ... We hope this initiative will encourage everybody to join us in fighting for the future of our planet."
The ClimateClock will be displayed on the 14th Street building, One Union Square South, through Sept. 27, the end of NYC Climate Week. However, the aim is to arrange for the clock to be permanently displayed, there or elsewhere.
On climateclock.world it's stated that the clock is meant to draw the world’s attention to the urgency for action—if we are to survive, we need a constant, public reminder of our deadline—everywhere! The team encourage everyone to join the movement and help them put a ClimateClock in every major city in the world.
BUT WHY IS IT VITAL TO MAINTAIN THE GLOBAL TEMPERATURE INCREASE BELOW 1.5°C?
This is the only way to ensure our world will suffer less negative impacts on the intensity and frequency of extreme events, resources, ecosystems, biodiversity, food security, cities, tourism, carbon removal, and global economy. IPCC Special Report on Global Warming clearly states that adaptation to change will be less difficult.
Future climate-related risks will be reduced by the upscaling and acceleration of far-reaching, multilevel and cross-sectoral climate mitigation and by both incremental and transformational adaptation.
To put it simply, maintaining the global temperature increase below 1.5°C is in all our interest as it increases our chances of survival on this beautiful planet of ours—everything we do matters!
This project has inspired me personally, and I want to support the message. Therefore, going forward, you'll be able to see a ClimateClock whenever you enter LULU—LAND to continuously remind all of us to do better. Even the tiniest steps and small changes in our everyday lives count when it comes to creating a better future for everyone. Let's all take part in reaching this goal!
/ LOUISE
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IT'S.
TIME.
TO. ACT.
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WE LOVE TO CONNECT PEOPLE
climateclock.world
@climateclock.world
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THE SCIENCE
The ClimateClock shows two numbers. The first, in red, is a timer, counting down how long it will take, at current rates of emissions, to burn through our “carbon budget” — the amount of CO2 that can still be released into the atmosphere while limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. This is our deadline, the time we have left to take decisive action to keep warming under the 1.5°C threshold. The second number, in green, is tracking the growing % of the world’s energy currently supplied from renewable sources. This is our lifeline. Simply put, we need to get our lifeline to 100% before our deadline reaches 0.
This clock follows the methodology of the carbon clock made by the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC) which uses data from the recent IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C. The report states that starting from 2018, a carbon dioxide budget of 420 Gt of CO2 gives us a 67% chance to stay under 1.5°C of warming.
“The concept of the carbon budget is based on a nearly linear relationship between the cumulative emissions and the temperature rise. Nevertheless, this does not mean that the earth would necessarily be 1.5°C warmer at the very point in time when the remaining carbon budget for staying below the 1.5°C threshold was used up. This is due to, among others, the fact that there is a time lag between the concentration of emissions in the atmosphere and the impact thereof on the temperature”.¹
MCC also notes that their calculations assume “that the annual emissions of years to come will be close to those of the year 2017, while latest numbers show that emissions are still on the rise.” If this trend continues, the time we have to act will be reduced. Furthermore, it is unlikely that earth’s climate warms at a linear rate. For example, potential climatic tipping points have been identified in Earth’s physical climate system that would cause large and possibly irreversible transitions in the state of the climate.² These uncertainties are why the IPCC report states there is a 67% chance that the carbon budget will limit warming to 1.5°C.
The IPCC Special Report on Global Warming is largely based on a research paper called “Global Carbon Budget 2018” published in 2018 by Corinne Le Quéré et al.³ This paper estimates the carbon budget in the units of GtC.⁴
RESOURCES
1. Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change. “That’s How Fast the Carbon Clock Is Ticking.” MCC Carbon Clock. https://www.mcc-berlin.net/en/research/co2-budget.html (accessed September 22, 2019).
2. Lenton, Timothy M., Hermann Held, Elmar Kriegler, Jim W. Hall, Wolfgang Lucht, Stefan Rahmstorf, and Hans Joachim Schellnhuber. "Tipping elements in the Earth's climate system." Proceedings of the national Academy of Sciences 105, no. 6 (2008): 1786-1793.
3. Le Quéré, Corinne, Robbie M. Andrew, Pierre Friedlingstein, Stephen Sitch, Judith Hauck, Julia Pongratz, Penelope A. Pickers et al. "Global carbon budget 2018." Earth System Science Data (Online) 10, no. 4 (2018).
4. IPCC, 2018: Global warming of 1.5°C. An IPCC Special Report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways, in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change, sustainable development, and efforts to eradicate poverty [V. Masson-Delmotte, P. Zhai, H. O. Pörtner, D. Roberts, J. Skea, P.R. Shukla, A. Pirani, W. Moufouma-Okia, C. Péan, R. Pidcock, S. Connors, J. B. R. Matthews, Y. Chen, X. Zhou, M. I. Gomis, E. Lonnoy, T. Maycock, M. Tignor, T. Waterfield (eds.)]. In Press.
BUSINESS & ENTREPRENEURSHIP
At LULU—LAND, we have a soft spot for great entrepreneurial stories and love to share them.
Honestly, when we first got to know about Puori, we were a bit skeptical; were these products really any different than all the other supplements out there? However, when we looked into how they are made and tried the products ourselves, our skepticism was put to shame.
Today, we wouldn't recommend any other dietary supplements. We admire Puori's strong commitment to environmental sustainability and how they have managed to use their ambitious standards for product quality and safety as a competitive advantage.
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Puori was founded in 2009 by the two Danish entrepreneurs, Oliver Amdrup and Julius Heslet, who had a strong desire to supplement their own active lifestyles. The problem; finding products that they could actually trust to be safe and of high quality.
The mission was clear from the beginning: to be the best at offering pure, clean, and superior products that make a difference to people's health and wellbeing.
The first product they launched was a high-quality, potent omega-3 fish oil - a gap in the market which no existing product was able to fill. Since then, the product portfolio has grown to address the main nutritional deficiencies in the developed world in the most uncompromising way possible.
The ambitious adventure has grown into a global company with many dedicated employees, partners, and loyal customers. The two young men attribute their success to the fact that there has always been a great deal of boldness and innovation in Puori. Put in their own words:
"Without the boldness and our innovative mindset, we would never have set out on this amazing journey. It now means that we cultivate a culture within the company to foster open innovation and change. Those who dare to think aloud and differently are rewarded."
Another factor for their success is transparency and third-party testing. Initially, Puori used IFOS testing of their fish oil supplement, which expanded into full transparency testing across the entire product portfolio that guarantees the safety and quality of all their products. Every single batch is tested!
Puori's initial surge in growth has been through the success of CrossFit® - the exercise methodology that spread throughout the 2000s and since evolved into a profound competitive sport.
The CrossFit culture is still an essential part of Puori's heritage. However, everyone has their own unique exercise strategies, and they try to address the needs of all physically active individuals. They consider health an ever-evolving journey centered around making quality decisions within the four cornerstones of a good life: a healthy diet, physical activity, recovery, and balance.
Puori don't sell quick fixes; they help people understand their origin and show them how to achieve their natural potential. They strongly believe in a preventative lifestyle and a holistic approach to health. When the modern diet falls short of providing the nutrients we need, Puori provide the purest natural supplements for a healthier future.
We are fortunate to be able to offer Puori supplements in our shop and got the chance to ask one of the founders, Oliver Amdrup, a couple of questions:
WHAT DID YOU DO BEFORE YOU STARTED PUORI?
OA: I was an entrepreneur in the health and wellness space. I went from being a personal trainer to the owner of a CrossFit gym to create a corporate training app and work as Regional Director for CrossFit HQ in Europe.
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START PUORI IN THE FIRST PLACE? WHERE DID THE IDEA COME FROM? DID YOU HAVE AN EUREKA-LIKE MOMENT?
OA: Julius and I both had trouble finding the perfect fish oil = free from environmental toxins based on lab reports, caught sustainable, high amount of Omega-3, and always fresh. After researching for a long time, without finding exactly what we wanted, we decided to embark on a journey ourselves.
WHAT HAVE BEEN THE MAIN CHALLENGES GETTING TO WHERE YOU ARE TODAY?
OA: I think when you ask most entrepreneurs, they will tell you that it is a journey of challenges, not a single event. It all boils down to your passion for the vision and values, as well as your dedication to never surrender.
HOW DO YOU COMPLEMENT EACH OTHER ON THIS JOURNEY?
OA: We have always shared the same vision and values but very different capabilities. Julius is more of a Specialist, and I’m more of Generalist. Thus we have tried to use each other strengths and weaknesses along the way.
CORONA VIRUS: NO ONE CAN GET AROUND THE FACT THAT THERE IS A WORLDWIDE PANDEMIC RAGING - HOW HAS THE CURRENT SITUATION AFFECTED PUORI? AND HOW HAVE YOU DEALT WITH IT?
OA: The US market is one of our main markets. Therefore, we obviously see uncertainty at the moment, which has affected our future growth investments. On the other hand, we also see tendencies that people are focusing more on preventative health, which is the key to our brand – many of our products are developed with this in mind.
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW?
OA: We are launching a major new brand-line extension which targets the needs of a growing consumer population, combining our clean and 3rd party tested product and development competencies, with specialist and experts within a new segment of consumers. Stay tuned post Summer 2020.
WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION FOR THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF PUORI? WHAT OR WHOM INSPIRES YOU?
OA: It always starts with a need or an opportunity to improve something. We find inspiration from many directions, not just within the health and wellness space but also within consumer movements and other industries.
WHAT DOES THE FUTURE LOOK LIKE FOR PUORI? THE NEAR AND DISTANT FUTURE? WHAT ARE YOUR AMBITIONS AND GOALS?
OA: We want to play a significant role in changing the supplement industry towards more transparency around environmental toxins and products' quality. One day, our transparency project, created in collaboration with The Clean Label Project, will become the industry standard for consumer goods to ensure safety and quality in all areas of food consumption.
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE KNOWN BEFORE YOU STARTED PUORI?
OA: Keep your focus on your key differentiator and continue to develop your brand around it, so everything you do supports your uniqueness and makes more unique and you stand out to your target audience.
FINALLY, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE OTHER ENTREPRENEURS OR PEOPLE WHO DREAM ABOUT STARTING THEIR OWN BUSINESS?
OA: Set a clear direction of where you want to go, but don’t expect your path will be what you expected. Stay true to your values, your strategies will change, but values should not. And finally, never-give-up and never stop learning.
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GET TO KNOW MORE ABOUT PUORI
CHECK OUT THE PUORI PRODUCTS IN OUR SHOP
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WE LOVE TO CONNECT PEOPLE
COMPANY Puori
FOUNDERS Oliver Amdrup & Julius Heslet
WEBSITE puori.com
INSTAGRAM @puorilife
LINKEDIN Puori
You know when you see someone on stage, and you just know they were born to perform? Chance Croall is a force of nature like that – a solo rapper, musician, and drawing artist, based in tiny Lund, Sweden.
Music has always been his thing. Two years ago, his brother and two of his friends asked him over to a jam session. It's enough to see them live once to understand why they went from jamming to form the rap group, Mundane Experience.
Their raw talent, endless drive, and ability to stay focused on collaborating, developing, and creating, even in the toughest times, is something I believe we all can learn from.
The first time I got theMundane Experience was when they performed in a country house barn, somewhere wild and free in the very flat, but also very pretty Southern Sweden. You know that vibe when you've had all the food you could eat at the party, and it's hard to move? Everyone lazy-lounging with the countryside skyline all around, drinking drinks and talking talks. Everything changed when they started playing. The party resembled a "before and after" makeover experience. They give new energy—wavy jazzy hip-hop goodness.
Chance curated a badass playlist for us, and we're so thankful — a playlist for uncertain times. We hope it can bring out your inner strength, but also let you embrace things exactly as they are happening. Enjoy!
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Oh, and by the way this year Chance also released his solo EP, Split Mind.
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WE LOVE TO CONNECT PEOPLE
NAME Chance Croall
INSTAGRAM @chancuu & @mundaneexperience
SPOTIFY Chance Croall & Mundane Experience
SOUNDCLOUD Mundane Experience
YOUTUBE Mundane Experience
Say hi to Ieva Vi. She's an incredibly talented designer, digital content creator, and visual communicator. In the coming months, she'll help us develop our email marketing strategy and step up our motion graphics and GIF game big time.
Everyone knows that you are supposed to receive a welcome email immediately after you have signed up for a newsletter—It's been on our to-do list forever—Ieva is totally going to make this happen. If you're already signed up, she's also the one who will make sure that you'll receive that occasional update that won't make you forget about us.
Ieva is originally from Lithuania but lives a digital nomad; working with what she loves the most, while traveling. She is curious and always ask interesting and well-informed questions that make us think and reflect.
In her spare time, you might find her with a camera at hand; she loves connecting with people and documenting memorable occasions.
Ieva is inspired by everything from scents like perfumes and the smell of Spring to calm and positive people, long walks in nature, and well … social media. However, like most of us she is painfully aware that it's a super powerful tool that can overwhelm you if you don't use your time wisely!
We hope that you'll notice the quirky motions on our platforms and smile next time you receive our newsletter, thanks to Ieva.
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WE LOVE TO CONNECT PEOPLE
NAME Ieva Vi
INSTAGRAM @iamnotieva, @vilcinskaitee & @ievaviphoto
WEBSITE ievavi.com
PORTFOLIO ievaviphoto.com
#instagramlove is a series of posts where we share some of the accounts we enjoy following. We love accounts that leave us feeling inspired, motivated, and curious. Read more about the series and our view on Instagram here.
Most importantly,
don't forget to unfollow accounts
that make you feel like shit!
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Douglas Coupland is probably one of Canada's most celebrated contemporary artists, writers, and thinkers. Lately, his Instagram account has been filled with pieces from his exhibition "Everywhere Is Anywhere Is Anything Is Everything," and we simply love it. Coupland's work inspires you to question contemporary issues and suggests new ways of seeing the world with incisiveness and humor.
Purienne is the Instagram account of the South African born, LA-based, Creative Director & Artist, Henrik Purienne. You'll find natural beauty, warm and exotic ambiance, interwoven with domestic and voyeuristic sexual imagery, converging between provocation and inspiration.
Last Resort Gallery is a little contemporary gallery hidden in the back of the courtyard, in Borgergade 16, in the heart of Copenhagen.
Peter Amby, the owner of the gallery, has a knack for creating unexpected and eye-catching art experiences and wondrous spaces. You can schedule a visit to the current exhibition ‘Stay At Home’ here ...
... and buy most of the pieces by among other Andrés Reisinger (AR), Balder Olrik (DK), Established & Sons (UK), Fish Design & Gaetano Pesce (IT), Gun Gordillo (SE), Jinyeong Jeon (KR), Magni Moss (SE), Mandalaki Studio (IT), Manuel Tainha (PT), Oneseo (KR), Philippe Malouin (CA), Ry David Bradley (AU), WrongWoods (UK) in the online shop.
PANGAIA is a materials science company on a mission to save the environment and environmental problems in the fashion and apparel industry. They describe themselves as a global collective of scientists, technologists, and designers who bring breakthrough textile innovations and patents into the world through everyday lifestyle products. PANGAIA's products are made with innovative smart technology, bio-engineered materials, and as many sustainable and recyclable elements as possible. But this isn't it, their vision is to drive change even further by sharing available technologies and materials with companies across different industries and take part in designing a better future.
PANGAIA; pan | pæn — gaia | gīə — Pan: all-inclusive, especially in relation to the whole of a continent, racial group, or religion — Gaia: Mother Earth.
Jeppe Hein is a Danish artist based in Berlin. He is widely known for his production of experiential and interactive artworks positioned at the junction where art, architecture, and technical inventions intersect. Unique in their formal simplicity and notable for their frequent use of humor. Jeppe Hein's works often feature surprising and captivating elements which place spectators at the center of events and focus on their experience and perception of the surrounding space.
Breathe With Me is Jeppe Hein's latest project, where he invites everyone to breathe with him while painting their own individual breaths in watercolor lines. Conscious breathing, yoga, and mindfulness became important elements in Jeppe's life after he experienced a personal breakdown almost ten years ago. He firmly believes that the awareness of his breath enables him to balance out the body and mind in all circumstances of life.
"Life begins with an inhale and ends with an exhale. In-between, we all breathe and live different lives. And yet, each breath keeps us together, connected, sharing the same air." — Jeppe Hein
WELL, THAT'S IT — AT LEAST FOR NOW
NIKE "JUST DID IT" AGAIN ...
... in a way that makes us trust and like them even more. They officially unveiled the third installment of their "You Can't Stop Us" campaign with an incredible short film, comprising dynamic split-screen footage.
By detailing 36 pairings of athletes and relating the kinetic movement of one sport to another, they underscore commonalities shared by athletes around the world and unify the world's elite athletes, incl., Megan Rapinoe, LeBron James, Naomi Osaka, Eliud Kipchoge, Caster Semenya, Cristiano Ronaldo, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Serena Williams, Colin Kaepernick, and Kylian Mbappé, with everyday athletes through the spirit of competition.
Narrated by the American soccer player Megan Rapinoe, the spot celebrates sport as a source of inspiration for equality and change.
"We are never alone. And that is our strength. Because when we are doubted, we'll play as one. When we're held back, we'll go farther ... and harder. If we are not taken seriously, we'll prove that wrong. And if we don't fit the sport, we'll change the sport. We know things won't always go our way, "and the world's sporting events are postponed or canceled," but whatever it is, we'll find a way. And when things aren't fair, we'll come together for change. "We have a responsibility to make this world a better place." And no matter how bad it gets, we will always come back stronger. Because nothing can stop what we can do together. [You can't stop sport]"
Closed gyms and empty stadiums haven’t stopped athletes from pushing forward and using their platforms to help create change. Through those actions, sport shows us what an equal playing field looks like — and reminds us that a better future is possible.
“Players may be back on the pitch, but we are not going back to an old normal. We need to continue to reimagine this world and make it better,” says Rapinoe. “We have all these people in the streets, using their voices, and those voices are being heard. I ask people to be energized by this moment and not give up. I believe it’s everybody’s responsibility to advocate for change.”
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At NIKE, the responsibility to advocate for change remains central to their purpose. They strive to bring innovation and inspiration to every athlete* in the world.
(* If you have a body, you are an athlete.)
Their mission is what drives them to do everything possible to expand human potential; by creating groundbreaking sport innovations, making their products more sustainably, building a creative and diverse global team, and making a positive impact in communities where we live work.
At LULU—LAND, we admire their courage and are inspired by their work.
For more information on Nike efforts to make themselves, their teams, their communities, and the world better, visit purpose.nike.com.
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NIKE: "YOU CAN'T STOP US" CAMPAIGN
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FACTS ABOUT THE FILM
24 SPORTS REPERSENTED
53 ATHLETES
4,000 ACTION SEQUENCES RESEARCHED
72 FINAL SEQUENCES SELECTED
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CREDITS
PRODUCED BY W+K PORTLAND FOR NIKE, INC.
PUBLISHED BY NIKE, INC. ON JULY 30 — 2020
Will Nguyen Cao is a New York-based Vietnamese/American fashion designer focused on sustainable development within the fashion industry. He is from the Bay area and studied fashion design in Los Angeles at Otis College of Art & Design.
With ACRMNY, his personal brand, he doesn’t just want to promote sustainability as a culture, but he lives and breathes it. His supply chain is 100 % traceable, and he is relentlessly working on ways to lower the impact of the production. The identity of the brand is driven through dialogue and narrative - check it out here @acrmny. The first drop of jackets & hoodies will be launched online A/W 2020!
We've met Will online though our community and immediately seemed to connect - we are inspired by his masculine, raw and functionalist aesthetics as well as his courage to follow his own path and pursue his dreams whatever it takes.
Will’s parents are refugees from the Vietnam War and inspire him every day as they have taught him to be resilient and never give up.
We recognize a lot of ourselves in Will. He is a stubborn fighter, and juggle many projects at the same time. His creativity never seems to run out. We share an inexplicable love for New York City; the pace, the diversity, and the endless possibilities in the city that never seems to sleep.
We feel very fortunate that Will agreed to curate this playlist and hope that we will have the chance to meet up with him next time we are in New York. A mix of explicit Rap, Hip Hop & Soul – Enjoy!
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WE LOVE TO CONNECT PEOPLE
NAME Will Nguyen Cao
BRAND ACRMNY
WEBSITE willnguyencao.net
INSTAGRAM @willnguyencao & @acrmny
FACEBOOK @willnguyencao
LINKEDIN in/willnguyencao
Say hi to Roxana Niculescu, aka Roxy, the latest addition to our team. In the coming months, she will be creating content for the LULU—LAND Journal and Instagram.
Roxy is an incredible writer, with her characteristic personal style; she makes people reflect and laugh. Don't be surprised if you suddenly find a Harry Potter reference in her writing on just about anything.
Roxy is one of the most diehard Beyoncé fans we've ever met, and she loves everything that involves performing, acting, and dancing. Her dream is to make it her full-time living, and we truly admire her persistent work towards her goal.
We love Roxy's childlike curiosity and her innate fight for equality and justice, whether it comes to issues on race, gender, or sexuality. We hope that you'll be as inspired as we are by her thoughtful, positive, and charming, yet unapologetic nature.
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OK, LET'S START WITH THE EASY ONES
Name:
Roxana Niculescu (Roxy is the regular drill)
Birth month/year:
May 30, 1991
Nationality:
Romanian/Swedish
Currently located in:
Malmö, Sweden
What do you do for a living?
Isn’t it funny, how strongly we associate living with working?
But to actually answer, I work as a housing coordinator at a rental management company – basically, I find long-term (and pretty) homes for ex-pats who moved to Sweden and work at IKEA, TetraPak etc. I coordinate the entire process, from their initial preferences to supporting them during their stay.
The rest of the time, I do all kinds of things to live. Hanging out in the bathroomwith candles is definitely one thing.
MOST OF US HAVE CERTAIN ROUTINES, LET'S GET TO KNOW YOURS
What is the first thing you do in the morning?
Lately, I’ve created the habit that the first thing I do is taking a few conscious breaths and speaking out what I’m grateful for. I’d lie if I said that I see the effects very obviously, but I fully believe that it’s much more about long-term joy than the usual instant gratification stuff we do. But the first more active thing I do is wash my face with cold water. Several splashes. I just wouldn’t be a person without doing that.
"I do my best to roll out of bed and onto my yoga mat or into a meditation. But then there’s those other days when I end up browsing through clothes instead and being late."
What is a typical day like for you?
I do my best to roll out of bed and onto my yoga mat or into a meditation. But then there’s those other days when I end up browsing through clothes instead and being late. Breakfast is a MUST, I’m usually (almost) starving. A book usually keeps me company. After breaking into a dance or two, I go to work, though not the last three months when I’ve been working from home and I LOVE it (more yoga and me time, yes please!). I dedicate evenings to friends, cooking, working on acting pieces, writing, watching shows, thrift shopping, buying ice cream - you know, life essentials.
And now that we're at it – what are the last things you do before bedtime?
Tea, though not as much during summer. Maybe yoga, shower, and more writing - recently started a gratitude journal where I’m writing every single thing from the day that I feel grateful for - or something that I appreciate about myself. And watching my current show/reading my current book.
How do you spend your weekends?
Sleeping in is just my favourite. Not too crazy late, but late for most others I’ve heard. Breakfast in bed. Lazying around. Quality time with friends. More thrift shopping. Reading. Nature trips or city trips or trips to my candy shop.
"I fully believe that life’s a party."
When was the last time you celebrated?
I fully believe that life’s a party. I love celebrating being alive in any small “random” moment, so it’s pretty tricky answering this question. But it was my bday recently and that was a 2in1 celebration because I saw some friends for the first time in a few months.
WE ALL HAVE MORE OR LESS FLATTERING TRAITS
What is your guilty pleasure?
Whenever I get suddenly and temporarily obsessed with pop celebrities and I end up watching their interviews/videos late into the night. Shoutout to Ariana Grande, my latest binge.
What is your superpower?
Seeing through people. I don’t need to know things about others to see them for who they really are.
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT PASSION, NOT THE FRUIT
What could you spend all day talking about?
Beyoncé, self-development practices, healthy habits, food, movies, actors, books.
What inspires you?
Virtually any form of art, but specifically music, films/theatre, books, paintings and ancient sculptures. I also find infinite inspiration in things that appear to be common, but aren’t, like the movement of leaves or the look in a baby’s eyes.
LET'S DIG A LITTLE DEEPER INTO WHAT INSPIRES YOU
Repeat or shuffle? What have you been listening to lately, and what are you humming in the shower?
Repeat AND shuffle. Lately I’ve been digging more into grime, it’s really helped me process some powerful emotions that have been surfacing - Skepta is such a king and the genre is mad good. Neo-soul always - Erykah Badu is a daily mantra. Also some badass female rappers - Nicki, though mainly Leikeli47 right now. A song that I can’t stop playing is the remix Megan Thee Stallion did with Beyoncé - “Savage”. In the mornings/evenings I mix it up with ancient Japanese meditation music or Indian classical, sometimes Ludovico Einaudi who is a master of my heart and my favorite classical musician.
Poster or collectors’ items? If we gave you a million, what would be decorating your walls?
I’d definitely buy a few authentic Greek/Roman sculptures, or maybe I wouldn’t afford more than two with that money. I’d love to get original artwork by Ivan Alifan, Mikael Owunna, Anne Barlinckhoff just to name a few.
Newspapers, journals, magazines, online platforms, digital media, podcasts… you name it – how do you keep yourself updated, and what are your news sources?
Al-Jazeera is a newssource I admire and trust most, The Guardian is also great. A magazine I’ve started collecting is 32C, everything they do is just *goals*.
If you could have lunch with one person, alive or dead, who would that be?
Beyoncé - both a hard and easy question.
Books, movies, and/or series – what can you recommend?
The books of my young womanhood are The Neapolitan Quartet by Elena Ferrante, she is unbelievable and so are these novels, though they’re brutally real at the same time. There are four books spread over a few decades, about an epic friendship between two women against the heavy backdrop of a very poor neighborhood in Naples, Italy. Recently I read “Girl, Woman, Other” by Bernadine Evaristo, just the most unique style and extremely powerful voice for both black culture, women and the LGBTQ community.
Some of my favourite movies that everyone just needs to watch are Call me by your name, Parasite, Joker and Mommy.
These days I’m obsessed with the TV-show “Insecure”, a hilarious and very insightful comedy/drama sitcom about black women (and occasionally men), by black women, and for anyone to enjoy to the max. Other all-time favorites are Better Call Saul (a masterpiece) and The Office (US) is by far the most epic comedy material ever.
Which three Instagram accounts should everyone follow?
@annebarlinckhoff - my new love in photography
@youvegotnomale - super mega witty and pro-all-freedom meme genius Sebastian Tribbie
@indyamoore - my favourite actress from the show POSE and such a fierce representative of the trans community.
YOUR LIFE SO FAR: SMOOTH SAILING OR OBSTACLE COURSE – A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PAST
Who was your first big love?
Can I answer Beyoncé here as well? Kidding (not entirely). It was my first proper boyfriend when I was living in Romania. I was 15 and crazy in love.
What's the single best realization you have ever had?
That everything significant we feel can be traced back to our childhoods, and healed the same way.
What's the best bad or crazy decision you have ever made? That moment that seemed so wrong but turned out so right. If you don't make bad or crazy decisions, have you then ever made a decision that changed your entire life?
One (most) glorious summer back in university, when my best friend and I decided we needed to live in Greece. We found jobs online, we’d be working at the same bar, and even though it seemed alright, there was next to no security about it. I had to travel alone for the first time, sleeping in the airport waiting for the ferry, and moving to an island all by myself. My best friend joined only later. It was the single most defining experience, not only in terms of freedom and pure joy, but more significantly in terms of the unknown and the kindness of strangers.
AND A LOT MORE ABOUT THE PRESENT
"I am truly enjoying and appreciating all the heavy emotional processes I’ve had come at me lately. True change, healthy change, necessary change."
How are you, really? It's nice to check in every once in a while.
I love this question, and love asking myself this in meditation too - so important. It’s been a very intense time but I am truly enjoying and appreciating all the heavy emotional processes I’ve had come at me lately. True change, healthy change, necessary change.
When are you the happiest?
WhenI'm performing on stage/in front of the camera. When I take the first swim of summer. When I kiss my boyfriend. When I eat delicious foods. When I’m inItaly. When I eat gelato. Pay me and I still wouldn't be able to choose only one.
What scares you the most?
The thought of serious illness ...
What keeps you up at night these days?
The show I’m watching (Insecure) cuz it’s perfect and addictive. And the long summer nights of bliss.
Tell us one thing people would never know about you by just looking at you?
That I can be as introverted as I am extroverted.
What habit would improve your life?
More exercise (duh). Gotta say that I am at least trying, honestly.
We all have qualities that don't really have any rhyme or reason. What is one thing you don't understand about yourself?
It’s a long time ago now that I gave up understanding the self. It’s such a paradox, because life is synonymous with experience and so are we. So I experience it all, instead of understanding. But a thing that frustrates me sometimes, is the laziness/procrastination I notice I fall into even though I know my passions and what I need to do for them.
What works for you at the moment, and what doesn’t?
I have a lot more time to myself and my career paths, and that’s so necessary right now when I’m juggling different things. My late sleeping schedule isn’t the best though so I’m working on improving that.
When do you feel the most comfortable in your own skin?
When I dance my booty off and whenever I put my outfits together.
What makes you feel insecure?
Both the acting and the creative industry, when thinking about them as big monsters that I can’t conquer. And the eternal problem of comparing myself to others, which is still a work in progress.
AND OF COURSE, A SNEAK PEEK INTO THE FUTURE
What's the best thing about the next thing you are during?
That I’m finally taking some real action towards my next career move, and LULU—LAND itself is the catalyst for it. And my next career move means to design my own life in the creative industry. The same goes for my acting career, that I feel real badass determination for my next steps.
"When it comes to writing, I’m slowly paving my way for what I imagine being a fabulous freelance career."
"Plans are worthless– but planning is everything" – Dwight D. Eisenhower. What does the future look like for you – what are your dreams and goals?
I was born to be a mother in every sense of the word, and more so than many girlfriends I have, so a family is something that I am dying for. When it comes to acting, I’ve decided that I will get an agent by the end of the year. When it comes to writing, I’m slowly paving my way for what I imagine being a fabulous freelance career.
ADVICE – EASY TO GIVE, HADER TO FOLLOW
What (or who) motivates you in difficult times?
My boyfriend and my closest girlfriends are the best supporters. And I mean it when I say this, Beyoncé too. She has helped me in some of the toughest times. Her godly power and monster work ethic can drive me forward.
Good advice is priceless. What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten?
Just anything that ever came out of Eckhart Tolle’s mouth. He is my forever greatest spiritual teacher. To paraphrase maybe the biggest thing, and the core of his teachings, is that our true joy and peace depends on always distinguishing between what is/what the mind says about it. It’s also the root of all suffering, and of living a life lost in thought. It’s the foundation of perspective and of true acceptance of even the “worst” thing.
What is the kindest thing anyone ever said to you or the best compliment anyone ever gave you?
That I spread light to everyone around me.
"I don’t believe in heartbreak - there is pain, and grief, and they are natural."
How do you heal a broken heart?
I don’t believe in heartbreak - there is pain, and grief, and they are natural. The only way is through.
THE FORECAST – TRENDS AND TENDENCIES
What is going to be the next big thing? (concepts, businesses, ideas, mega trends, etc.)
Can’t help thinking of fashion, and you know this new trend of wearing sport shorts over pants when working out? I predict that the next step will be wearing that outfit to go out, to restaurants or other regular walks of life. And it will develop to all kinds of combinations of shorts/long pants. I’d literally die laughing if that ever happened.
But on a more serious note, I actually fear a future when the much-explored concept of self-love as we see it now, will develop so much that it will turn into a whole industry and my fear is that it will be so monetized that it will cease to serve its real purpose.
We would love to find out about cool new places and things to do in your area. What are your favorite places? Where do you like to go to have fun?
I live in the real heart of Malmö, a neighborhood called Möllan. I live next to a park (Folketspark) where I’m sure any kid would want to permanently move into, but this park also has perks for adults too - my absolute favourite summer bar is right in the middle of the park, and it’s called Far i Hatten. It’s THE must-do here during summer, I’m so in love with it forever and ever. I also adore what is by now the best falafel spot in town, and it’s right around the corner from me - Mr. Falafel (SO LUCKY).. The beach is also so much fun, especially for magical sunsets.
THE ONES THAT DIDN'T FIT INTO THE OTHER CATEGORIES
"My favorite object is my projector. Straight-up my most valuable possession in every sense of the word."
What is the most favorite, most useful, and most useless object you own, respectively?
My favorite object is my projector. Straight-up my most valuable possession in every sense of the word. I really do have a mini-cinema in my living room andI’d never go back to a TV.
Most useful - my electric toothbrush because hello, brushing teeth, but also because it completely changed the whole game. It’s not the typical round one that you see everywhere (those suck), but a normal shape (from Philips). We’re close friends by now.
Most useless - Hair rollers that I bought a million years ago and still haven’t touched.
What was the last thing you searched for on your phone? Be careful: you might be required to show proof.
Hair rollers. Had to make sure it was the correct word (even though I knew it was hehehe).
Call or text? Which is better, and why?
I honestly can’t choose, because it so depends on the situation. But in true writer fashion, if I had to choose, I’d go with texting.
What is your pet peeve?
Self-entitled pretentious God-complex people.
What is the most interesting thing in your trash can?
Pieces of paper we used last night for Pictionary - I tried drawing X-Men and it turned out VERY interesting.
You’ve been given an elephant. You can’t give it away or sell it. What would you do with it?
Love it forever. Provide it with the best life I could, in my Möllan backyard.
THE BIG ONES
What is the meaning of life?
There isn’t, we are here to experience everything and that’s what life is to me.
Look, mom, I made it! – How do you define success?
Arriving at the place where you have the courage to be who you really are, at any given moment.
THE FINAL TWO
Name three people you would like to answer these questions?
Beyoncé (SURPRISE), Obama and one of my close friends (any).
How would you describe LULU—LAND?
Is this a trick question?
It’s an ambitious start-up for creating a wonderful, inclusive and inspirational online/offline community, where creators can thrive and grow, where more of the world can get to know and learn from their awesomeness. It’s an inspiring little world.
THE END
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—
WE LOVE TO CONNECT PEOPLE
NAME Roxana Niculescu
INSTAGRAM @roxifixation
LINKEDIN Roxana Niculescu
—
CREDITS
PUBLISHED BY LULU—LAND
VIDEO BY ROXANA NICULESCU
UPDATED 07/10—2020
Copenhagen is an endless source of inspiration – and it will probably always feel like home. This is where the idea of LULU—LAND was born.
The tiny capital has become known for its excellent taste in everything from architecture, furniture design, interior, fashion, and—of course—food. In recent years, there has been a surge in bars, restaurants, shops, and fashion designers insisting on a less formal, lighthearted way of doing things, which makes it a lot of fun too!
Abroad, Denmark is known to repeatedly rank as one of the happiest countries in the world, most likely due to high levels of equality and a strong sense of shared responsibility for social security and welfare.
More recently, The World Economic Forum also found that the tiny northern country ranks in the top, as best-performing, when it comes to the environment and sustainable development; virtually all waste is recycled, composted, or incinerated, and the country is world-leading when it comes to climate change commitments. Aiming to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 70% by 2030.
Visiting Copenhagen might give you an idea of why this is. It's one of the busiest bike cities in the world. Biking is, without a doubt, the easiest and cheapest way to get around. Most hotels have bikes you can borrow, but if not, there are bike rental shops all over the city. There's literally no better way to explore Copenhagen than on a bike.
This is a collection of our favorite areas and places, some more know than others. Whether you live in Copenhagen or are traveling, we hope you'll get inspired to explore the city.
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Copenhagen K (City Center)
Beau Marché
French interior shop, wine bar & intimate date spot ($$)
Ny Østergade 32, 1101 CPH K
beaumarche.dk
Pluto
Always crowded upscale bistro, bar & hangout spot ($$$)
Borgergade 16, 1300 CPH K
restaurantpluto.dk
Bottega Barlie
Local neighborhood café & natural wine bar ($$)
Fredericiagade 78, 1310 CPH K
barlie.dk
La Glace
Elegant cake & pastry café est. in 1870 ($$$)
Skoubogade 3, 1158 CPH K
laglace.dk
Stilleben No. 22
Interior design, craftsmanship & peculiar objects
Niels Hemmingsens Gade 3, 1153 CPH K
stilleben.dk
Torvehallerne
High-end urban food market with local produce, gourmet food & beverages ($$$)
Frederiksborggade 21, 1362 CPH
torvehallernekbh.dk/
Time's Up Vintage
High-end vintage clothing
Krystalgade 4, 1172 CPH K
timesupshop.com
Another Nuè
High-end woman's clothing
Krystalgade 3, 1172 CPH K
nuecph.com
Studiestræde
Local street with small shops, affordable second-hand clothing, and bars.
Vera's Vintage (Affordable)
The Log Lady (Dive bar $$)
Cosy Bar (Gay bar $$)
Atlas Bar (Local restaurant $$)
Sonny
Local coffee bar & eatery ($$)
Rådhusstræde 5, 1466 CPH K
sonnycph.dk
Kunsthal Charlottenborg & Apollo Bar
Contemporary museum & vegetarian bistro ($$)
Nyhavn 2, 1051 København
kunsthalcharlottenborg.dk/en
Hey Captain
Copenhagen canal tours
Kvæsthusbroen 1, 1252 CPH K
heycaptain.dk
FRANK
Cosy and casual restaurant ($$$)
Ny Adelgade 3, 1104 CPH K
restaurantfrank.dk
TABLEAU
Concept store, art studio, design & flowers
Store Kongensgade 50, 1264 CPH K
tableau-cph.com
RUBY
Classic & creative cocktail bar ($$$)
Nybrogade 10, 1203 CPH K
rby.dk
Hotel Sanders***** & TATA Cocktail Bar
Breakfast, lunch, dinner & rooftop terrace ($$$$)
Tordenskjoldsgade 15, 1055 CPH K
hotelsanders.com
DONDA
Late-night eatery & bar ($$$)
Strandgade 20, 1401 CPH K
donda.dk
Brønnum
Classic cocktail bar ($$$)
August Bournonvilles Passage 1, 1055 CPH K
bronnumcph.dk
STRØM
Classic & nerdy cocktail bar ($$$)
Niels Hemmingsens Gade 32, 1153 CPH K
strombar.dk
Magnolia
Luxury second-hand & vintage clothing
Købmagergade 5, 1150, 1150 CPH K
magnolias2ndhand.dk
Rosy Vintage
Perfectly worn and affordable vintage clothing
Kronprinsensgade 9, 1114 CPH K
FRAMA
Modern functionalist furniture & apothecary
Fredericiagade 57, 1310 CPH K
framacph.com
Atelier September
Art café ($$$)
Gothersgade 30, 1123 CPH K
cafeatelierseptember.com
Palæ Bar
Local dive bar ($$)
Ny Adelgade 5, 1104 CPH K
palaebar.dk
Wood Wood Museum
Wood Wood fashion outlet
Frederiksborggade 54, 1366 CPH K
woodwood.com
Norse Projects
Men's & women's clothing
Pilestræde 39, 1112 København
norsestore.com
Rezet
Men's & women's sneakers & streetwear
Rådhusstræde 7, 1161 CPH K
rezetstore.dk
Jack's Hole in a Wall (Chain)
To go or to stay coffee shop ($$)
The Union Local
Modern cocktail bar ($$$)
Lille Strandstræde 16, 1254 CPH K
theunionkitchen.dk/local
Aamanns 1921
Traditional Danish "smørrebrød" (The rye-bread thing with topping)
Niels Hemmingsens Gade 19-21, 1153 CPH K
aamanns.dk
ILUKA
A sustainable sea life focused restaurant ($$)
Peder Skrams Gade 15, 1054 CPH K
restaurantiluka.dk
CUB Coffee Bar
Copenhagen underground brewers
Boldhusgade 6, 1062 CPH K
cubcoffeebar.com
Etage Projects
It’s more a museum than a store and a great place to gather inspiration — but everything is up for purchase. A fusion of interior and art.
Borgergade 15, CPH K
etageprojects.com
HOLLY GOLIGHTLY
A highly curated concept store (ridiculously expensive) but worth a visit
Borgergade 17, 1300 CPH K
hollygolightly.dk
The Royal Library Garden
Located on Slotsholmen, between the Christiansborg Palace and the Royal Library, the garden constitutes a small oasis in the heart of the city. It’s a great place to escape the noise of the city and get some rest during the day. Bring a book.
Storm · Design · Art · Fashion
High-end, sporty, and globally influenced street style
Store Regnegade 1, 1110 CPH K
stormfashion.dk
Ved Stranden 10
A wine bar & shop ($$$)
Ved Stranden 10, 1061 CPH K
vedstranden10.dk
Nikolaj Kunsthal
Copenhagen Contemporary Art Center
Nikolaj Plads 10, 1067 CPH K
nikolajkunsthal.dk
Botanical Garden
A perfect escape in the middle of the city
Copenhagen N (Nørrebro) & NV
Assistens Cemetery
A combination of a cemetery and a park where people run or come to hang out during summertime.
Jægersborggade
Local street with small shops, restaurants & bars
Manfreds (Vegetarian restaurant + tartar $$)
Istid (Smooth ice creme made from nitrogen $$)
Markers & Pens (Markers & pencil shop)
BANANA (Ice creme made from ripe bananas $$)
The Coffee Collective (Coffee shop chain $$)
Ravnsborggade
Local street with antique shops, restaurants & bars
A20 (Restaurant $$)
Kind of Blue (Dive bar $$)
LULU (Bar & cocktails $$)
Det Ny Scala (Dive b $)
Elmegade & Sankt Hans Torv
Local street and square with small shops and bars
Ølbaren (Draft beer $$)
Carhartt WIP Store (Men's & women's workwear)
Acne Archive Store (Acne outlet)
Packyard (Men's clothing)
Wulff & Konstali Food Shop (Café & brunch chain $$)
Guldbergsgade
Local street with small shops, restaurants, bars, and a cinema
Paloma (Vermuteria & café $$)
Snacks & Blues (Casual restaurant $$)
Mirabelle (Café & bakery $$$)
Bæst (Organic pizza $$)
BRUS (Food & draft beer $$)
EMPIRE BIO (Cinema)
Ninos (Italian pizza $$)
Blågårdsgade
Local street with small shops, galleries, budget restaurants & bars
Gao Dumpling ($)
Limited Works (Gallery)
Café Blågårds Apotek (Bar & live music venue $$)
Omar
Late-night food ($$)
Refsnæsgade 32, 2200 CPH N
restaurantomar.dk
Kaf
Plant-based café; with an amazing breakfast & to die for cakes ($$)
Birkegade 21, 2200 CPH N
cafekaf.com
Pompette
Cool natural wine shop, bar & snacks ($$)
Møllegade 3, 2200 CPH N
pompette.dk
Mahalle (Chain)
Lebanese food ($)
Birkegade 6, 2200 CPH N
mahalle.dk
The Barking Dog
Cozy cocktail bar ($$)
Sankt Hans Gade 19, 2200 CPH N
thebarkingdog.dk
Minas Kaffebar
Budget coffee shop ($)
Andersen & Maillard
Hyped and crowded (but great) coffee shop ($$)
Nørrebrogade 62, 2200 CPH N
andersenmaillard.dk
Pico
Multiple tiny pizzas ($$)
Skyttegade 3, 2200 CPH N
picopizza.dk
Da Gallo Pizzeria
Real italian pizza ($)
Glumsøvej 44, 2700 Brønshøj
pizzeriadagallo.dk
Mikkeller & Ramen to Bíiru
Ramen & beer restaurant ($$)
Griffenfeldsgade 28, 2200 CPH N
mikkeller.com/locations/ramen-to-biiru-norrebro
Baka d'Busk
Vegetarian & vegan plant bistro ($)
Rantzausgade 44, 2200 CPH N
bakabistro.dk
Tigermom
Asian inspired food ($$)
Ryesgade 25, 2200 CPH N
tigermom.dk
Restaurant Safari
Cosy and casual late-night dinner and wine-handout ($$)
Baggesensgade 9, 2200 CPH N
restaurantsafari.dk
Copenhagen V (Vesterbro) & SV
Prolog Coffee Bar
The nerdiest of coffee shops
Høkerboderne 16, 1712 CPH V
prologcoffee.com
Siciliansk Is
Without question the best ice creme shop in the city
Skydebanegade 3, 1709 CPH V
sicilianskis.dk
Tivoli Gardens
World’s oldest amusement park (expensive, but worth a visit)
Vesterbrogade 3, 1630 CPH V
tivoli.dk
Istedgade
Old red light district that has undergone extensive gentrification and turned into one of the trendiest areas with small shops, restaurants & cafes
Es (Women's Clothing & Slow Fashion)
DANSK (Furniture & interior)
A Door (Tiny interior shop)
KYOTO (Men's & Women's Clothing)
Skydebanegade Legeplads (Outdoor playground)
Falang (Asiateria $$)
Sticks & Sushi (Sushi chain $$$)
Jagger (Burger chain $$)
Værnedamsvej
French street with small shops, cafes & coffee shops
Granola (French Café $$)
Rist (Coffee Shop $$)
Dora (Interior)
Les Trois Cochons (French Restaurant $$)
Wood Wood Life Store (Lifestyle shop by Wood Wood)
Kødbyen (The Meatpacking District)
Old Meatpacking Districts turned into a cultural, creative hub with galleries, restaurants & bars.
Gorilla (Restaurant, bar & hangout spot $$)
VH1 (Contemporary gallery)
Fiskebaren (Seafood restaurant $$$)
Tommy’s Burger Joint (Burger bar $$)
NOHO (Co-working, café & bar $$)
1656 (Cocktail bar $$$)
Paté Paté (Restaurant & wine bar $$$)
H15 (Cafeteria, bar, studio & scene $$)
Mesteren & Lærlingen (Dive bar $)
Sønderboulevard
Local boulevard, with a lot of hangout spots, basket and soccer courts, small shops & cafés
K I H O S K H (A modern grocery store with specialties and a great selection of magazines and beer $$$)
Dyrehaven (Café & Bar $$)
Volatil bar (Natural wine bar $$)
Absalon (Old church turn into community space)
Edison & Co. (Vintage interior and design)
CARCEL
Sustainable & slow fashion made by women in prison
Oehlenschlægersgade 36, 1663 CPH V
carcel.co
Lidkoeb
Modern cocktail bar ($$)
Vesterbrogade 72B, 1620 CPH V
lidkoeb.dk
11o
Books, magazines, gallery & café
Bevi Bevi
Italian food & wine bar ($$)
Oehlenschlægersgade 53, 1663 CPH V
bevibevi.dk
Mangia
Minimalistic Italian restaurant ($$)
Bagerstræde 9, 1617 CPH V
mangia.dk
Vester Vov Vov
French-inspired art cinema & café est. 1975
Central Hotel*** & Café
1 room hotel & café ($$)
Tullinsgade 1, 1618 CPH V
centralhotelogcafe.dk
Coco Hotel****
Boutique hotel ($$$)
Vesterbrogade 41, 1620 CPH V
coco-hotel.com
Manon Les Suites*****
Hotel & spa ($$$$)
Gyldenløvesgade 19, 1600 CPH V
Sporting Health Club/ SHC Søerne (Chain)
Gym with boxing
Gyldenløvesgade 19, 1600 CPH V
sportinghealthclub.dk
Østerberg (Chain)
Ice creme science ($$)
Tullinsgade 25, 1618 CPH V
osterberg-ice.dk
Osteria 16 (Chain)
Italian restaurant ($$)
Haderslevsgade 16, 1671 CPH V
osteria16.dk/haderslevgade
Italo Disco
Italian Restaurant ($$)
Oehlenschlægersgade 5, 1663 CPH V
italodisco.dk
Barril
Pasta & Wine Bar ($$)
Helgolandsgade 2, 1653 CPH V
barril.dk
Steel House
A luxury hostel in the middle of the city
Herholdtsgade 6, 1605 CPH V
steelhousecopenhagen.com
Café Riga
Outdoor bar, drinks, wine, beer & snacks ($$)
BaneGaarden
Copenhagen's green Narnia
Otto Busses Vej 45, 2450 CPH SV
banegaarden.com
Supermarco
Italian supermarket and food temple ($$$)
Støbegodsvej 1, 2450 CPH SV
supermarco.dk
Copenhagen Ø (Østerbro)
Juno the bakery
Modern bakery, known for their cinnamon buns ($$)
Kastellet
Old navy base & one of the best-preserved fortresses in Northern Europe (great for a stroll)
Oz Men's Store & Oz Women's Store
Men's & women's clothing
Østerbrogade 116-118, 2100 CPH Ø
Gro Spiseri
Nordic self-sustained rooftop restaurant ($$$)
Æbeløgade 4, 2100 CPH Ø
grospiseri.dk
Hønen & Ægget
Local café with breakfast & lunch ($$)
Øster Farimagsgade 16, 2100 CPH Ø
hoenenogaegget.dk
At the Counter
Local café
Isoteket
Ice creme shop
Randersgade, Bopa Pl. 43, 2100 CPH Ø
isoteket.dk
Leckerbaer
Reinventing the Danish butter cookies ($$$)
Ryesgade 118, 2100 CPH Ø
leckerbaer.dk
Hos Fischer
Italian restaurant & pizza ($$)
Victor Borges Pl. 12, 2100 CPH Ø
hosfischer.dk
Svanemøllen Strand
Beach & wooden pier
I Blame Lulu
Preloved women's clothing store
Rosenvængets Allé 8, 2100 CPH Ø
iblamelulu.com
April
Coffee Store & Showroom
Ryesgade 88, 2100 CPH Ø
aprilcoffeeroasters.com
Amager & Islandsbrygge
Amager Standpark
Beach park
Copenhagen Cablepark
Wakeboard park & hangout spot
Kraftværksvej 24, 2300 CPH S
copenhagencablepark.dk
Il Buco
Organic Italian restaurant & café ($$)
Njalsgade 19C, 2300 CPH S
ilbuco.dk
Harbor Baths
Yes, you can swim in the harbor!
Alice
Ice cream & coffee shop
Markmandsgade 1, 2300 CPH S
alicecph.dk
Christianshavn, Inderhavnsbroen & Refshaleøen
Christiania
Freetown established in 1971 in an old abandoned military area. Christiania is known for its alternative housing, acceptance of artists, addicts, and vulnerable minorities, Green Light District/pusher street, and a liberal view on cannabis and psychedelics.
SofieBadet
Classic old bath house, sauna & spa
Sofiegade 15, 1418 CPH
sofiebadet.dk
GANNI Postmoderne
GANNI fashion outlet
Overgaden Oven Vandet 40, 1415 CPH
ganni.com
Kanalen
French inspired Danish cuisine ($$$)
Wilders Plads 2, 1403 CPH
restaurant-kanalen.dk
The Apartment
Cult-favorite interiors store
Overgaden Neden Vandet 33, 1.sal, 1414 CPH
theapartment.dk
The Corner (Next door to 108*)
Coffee & wine bar ($$)
Restaurant Barr
Northern European restaurant ($$)
Strandgade 93, 1401 CPH
restaurantbarr.com
Nærvær
Quality food in relaxed surroundings ($$$)
Strandgade 87 E, 1401 CPH
naervaer.dk
Baby Baby Bar -> Empirical Dock House & Iluka
Summer chill, swim, hangout spot & concrete beach ($$)
Blocs & Walls
Rock climbing gym
Refshalevej 163D, 1432 CPH
www.blocs-walls.dk
Lille Bakery
Hyped bakery ($$)
Refshalevej 213A, 1432 CPH
lillegrocery.com
Amass
Airy, industrial dining room serving global dishes, made from produce sourced from own kitchen garden ($$$$)
Refshalevej 153, 1432 CPH
amassrestaurant.com
Broens Gadekøkken
Street food court ($)
Strandgade 95, 1401 CPH
broensgadekoekken.dk
La Banchina
Food, wine, swim, summer chill & hangout spot ($$)
Refshalevej 141, 1432 CPH
labanchina.dk
B & W Marked
Antique 4,000 m2 flea market (mostly furniture)
Frederiksberg
Hart Bageri
Another hyped bakery ($$$)
Gl. Kongevej 109, 1850 Frederiksberg
hartbageri.com
Copenhagen Zoo
Good for kids
Roskildevej 32, 2000 Frederiksberg
zoo.dk
Mêlée
Tiny French bistro
Martensens Allé 16, 1828 Frederiksberg
melee.dk
Jerome Vintage
Luxury vintage clothing
Gl. Kongevej 105, 1850 Frederiksberg
Polly
Cosy & casual restaurant in the heart of Frederiksberg ($$)
Gammel Kongevej 96, 1850 Frederiksberg
restaurantpolly.dk/polly
Cisterns
Underground art experience
Bag Søndermarken, 2000 Frederiksberg
cisternerne.dk/en
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OUTSKIRTS & OTHER
Louisiana Museum of Modern Art
Contemporary museum with an amazing garden (worth the 1h train trip)
Hornbæk Strand
Beach & surf spot
Arken Museum of Modern Art
Contemporary museum
Bakken & Dyrehaven
Old amusement park & natural resort
Experimentarium
Experimental science museum
Mønsklint
Chalk cliffs overlooking a beach
Bornholm
Small inhabited island with beautiful nature - good for a weekend getaway
Lynæs Surfcenter
Café, surf & sub school, burger joint, bakery, bar, office community, events, accommodation, and more!
Lillero
Stay in luxury tents under the stars with the ocean in front and the forest behind you. Experience nature, enjoy delicious food at @madro_dk, and hop in the sauna after a swim.
Ro Naturcamp
Here you can relax in the middle of the most beautiful nature, surrounded by orchards and water. Opens July 2020.
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MICHELIN RESTAURANTS ($$$$)
Geranium***
Fine dining restaurant
Noma**
Scandinavian restaurant
Alchemist**
Holistic cuisine
Jordnær**
Local Nordic cuisine
Kadeau Copenhagen**
Fine dining restaurant
AOC**
Fine dining restaurant
Søllerød kro*
Classic French cuisine
Kiin Kiin*
Contemporary Thai fusion
Formel B*
Fine Dining Restaurant
Kong Hans Kælder*
Fine dining restaurant
Marchal* located in D'Angleterre
Modern European restaurant
Alouette*
Contemporary cuisine
Clou*
Fine dining restaurant
Relæ*
Farm to table
108*
Seasonal kitchen
Kokkeriet*
Danish restaurant
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CREDITS
PHOTO ROLANDS VARSBERGS
Tyler is a dear friend of ours and an incredibly talented American copywriter. For the past couple of years, he's been traveling the world while doing what he loves - writing!
Our paths crossed at Dojo in Canggu, Bali, last Summer. Tyler was curious about "Popcorn Brain" as he had been introduced to the concept by a mutual friend. Somehow, we immediately connected and have kept contact since then. We were supposed to meet up again in Barcelona before the world went crazy, and most nomads were forced back to their respective home countries. For the time being, he is located in L.A., California, U.S., and like the rest of us, try to make the most out of being back home with family and old friends.
Tyler helped us immensely when it came to defining and describing what LULU—LAND is. He is a genius at giving critique and putting creative ideas, thoughts, and concepts into words that actually make sense and persuade people to continue reading. Without much explanation, he understood exactly what kind of platform and community we wanted to create.
While you are at it, don't forget to sign up for his daily newsletter. It's good. Like really good – intelligent, entertaining, inspiring, unpretentious, and funny.
This playlist very much reflects his creative, calm, and thoughtful nature. Enjoy!
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—
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WE LOVE TO CONNECT PEOPLE
NAME Tyler James Koenig
WEBSITE tylerjkoenig.com
ONLINE TRAINING persuasionpillars.com
INSTAGRAM @tylerjkoenig
LINKEDIN tylerjkoenig
FACEBOOK @tylerjkoenig & @killercopycritique
TWITTER @tylerjkoenig
NEWSLETTER tylerjkoenig.com
Today, one of our friends shared this video he and his sister recently did with their dad. A personal insight into the conversations they grew up with around the dinner table in their childhood home. We asked if we could share it with you because it really touched us deeply. More than ever, these are the conversations we need to have and listen to.
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"The key to moving forward is what we do with our discomfort. We can use it as a door out - blame the messenger and disregard the message. Or we can use it as a door in by asking, why does this unsettle me? What would it mean for me if this were true?" — Dr. Robin Diangelo
"We, Jamil and Julia Fearrington, are siblings and grew up in Denmark with a Danish mother and an Afro-American father.
Through 25-30 years, we've participated in talks around the table about police brutality and an American system, which didn't protect its black citizens' rights.
We saw Rodney King. We saw Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, and Eric Garner get killed, we saw murders go unindicted and unpunished, we saw many similar cases, and dejected we wondered at the table:
"How are we ever going to get out of this mess?"
The other we sat at the table yet again, shaking our heads. We decided spontaneously to film - to invite more of you to join the table.
Our wish is that the conversation must take place. That more seek insight into the conditions of America and acknowledge that condition of America might be differently brutal and racially structured than they thought. Maybe we can contribute a little.
Our father is an Afro-American male, born in Philadelphia in 1944. He's lived in Denmark since 1979 and has throughout life visited most parts of the world as a touring musician and teacher. He travels to the US several times a year for business and to visit family and friends.
Come. Have a seat with us."
—
CREDITS
INTERVIEW WITH NORMAN FEARRINGTON
VIDEO BY JAMIL FEARRINGTON & JULIA FEARRINGTON
MUSIC youtube.com/watch?v=CEQiVS6TJcE
Say hi to Stephanie Geddes. She is the newest addition to our team and an amazing photographer. When we first saw Stephanie's portfolio, we fell in love with the authentic and dreamy nature of her photography.
Stephanie is Australian, has lived in NY for eight years, and recently moved to Copenhagen with her husband, Chris, and is trying to find her way into the creative scene.
We can spend hours brainstorming ideas with her and look forward to work together on a series of photo portraits, showcasing the inspiring paths of some of our community members. Don't hesitate to reach out to her if you would like to hear more about her work.
—
OK, LET'S START WITH THE EASY ONES
Name:
Stephanie Geddes
Birth month/year:
4 April, 1984
Nationality:
Australian
Currently located in:
Copenhagen
What do you do for a living?
I’m a freelance photographer and general all-round creative in the fields of production, producing, and problem-solving!
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MOST OF US HAVE CERTAIN ROUTINES, LET'S GET TO KNOW YOURS
What is the first thing you do in the morning?
Since moving to Denmark, I open the blinds and pray for sunshine. Then I check my phone - definitely a habit I’m trying to break, but I can’t help it. Then it’s onto breakfast and a caffeinated beverage!
"As a relatively new to Copenhagen creative I’ve still very much hustling hard to get my foot in the door and meet as many new people as possible."
What is a typical day like for you?
There really isn’t a typical day, which is a blessing and a curse. As a relatively new to Copenhagen creative, I’ve still very much hustling hard to get my foot in the door and meet as many new people as possible. My day can consist of meetings, research, a photoshoot, location scouting, or emails (and more emails).
And now that we're at it – what are the last things you do before bedtime?
Put my phone on silent, arrange my pillows into a weirdly specific pile and shape ideal for sleep, and then read a book until I fall asleep. I’m not a great sleeper, so I go through a lot of books!
How do you spend your weekends?
My husband works Monday - Friday so despite being freelance myself I like to try to stick to a similar schedule, then we have our weekends together which usually start with eggs of some sort - we’re currently perfecting our homemade breakfast burritos, then bike rides, walks through Assistens Kirkegard, dinner at our local Greek restaurant, Taverna Kreta and if I’m honest the occasional Netflix marathon.
When was the last time you celebrated?
I’m actually not sure (which I admit doesn’t sound great). I do try to celebrate little things, but they’re never really about myself! The last mini-celebration dinner we had was the first time restaurants opened after COVID - it was lovely to visit our favorite local place and support it after such a long time.
WE ALL HAVE MORE OR LESS FLATTERING TRAITS
What is your guilty pleasure?
Caffeine and wine, and since moving to Copenhagen - pick and mix candy shops. Being able to pick out a whole bag of only red and purple gummies is a dream.
What is your superpower?
Empathizing with other people - and remaining calm in a crisis (I'll freak out and replay it over and over again afterward though).
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A LITTLE BIT ABOUT PASSION, NOT THE FRUIT
What could you spend all day talking about?
Photography, art, and the current state of the world - pondering how it’s possible to course correct the path we’ve found ourselves on. And if we’re being our truest selves, you can get me talking for hours about true crime (I’m not proud, but it’s a strong side interest - I’m not a weirdo I swear).
What inspires you?
Beautiful art in all forms, but of course, photography. Dance always inspires me, watching dance and also dancing myself. I’m not good, but it brings me so much joy. I also love chatting with people who have drastically changed career/life paths - tell me your stories!
LET'S DIG A LITTLE DEEPER INTO WHAT INSPIRES YOU
Repeat or shuffle? What have you been listening to lately, and what are you humming in the shower?
Repeat repeat repeat. I will listen to a song or playlist over and over depending on what mood I’m in, and I have multiple playlists that suit different chores or times of day (my cleaning playlist is on point). Current repeated songs include “A Pale” by Rosalia, “Ride It” by Regard, and all songs by the angel Chet Baker.
Poster or collectors’ items? If we gave you a million, what would be decorating your walls?
A mix of prints, paintings, and photographs - my sister Kelly Geddes is a very talented photographer and makes beautiful handprints. There is an amazing initiative in Copenhagen called KunstSalonen that curates an art show every couple of months (in normal times), and the work is always so diverse and a great mix of affordable and aspirational pieces - I would probably stop by and take my pick! I would also buy vintage prints from the late Francesca Woodman - the most beautiful photographer and the woman who inspired me in my work from a young age.
Newspapers, journals, magazines, online platforms, digital media, podcasts… you name it – how do you keep yourself updated, and what are your news sources?
My New York Times subscription keeps me in the loop, as well as their “The Daily” podcast - for my local news in English, I read the aptly titled “The Local.” A lot of my personal inspiration and finding of new artwork and people comes through Instagram, I love to see what my fellow local photographers are sharing and creating - Mia Jorgensen, Josephine Al Humaidan and Petra Kleis are all amazing and talented women. Podcasts are almost always playing in my ears when I leave the house - a few favorites; This American Life, Coping in Copenhagen, Real Crime Profile, Crime Junkie, and Someone Knows Something (a theme is emerging with those last few).
"I’m very lucky to have such a wonderful family, and despite nobody being able to frustrate me in the same way, nobody can make me laugh as hard."
If you could have lunch with one person, alive or dead, who would that be?
Can I combine 3 people into 1? My parents and my sister, we all live in different countries, and so we don’t see each other as often as we’d like, and may not for a while in the future depending on how travel pans out. I’m very lucky to have such a wonderful family, and despite nobody being able to frustrate me in the same way, nobody can make me laugh as hard. Give us some wine and access to Spotify, and by the end of the night, a sing-a-long of Queen, Elton John, and George Michael will 100% be happening.
Books, movies, and/or series – what can you recommend?
Books: “The Lovely Bones” by Alice Sebold, “House of Leaves” by Mark Z. Danielewski, “The Road” by Cormac McCarthy and “Bird Box” by Josh Malerman are all favorites of mine (don’t let the shitty Netflix movie turn you off Bird Box - the book is great). I love anything that lets my mind take a break - despite being recommended a million ‘help’ books I just can’t get past the first chapters. My brain does enough ‘inward reflection aka anxiety spirals’ on it’s own.
Series: “Killing Eve” and “FleaBag” - if you haven’t watched them I’m not sure we can be friends. I could also literally watch “Law and Order SVU” any time, all the time.
Which three Instagram accounts should everyone follow?
For ultimate visual inspiration, I’m loving @celine and @jilsander - and as a left field third option @madmax_fluffyroad (I’m not proud but it’s cute).
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YOUR LIFE SO FAR: SMOOTH SAILING OR OBSTACLE COURSE – A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PAST
Who was your first big love?
In order to not overshare, I’m going with Pacey from Dawsons Creek.
What's the single best realization you have ever had?
That I’m the only person who can make things happen for myself - it’s something that took me a shockingly long time to fully realize and something that I can slack on, but it’s the truth. Family, friends, mentors, colleagues, etc. can all help, but you are the one that has to put in the work, ask for what you need and put yourself out there. It can be frustrating and defeating, especially in a creative field like photography, but I’m determined!
"When we got the opportunity to transfer to Denmark with my husband for his job my initial reaction was “hell no”."
What's the best bad or crazy decision you have ever made? That moment that seemed so wrong but turned out so right. If you don't make bad or crazy decisions, have you then ever made a decision that changed your entire life?
Moving to Denmark! Not a ‘crazy or bad’ decision per se, just something that was hard and exciting and completely new. When we got the opportunity to transfer to Denmark with my husband for his job, my initial reaction was “hell no.” We had just spent over a year getting my green card paperwork sorted for me to finally be able to work as a freelancer in America and it seemed like all that work was now for nothing, but after the initial reaction and shock wore off, it became an exciting new adventure and something that Chris and I would get to take on together. We would be insane not to take the chance to live together in Scandinavia! Making the move last year was a really tough few months, and coming to a new country with a new language and no network expanded my brain in new ways - it was ... an experience, but we did it! Despite it still being a little challenging to make friends, I genuinely love it here!
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AND A LOT MORE ABOUT THE PRESENT
How are you, really? It's nice to check in every once in a while.
Overall, I’m good! Made it through the past couple of months, which (as they were for everyone) super tough and really uncertain. I spent a lot of time questioning my career and what it might look like moving forward. But as things begin to open up again, and the days are longer, I’m meeting new people and starting to get my creative brain back into gear.
When are you the happiest?
When I’m on set shooting and collaborating with a team - it’s the time I feel most like myself and capable, productive, and creative all at the same time. I am also my happiest walking through the park and pointing at all the flowers I like, and always when sipping on a glass of wine - wait, also when I’m dancing!
"I try not to let fear control me but sometimes it’s hard not to!"
What scares you the most?
Not fulfilling my personal career goals - I try not to let fear control me, but sometimes it’s hard not to! On the non-rational and less serious front, I’m terrified of frogs.
What keeps you up at night these days?
Thinking of new photography projects and how to get my work out there and meet more people - I think about this too often, my brain is always buzzing. Should I have just chosen a more stable profession, have I failed, have I made a mistake? Should I go to nursing school (the profession I see as truly noble and a genuine way to help others), but then practically, I am very squeamish about blood so it wouldn’t work. The joys of taking a chance on a creative career!
Tell us one thing people would never know about you by just looking at you?
That I’m a pretty serious introvert - I love being social and can chat with almost anyone, but I need a lot of alone time to recharge.
What habit would improve your life?
So many habits I logically know would improve my life, but doing them is another thing! I think the simplest one that I’m doing a lot more of now is making sure I get outside whenever the sun is shining - it vastly improves my mood and outlook and helps my brain open up to new ideas.
We all have qualities that don't really have any rhyme or reason. What is one thing you don't understand about yourself?
The fact that I can still be fearful and reluctant to do things I know will be good for me, or that I’ll enjoy.
What works for you at the moment, and what doesn’t?
Actively reaching out to people works, making mood boards, writing lists, getting outside, and taking a dance class! What doesn’t work for me is staying inside all day and going down an Instagram spiral. I currently do a ‘healthy’ mix of both things that work for me and those that don’t!
"I also feel my best after showering off a long day, and doing an extended skin care routine with a glass of pink wine and an ice cube (because I’m classy like that)."
When do you feel the most comfortable in your own skin?
When I’ve got on some of my favorites music, and I’m dancing - or when I’m in a dance class (back when we had those!). I also feel my best after showering off a long day and doing an extended skincare routine with a glass of pink wine and an ice cube (because I’m classy like that). Any time I’m wearing a robe is a good time.
What makes you feel insecure?
Comparing myself to other people - especially other people doing the jobs or having the career that I would like for myself. This isn’t an attractive quality, but I know I’m not alone in feeling this way. It’s something I’m actively working on, and I’m trying to use these people’s work as inspiration rather than a reason to feel ‘less than.’
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AND OF COURSE, A SNEAK PEEK INTO THE FUTURE
What's the best thing about the next thing you are during?
The best thing is being able to take photos with other humans! I have a couple of shoots lined up, and some creative ideas in the works. Putting those into practice will feel amazing.
"Plans are worthless– but planning is everything" – Dwight D. Eisenhower. What does the future look like for you – what are your dreams and goals?
Being a full-time photographer here in Copenhagen - I dream of having a diverse and supportive network of friends and colleagues, as well as a team of creatives that inspire me and that I get to create work with. I dream of traveling more with my husband and exploring more of our new home. I also have a goal to learn Danish - my official lessons begin at the end of June! Being able to converse just a little bit more with my new Danish neighbors will make me feel so much more at home.
ADVICE – EASY TO GIVE, HADER TO FOLLOW
"Stepping back and taking a moment to remember the ‘big picture’ and what I want for myself and my family motivates me and helps me get back on track when I feel overwhelmed with self-doubt or rejection."
What (or who) motivates you in difficult times?
Stepping back and taking a moment to remember the ‘big picture’ and what I want for myself and my family motivates me and helps me get back on track when I feel overwhelmed with self-doubt or rejection. I also know that I respond well to a deadline - I will get shit done if you give me one!
Good advice is priceless. What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten?
So much good advice and so much of it is not new, but it works. A few personal favorites:
1) Make a list - when things get overwhelming, write down your thoughts to get them out of your head. I'm not a great writer, so a list of bullet points and things to do helps me a lot.
2) Take the first step - even if its a super small one
3) The classic "this shall pass" - this is really helpful to always remember, nothing is 'forever.'
4) Ask for help - one of the lessons of growing up has been learning that nobody can read your mind. If you don't ask for help or for what you want, you will rarely get it.
What is the kindest thing anyone ever said to you or the best compliment anyone ever gave you?
That I’m a good listener - as an anxious person, I’ve learned that sometimes people just need an ear, someone to listen to them and not offer solutions or try to solve the issue. I’ll also always die of happiness to get a compliment on my work!
How do you heal a broken heart?
I do not have the answer to this - I don’t think you can ever really heal from it. But you can move onwards and upwards, and things will get a little less painful each day, month, year.
THE FORECAST – TRENDS AND TENDENCIES
What is going to be the next big thing? (concepts, businesses, ideas, mega trends, etc.)
Sustainability in all its forms and across all levels of business and development. I also think micro-businesses and utilizing your local networks, teams, and resources, etc. will become more and more important - especially now as we can’t travel but hopefully also after these pandemic times have passed. Brands, especially in fashion and marketing, often forget to hunt for talent in their own networks and cities.
We would love to find out about cool new places and things to do in your area. What are your favorite places? Where do you like to go to have fun?
Since we’re all staycationing right now, some places I love in Copenhagen are Assistens Kirkegård for quiet walks, Dürüm Symfoni for the best kebabs ever, Louisiana for inspiration and Colpo Grosso for amazing pizza.
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THE ONES THAT DIDN'T FIT INTO THE OTHER CATEGORIES
What is the most favorite, most useful, and most useless object you own, respectively?
Most favorite: There are a few items that I cherish and have traveled the world with me … my wedding ring, my passport, my mother's necklace, notes from family and friends that I will always keep.
Most useful: It's not cool, but my computer and phone. There is no escaping the amount of screen time I require to function in the world.
Most useless: There were definitely more than a few items we shipped from NYC to Copenhagen that ended up being recycled or sold as soon as we unpacked them. Moving countries does make you realize how much useless crap you accumulate - never again!
What was the last thing you searched for on your phone? Be careful: you might be required to show proof.
I googled the perfect fit for Birkenstock's - not a sexy search but a practical one. I like to research things that are super obvious or very personal (like the fit of a shoe ... you know - stuff that you should be able to figure out yourself).
Call or text? Which is better, and why?
90% of the time, I’m all about the text - it’s quick and to the point, and it eases my social anxiety to not have to talk on the phone. But there is a time and place for a phone call, and sometimes it’s just easier to talk it out.
What is your pet peeve?
Being late to me is the height of rudeness.
What is the most interesting thing in your trash can?
I’ve literally never been asked this - looking into my trash can I guess I would have to say a watermelon rind? It was delicious and makes me feel like summer is here already.
You’ve been given an elephant. You can’t give it away or sell it. What would you do with it?
Do I also have lots of money? I would buy it acres of land to roam free in and possibly some more elephants to keep it from being lonely.
THE BIG ONES
What is the meaning of life?
I don’t think there is a meaning to life - which is liberating! You have to find joy and fulfillment in your own way. This is easier said than done and something I’m striving for and working towards myself.
Look, mom, I made it! – How do you define success?
I don’t think I’m there yet. I do have some particular goals I’m working on getting to, and in my mind, they ‘define success,’ but the goal post is always shifting. If I can be regularly working as a photographer, taking time to spend with family, and with a lovely network of friends, then I’ll consider myself successful!
THE FINAL TWO
Name three people you would like to answer these questions?
Petra Kleis, Photographer (Copenhagen, DK)
Laura Richards, Criminal Behavioral Analyst (UK)
Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Actor/Writer/Producer (UK)
How would you describe LULU—LAND?
A collective of people, thoughts, ideas, and art all rolled into one - it is whatever you want to make of it, as long as you have passion, desire for change, and a love of creating.
"I Might be a photographer, but I can't take a selfie, if my life depend upon it"
THE END
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WE LOVE TO CONNECT PEOPLE
NAME Stephanie Geddes
EMAIL hello@stephaniegeddes.com
WEBSITE stephaniegeddes.com
INSTAGRAM @stephgeddes
LINKEDIN Stephanie Geddes
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CREDITS
PUBLISHED BY LULU—LAND
PHOTOS BY Stephanie Geddes
Hi, my name is Louise. For those of you that don't know, I'm the Founder & Creative Director of LULU—LAND. I don't usually write personal posts, but these are the times to break habits!
BLACK LIVES MATTER. PERIOD!
I've taken some time to figure out how to address the current situation of the world in the right way. Honestly, I've been afraid of saying the wrong things. Who am I as a privileged white woman to say anything at all when it comes to racism against Black people and POC? However, I've come to the conclusion that the only wrong thing would be to say nothing at all. We can't be neutral when it comes to racism, discrimination, and inequality. Silence is a quiet acceptance of the status quo.
As a European, when watching an unarmed man getting killed while in police custody, protests against racism, and the overall injustice happening in America, the easy thing would be to dismiss it all as an American problem. But we all know that in truth, racism and inequality are global problems, that come in many different disguises.
As a white female, born in a tiny, wealthy, country (Denmark) with free access to education, a high level of social security, and a passport that allows me to go just about anywhere in the world, I am beyond privileged. I've had advantages and opportunities that most people don't have, and I am well aware of that fact. I make an effort to remind myself not to complain, and I try to use my privileges to the best of my ability. I've never been attacked verbally or physically because of the color of my skin, or as such experienced racism first hand on my own body. I have no idea what it feels like having to deal with racism on a regular basis. I can only listen and try to understand.
For the past week, I've been silent, observing, listening, learning, and reflecting. I am horrified by the things I see and by the injustice that still exists in this day and age. Like many others, I've been trying to get a grasp on how I can use my privileges to support the change that's obviously needed.
I firmly believe that change starts within ourselves. We all have the ability to take small, simple actions that will generate impact short-term as well as long-term – even the largest changes occur in tiny increments.
For me, this means that we have to call out racism, discrimination, and inequality when we see it. We need to look within ourselves to understand any subconscious biases we might have. We must make it a priority to change our thought patterns, our behavior, and our language and work with our friends and community to do the same.
LULU—LAND was founded based on a dream of creating a community for all of those, like myself, who thrive with fluid boundaries and whose restlessness and creative mindset are their greatest strengths.
LULU—LAND is for EVERYONE who gets it, regardless of ethnicity, gender, color, sexuality, religion, and background! It's about finding your own path, learning from each other's differences, experiences, unique perspectives, and about sharing inspiration to create positive change. It's a platform that forms and grows with us as a community.
This past week has made me realize that it's time for an internal adjustment. As of today, LULU—LAND Journal has a new category;
SOCIAL JUSTICE & EQUALITY
It's essential for me that the issues around these matters become an integral part of LULU—LAND for as long as it's necessary. Racism and inequality are deep-rooted problems that we cannot solve before we truly understand the dynamics behind them and how it affects the people exposed to them. Racism, in any way or form, should not exist. Whether it's individual racism, systemic racism, or the so-called casual racism that has become a seemingly innocent part of everyday bantering. We can't ignore it just because it makes us uncomfortable. We need to get comfortable being uncomfortable. The magic"progress," "development," "growth," and "change" happens outside of our comfort zones.
I would like to invite anyone in the LULU—LAND community to inspire positive change by sharing their perspectives, thoughts, feelings, insights, and learnings on topics within this category. At LULU—LAND, we welcome contributions in any form (writing, photography, music, graphics, illustration, video, etc.) that can help create more awareness. I see a lot of rightful anger that needs to be channeled into action and initiatives towards creating positive change. Hate and violence is not the solution.
Through this initiative, we want to take part in sustaining the current momentum and raise awareness in a peaceful, courageous, responsible, and inspiring way. I know this isn't enough. However, It's a small start and our attempt at taking a step in the right direction, not just this week or the next, but for at long as it takes to create real change.
At LULU—LAND, we commit to being part of the solution. The truth is we can all do better. There are no excuses. If you want to contribute to the LULU—LAND Journal, have an idea, or a suggestion on how we can improve – we're all ears. None of us are perfect. We all make mistakes. It's how we deal with them when made aware and how we move forward, that truly matters.
BE SAFE,
LOUISE
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RESOURCES
10 STEPS TO NON-OPTICAL ALLYSHIP by Mireille Cassandra Harper
AN ESSENTIAL READING GUIDE FOR FIGHTING RACISM by Arianna Rebolini
ANTI-RACIST BOOKS AND RESOURCES FOR OUR READERS by Penguin Random House
SUPPORT ORGS FIGHTING AGAINST RACISM AND POLICE BRUTALITY by ActBlue
BLACK LIVES MATTER NETWORK INSTAGRAM & WEBSITE
EQUAL JUSTICE INITIATIVE
CAMPAIGN ZERO
BLACK FUTURES LAB
Alana is a Brooklyn-based marketing professional and badass DJ known as LALA. We were lucky to get introduced to her by a dear friend, Carl Carrell, who describes her as a NY homie. We reached out to her, as we would love to promote more awesome and talented females!
Fortunately, she loved the idea of curating a LULU—LAND playlist for you guys on our Spotify. A mix of hip hop, soul, and R&B – feel-good music during and uncertain time. We absolutely love it and hope you'll enjoy it too! We'll definitely go see Alana do her thin' when we are allowed back in NY.
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WE LOVE TO CONNECT PEOPLE
NAME Alana "LALA" Garcia
INSTAGRAM @alanitabonita @swapmeetnyc @3rdrailnyc
SOUNDCLOUD lalathedeejay
BOOKING alanita.g@gmail.com
#instagramlove is a series of posts where we share some of the accounts we enjoy following. We love accounts that leave us feeling inspired, motivated, and curious. Read more about the series and our view on Instagram here.
Don't forget to unfollow accounts
that make you feel like shit!
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D.S. & DURGA is a niche perfume house founded in Brooklyn, NYC, in 2007 by a musician and an architect, D.S. (David Seth Moltz) and Durga (Kavi Moltz). The couple collect herb and floral essences from all over the world and hand craft them into the most incredible perfumes, inspired by music, literature, poetry, travel, history, and fine art.
We discovered the unique brand a little more than a year ago when we walked into their newly opened boutique at 255 Mulberry Street. We immediately fell in love with the universe they have created around their perfumes, the esthetics, and the unique scents. Our current favorite, I Don't Know What – a fragrance enhancer with a transparent radiance that gives any perfume a certain, as the French say, "I don't know what."
Visit D.S. & DURGA in 255 Mulberry Street SUN—WED 11-7 & THU—SAT 11-8 or online on dsanddurga.com.
CARCEL — Meet the Danish design duo helping imprisoned Peruvian women find their independence. Since they first began their journey, we have been following these ladies and are genuinely inspired by their way of doing business. They just launched a new initiative; REIMAGINE! Check out their 1st drop launching today, May 20, 2020, at 10am CET here!
"REIMAGINE — The current business model of fashion is broken. We are joining the global movement to re-invent. We are cutting ties with the traditional retail model to avoid stock, seasons, and sales. Instead, we'll be launching drops exclusively online and finding new ways to collaborate with physical stores. This means introducing better prices, limited quantities, and the freedom to act beyond seasons. We are committed to progress. No compromise."
Co—Star is probably one of the most hyped astrology apps at the moment. We actually don't really know if we believe in astrology or not. However, we've been following the Co—Start Instagram for some time and somehow enjoy the precise daily suggestions that are written in a fresh, quirky, and sometimes extremely brutal tone in the app - it's hilarious! Some days, it doesn't make sense at all; others, it feels like it could fit anyone, but from time to time, it surprisingly kind of makes sense, and it makes you reflect. With its sleek design and graceful illustrations, it's an amusing source of insight and reflection. You can download the app from the Co—Star website here.
Studio Olafur Eliasson — Olafur Eliasson's is one of our absolute favorite artists. His art is driven by his interests in perception, movement, embodied experience, and feelings of self. He strives to make the concerns of art relevant to society at large. Eliasson's works span sculpture, painting, photography, film, and installation and not limited to the confines of the museum and gallery. His practice engages the broader public sphere through architectural projects, interventions in civic space, arts education, policy-making, and issues of sustainability and climate change.
The team at Studio Olafur Eliasson comprises craftsmen, and specialized technicians, architects, archivists, art historians, web and graphic designers, filmmakers, cooks, and administrators – art is never boring with these people! While you're at it, check out their kitchen Instagram, @soe_kitchen, and the website olafureliasson.net.
FRAMA is a multi-disciplinary design brand that creates lifestyle objects that inspire the senses and encourage mindful living. FRAMA's work connects the imaginative and the practical with an emphasis on natural materials, simple geometries, and uncompromising quality, resulting in a uniquely warm and honest aesthetic.
We are inspired by the contrasts and simply love the minimalistic design and the comfortable and cozy feeling we get when visiting the showroom housed in the historic St. Paul's Apotek (established in 1878) in the heart of Copenhagen.
Robin is another great friend of ours. He's an adventurer, a professional wakeboarder, an entrepreneur, and a genius at creating a chilled atmosphere and making people feel comfortable around him.
During summertime, you'll most likely find him in Copenhagen Cable Park (CCP), somewhere in the city on a skateboard, or welcoming guests in the evenings at the entrance of Gorilla or Pluto – some of the most prominent restaurants and late-night hang out spots in Copenhagen.
When the wake season ends, and the water in Denmark gets exceptionally cold, he usually travels far south to continue doing what he loves.
We know very few people with Robin's level of energy – but we absolutely love it! We admire his way of always being 100% true to himself, his courage to follow his own path, and do what makes him happy.
We feel very fortunate that Robin agreed to curate this week's LULU—LAND playlist on Spotify – a mix of chilled beach vibes combined with a bit of jungle fever. Enjoy
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WE LOVE TO CONNECT PEOPLE
NAME Robin Leonard
INSTAGRAM @robin2hood
FACEBOOK @robin2hood
SPONSORS
COPENHAGEN CABLE PARK @cablepark
LAKOR SOULWEAR @lakorsoulwear
ONE OPEN SKY @oneopensky
BODYLAB @bodylab
BANDAGIST.DK Bandagist.dk
MATE.BIKE @mate.bike
SLINGSHOT WAKEBOARDS @slingshotwake
THE ORGANIC ENERGI PROJECT @theorganicenergiproject
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."
This quote by Theodore Roosevelt, from a speech at the Sorbonne in Paris, April 23, 1910, resonates with us. We have stumbled upon it several times lately, and thought to share it. It reminds us to be mindful of whom to take critique from and who’s opinion matter. It encourages us to keep doing what we are doing, taking risks, and daring to do things differently.
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"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."
Jamil is a Danish American soccer player, and a very dear friend of ours, who had a somewhat challenged and interesting path to where he is today.
He is born with music in his blood as his dad is the renowned Copenhagen based-American drummer Norman Fearrington, who played with, among others, Tina Turner, Santana, Billy Paul, David Bowie, and Ray Charles.
Growing up, it quickly became apparent that he hadn't just inherited his dad's knack for rhythm and music. He was also a talented athlete and a promising soccer player. Cutting a long story short, Jamil's soccer career became somewhat turbulent with its highs and lows. However, he refuses to let other people's preconceived attitudes keep him from living his dreams.
When we met Jamil almost 10 years ago, he was rootless, stumbling to find a foothold, and trying to figure his next move.
Today, he is still playing soccer and is educated as a professional coach. He produces music as a hobby and uses his experience and the lessons he learned, as a young adult, to teach challenged kids with difficult backgrounds in Copenhagen.
He has become a recognized voice in the Danish soccer world, not afraid to speak up when something isn't as it should be. For the past 3 years, he has put on his rainbow-colored captain band every time he has stepped into the soccer field to set focus on homophobia and discrimination.
Somehow, Jamil always seems to show up on our path exactly when he is meant to. He is one of the most supporting, loving, and considerate men we know. He didn't hesitate for a second to say yes when we asked him if he would curate a Spotify playlist for LULU—LAND – a mix of rap, soul, and R&B. Enjoy!
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WE LOVE TO CONNECT PEOPLE
NAME Jamil James Fearrington
INSTRAGRAM @ayjustcallmejay
#instagramlove is a series of posts where we share some of the accounts we enjoy following. We love accounts that leave us feeling inspired, motivated, and curious. Read more about the series and our view on Instagram here.
Don't forget to unfollow accounts
that make you feel like shit!
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office — office was founded as a print magazine in New York City in 2014. Today, it's a global media network designed to subvert convention with an unorthodox approach to fashion and creative culture at large. We have been following office since the very beginning, online as well as offline, they never fail to inspire and always have a quirky and unconventional angle to whatever topic they treat. Check out their website officemagazine.net. Don't forget to click uncensored while you are there, and make a pre-order if you are interested in getting your hand on Issue 12 — Spring / Summer 2020!
Vermland — is based on a refined yet experimenting approach to product design, interiors, and architecture. By intertwining traditional Danish crafts with an investigative interest in new materials, they create nontraditional design rooted in nature. At Vermland, architects and craftsmen work closely together, enabling them to experiment, draw and produce state of the art solutions directly from their workshop in the heart of Copenhagen. They have a way of merging Scandinavian aesthetics with a contemporary elegance that ensures relevance and timelessness at the same time. Check it out – it's simply stunning!
TABLEAU welcomes you into a rather unique space in the heart of Copenhagen – a colorful universe of contemporary art, design, and flowers. The studio creates new and innovative objects and vases to showcase flowers and plants in an unpredictable manner. The space functions as a gallery that hosts exhibitions curated by different artists who share the same vision. It's a celebration of craftsmanship and a mix between raw materials and the softness of flowers. Also, check out their beautifully designed website, tableau-cph.com, and visit the webshop while you are at it.
미식 美識 Meeseek — A remarkable merge between a gallery and a Korean tea house. We love the aesthetics and hope we'll have the chance to visit this tiny gem in Seoul in the future – until then, we'll continue following them in cyberspace. We miraculously found our way to Meeseek, recently, when they did an exhibition streaming with one of our friends, Peter Amby, the owner of Last Resort Gallery in Copenhagen.
Massey Klein Gallery — is a contemporary art gallery located in the Lower East Side of NYC. The gallery supports both local and international mid-career and emerging artists. Husband and wife team, Garrett Klein and Ryan Massey, believe in the collaborative partnership between artist, gallery, and collector. The gallery functions as a meeting place where collectors and the general public can experience carefully curated exhibitions and foster meaningful relationships with art. We'll definitely drop by the next time we are around. Check out exhibitions at masseyklein.com.
Carl Carrell, also known as CRL CRRLL, is a Denver-based DJ, producer and content creator. He works with everything that moves him and has an open mind and open heart towards creative projects of all kinds.
We meet Carl in a somewhat questionable hostel lobby in Bowery, Manhattan, NY, less than a year ago. He was in the city preparing for a couple of gigs, and we just arrived, jet-lagged out of this world from a 30 some hour flight from South East Asia. Both of us were only there for the night. Luckily, we connected before he went out in the night, and we fell asleep.
We feel very fortunate that Carl agreed to curate our very first LULU—LAND playlist on Spotify – a mix of funk, soul and disco, with a modern twist. Enjoy!
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WE LOVE TO CONNECT PEOPLE
NAME Carl Carrell/ Crl Crrll (Denver, US)
WEBSITE crlcrrll.com
INSTAGRAM @crlcrrll
FACEBOOK @crlcrrll
TWITTER @crlcrrll
SOUNDCLOUD CRLCRRLL
BOOKING booking@crlcrrll.com
LULU—LAND is a tiny global community for creative "kids," artists, photographers, designers, musicians, filmmakers, writers, athletes, and entrepreneurs – all of those to whom crazy ideas and thinking differently somehow comes naturally. A community that brings together like-minded creators, thinkers, troublemakers, popcorn brains, nomads, explorers, geeks, rebels, and curious outsiders, who thrive with fluid boundaries and whose restlessness and creative mindset are their greatest strengths.
LULU—LAND allows for fun ventures, collaborations, and crazy ideas at the stage where no one knows if they'll fly or fall. There are no rules. We experiment, we learn, and we grow in the process. We love to challenge the status quo, and we seek to move people. We're inspired by the madness around us and like to share that inspiration.
LULU—LAND is an idea of creating something; we don't know exactly what is yet. A space that emerges, evolves and develops over time, a platform that's able to grow with us. It's our workspace, an office, a creative studio and bureau, a shop, and a journal. It's a collection of ideas, curated inspiration, a pop-up store, events and happenings, an exhibition, a workshop, ... We never completely define it: in that sense, LULU—LAND is continually changing. The overall purpose is to inspire. We firmly believe that happiness is a journey, not a destination.
As a small startup, with limited resources, it's crucial for us that we spend our time right, and that both our interns and we feel like we're getting the most out of the internships we offer. Therefore, we always start by aligning expectations. We create a development plan for the time you are working with us and make sure to set clear development goals together.
As a remote intern at LULU—LAND, you'll get the chance to work with:
· Content creation
· Visual communication
· Graphic design
· Social media
· Copywriting
· Ecommerce
· Digital media
· Community management
· Project management
· Business development
· Research, etc.
If you're interested, please write hi@lululand.io and tell us;
1) a little bit about yourself
2) what you'll bring to our team
3) why you want to be our intern
4) most importantly, what inspires you?
The internship is unpaid [none of us are getting paid at this stage]. Therefore, we fully understand if you need to have another job or study at the same time, and we are flexible with the hours.
We are currently based in Copenhagen due to the COVID19 outbreak. However, you can work from anywhere you like as long as you have a computer and a stable internet connection :)
This video has made it into the list of our favorite TED talks, and it seems like we are not the only ones who think that this lady rocks. The Power of Vulnerability is one of the top five most viewed TED talks in the world, with over 47 million views.
Brené Brown is a research professor (/storyteller) at the University of Houston. She has spent the past two decades studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy, and is now using that work to explore a concept that she calls Wholeheartedness.
"Wholehearted living is about engaging in our lives from a place of worthiness. It means cultivating the courage, compassion, and connection to wake up in the morning and think, No matter what gets done and how much is left undone, I am enough. It’s going to bed at night thinking, Yes, I am imperfect and vulnerable and sometimes afraid, but that doesn’t change the truth that I am also brave and worthy of love and belonging."
BRENÈ BROWN : THE CALL TO COURAGE
If you find this TED talk as interesting as we did, you should also check out Brené Brown: The Call to Courage on Netflix.
It's a 2019 documentary film directed by Sandra Restrepo. The documentary depicts Brené Brown as she discusses what it takes to choose courage over comfort in today's culture.
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BOOKS
If you still haven't had enough, she is also the author of five number one New York Times bestsellers:
Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts (2018)
Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone (2017)
Rising Strong: The Reckoning, The Rumble, The Revolution (2015)
Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead (2012)
The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are (2010)
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WE LOVE TO CONNECT PEOPLE
NAME Brené Brown
WEBSITE brenebrown.com
INSATGRAM @brenebrown
FACEBOOK @brenebrown
TWITTER @BreneBrown
LINKEDIN Brené Brown
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CREDITS
VIDEO ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED BY
TED – Ideas worth spreading
MOST OF US STRUGGLE ...
... in one way or the other, to find a way through this madness. Everyone is under extraordinary pressure and dealing with an extreme degree of uncertainty. We don't know when this will end and exactly how the world will look like on the other side.
Essential workers and healthcare personal work their asses off, under challenging conditions, to get us through this nightmare. In some places, even without the necessary equipment and protective measures. Thank you!
Exposed elders and those at the highest risk deal with fear, isolation, and loneliness.
Parents have to find ways to manage homeschooling children while working full-time jobs, ordering groceries and cleaning at the same time.
Kids and young people miss their friends and everyday routines – students universities, etc.
No wonder a lot of us feel a sense of unease, restlessness, and even claustrophobia.
People lose their jobs with no safety net. Freelancers and creatives struggle to survive. Entrepreneurs and business owners see everything they have worked hard to built fall apart and are, to say the least, financially screwed.
Politicians are handling a pandemic and health crisis that affect the whole world while trying to avoid sending entire nations into a deep financial depression.
Families have lost, and families are losing loved ones to the virus every day.
I could go on ... but you get the point.
We all struggle in our own way! Be kind. Be considerate. Communicate. Listen. Don't be afraid to reach out if you need a hand and do what you can to help others through this madness.
CONFLICTING FEELINGS
I am fortunate enough to live in a country (Denmark) with a robust economy and social security system, that has reacted resolutely and without hesitation to the COVID19 outbreak. With a cautious optimism, it seems like we have managed to break the much talked about, curve. We are in lockdown but still allowed to go outside as long as we keep a safe distance and don't gather more than ten people.
However, it touches me deeply to see how other counties have reached and are reaching the limits of what their healthcare systems can handle, people are quarantined and restricted not to go outside of their homes – It's terrifying.
I consider NYC my second home, and it's unbearable to follow how the virus spreads at the speed of lightning, and how thousands are dying. I can't even start to imagine the powerlessness the New Yorkers must feel.
Horrible images from the situation in China and Southern Europe will probably be stuck in my memory forever.
At the same time, I'm blown away and astonished by the helpfulness and compassion I see everywhere around me. How people help each other overcome challenges and come together to fight this. Creativity is flourishing, that's for sure!
A RARE INSIGHT
I personally worry about family members at risk, economy, my business, etc. For a second, I felt like I was back at square one when borders throughout Europe closed, and my plans to live and work from Barcelona for three months was canceled overnight.
I've been struggling with a sense of restlessness. I suck at being stuck in the same place for too long. I have found it unusually hard to motivate myself and get things done. I can't really figure out why I feel the way I do. I have been tired and not quite like myself, less productive and less inspired, which is kind of a problem when you are trying to make a living out of sharing inspiration.
In the beginning, I was super annoyed with myself and the situation. I felt paralyzed and unable to do anything, but I quickly realized that I had to knock myself out of the paralysis and remind myself that a lot of people are during a lot worse.
I had to do something and hope things would change as I move forward. Getting the LULU—LAND Shop up and running had been on my to-do list for months, but didn't have the time to focus on it. In the first week of the lockdown, I had the limited edition tote bags designed, printed, and ready to ship. In addition, I've tried to make new routines to fit the situation – habits that hopefully will benefit me when this is over as well.
- I get up early and write down my thoughts every morning.
- I try to schedule my days and the things that I want to do, to be more productive.
- I've started to do home exercises. Nothing extensive. Just a few squats, sit-ups, and push-ups every day (My ass was getting flat).
- I enjoy longs walks, while listening to music, or podcasts.
- I have been eating healthier and I try to get into the habit of drinking more water (I drank like zero water before).
- I read every night and try to get at least 8 hours of sleep.
- I try my best to accept that this is an extraordinary situation, that things are not as they usually would be, and allow myself time for reflection and relaxation without becoming lazy.
- I help creatives and small local businesses in the ways I can (Engage on social media, buy gift cards to my favorite coffee shops, take away, home delivery of flowers, etc.)
However, there is no one fits all. Really, take a bit of time for yourself to figure out what you need to be okay, even if it is just a few seconds (Breathe). Notice how you feel – it's okay. Do the things that you usually don't have time for. Accept the things you can't or don't get done right now. Let go of what's outside of your control and work with the things that are in your control. Try to be tolerant. Most people are pushed outside of their comfort zones. Everyone is dealing with their own s***.
HOPE & FOCUS
Yes, 2020 has been off to a terrible start, but at LULU—LAND, we are full of hope. We firmly believe that things will change for the better. There will be grieving of the past. However, we have been giving an opportunity to recalibrate, find out what's really important to us, and rethink how we do things. We feel confident that it will become easier to create positive and sustainable change in the future.
In the coming months, we will focus on gathering contributors for the LULU—LAND Journal. Creators, writers, artists, musicians, entrepreneurs, athletes, great thinkers, etc. who will love to share their stories, work, ideas, different perspectives and other inspiration. Our goal is to be able to update the journal daily within six months.
Further, we have a couple of exciting new collaborations coming up that we look forwards to share with you. Right now, we are working on a project called the "The Creative Manifest". If you are curious, sign-up to our newsletter and follow us on Instagram @lululand.io.
Finally, we'll hopefully be able to expand our team by offering a remote internship. As our intern, you'll have the opportunity to work closely with us on developing LULU—LAND from anywhere you like (with a stable internet connection). Don't hesitate to contact us, if you're interested and want to know more. Write an email to hi@lululand.io, tell us a little bit about yourself, why you want to be our intern, and, most importantly, what inspires you.
STAY SAFE (& SANE)!
LULU
#instagramlove is a series of posts where we share some of the accounts we enjoy following. We love accounts that leave us feeling inspired, motivated, and curious. Read more about the series and our view on Instagram here.
Don't forget to unfollow accounts
that make you feel like shit!
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Jérôme Vintage is a Copenhagen based vintage boutique specialized in selecting and selling fine vintage clothing. We love how they make vintage garments look stylish as f***.
Also, check out the little sis Rosy Vintage
"The rebellious and non conformist new girl on the block with immaculate taste and chic sense of style who has taken on the daunting task of changing the way we consume and think about fashion. Her mission is clear; to democratize vintage fashion and make it accessible for everyone regardless of gender, income, or origin without compromising neither the aesthetic appeal nor the exclusive shopping experience.
Rosy, was basically conceived from the wish and need to make consumers more aware of the negative consequences and environmental impact of the fashion industry. It is imperative that we move away from the current paradigm sooner rather than later and make a collective effort to see that vintage and resale, in general, become the norm rather than the exception. This is only possible when vintage fashion becomes more inclusive, more affordable, and more easily attainable."
Rumor has it that they are working on creating an online shop as well, you can sign up to their newsletter here.
Jérôme Vintage: Gl. Kongevej 105, 1850 Frederiksberg, Denmark // Rosy Vintage: Kronprinsensgade 9, 1114 Copenhagen K; Denmark
Rupi Kaur (rupikaur.com) is an Indian-born Canadian poet, illustrator, and author. She started drawing at the age of five when her mother handed her a paintbrush and said—draw your heart out. We love her minimalistic, playful and feministic, yet bold visual poetry.
Jonathan Faust (jonathanfaust.com) is a Copenhagen based designer specialized in typography and conceptual packaging with a primary focus on the consumer category and concept development. We have known Jonathan and been following his work for the past 10 years. His hand-lettering keeps astonishing us. He combines good craftsmanship and graphic design like no one else. Yes, he is left-handed and a typography genius. Jonathan currently works at the Danish strategic design agency, Everland.
Les Parisiennes du Monde is a dreamy universe of inspirational photos found and reposted from around the worldwide web combined with captivating captions. Careful, you might get an overdose of love. 578t followers, just saying.
Heiðar Logi is an athlete and cold water surfer from Iceland. His photos are incredible and we find his story very relatable. We first heard about him in a podcast he did with Joel Runyon a while back (Listen to the podcast here) and later in the video above he did with North66. When he isn't chasing the next wave in Iceland, he travels, have a knack for yoga and wood craft.
VIDEO REPOSTED WITH PERMISSION FROM DEREK SIVERS
What is the meaning of life?
Ouch, that's a complex one. This explanation by Derek Sivers somehow resonates with us, and we hope you'll find it as interesting and inspiring as we do!
"Watch," or actually just listen, and let us know what you think.
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TRANSCRIPT
There’s a true story about the student who showed up late to math class. He copied the problem that was already written on the board, assuming it was homework, and solved it that week. Only afterwards did he find out the teacher put it on the board as an example of an unsolvable problem.
This question — “What is the meaning of life?” — is the classic unsolvable problem. For thousands of years, people have been trying to figure it out. It’s the punchline cliché of unanswerable questions.
But right now, let’s be the naive ones that don’t know it’s considered unsolvable, and just figure out the meaning of life in under 20 minutes. OK?
LIFE IS __________
What word do you think goes in that blank? Life is what? Any ideas?
Let’s look at some of the different options that philosophers and smarties have said.
LIFE IS TIME
Some say life is time. Life is all about time. The definition of life is the time between when you’re born and when you die. So the literal meaning of life is time.
So if life is time, the way to have a good life is to use time wisely.
How can you use time wisely? Five ways.
1. Remember it’s limited
If you find out tonight that you’ve only got one year left to live, you’ll make the most of this next year. If you act like life is infinite, you won’t.
To achieve great things, two things are needed: a plan, and not quite enough time.
Give yourself tight deadlines. Remember you could die at any time. Don’t delay.
How can you use time wisely?
2. Be mostly future-focused
Make most of your current actions serve your future self. Learn, practice, exercise, delay gratification, save and invest your money, and build towards your ideal future. People who do this are more successful and even happier.
But too much future focus leads to being a successful person on your 4th marriage, with no true friends. Too much future focus can take time away from important things that need you to be in the moment.
How can you use time wisely?
3. Be somewhat present-focused
Sometimes, pull your head out of the future, and give your full attention to the present. Relationships, communication, and sex require this.
But too much present focus is hedonism: living only for immediate gratification with as much excitement and novelty as possible.
Too much present focus leads to an empty bank account and no impulse control.
Too much present focus robs you of the deeper happiness of delayed gratification, achieving long-term goals, and developing valuable expertise.
How can you use time wisely?
4. Be somewhat past-focused
To remember your past is to live twice.
Keep your life in the context of the past, to see how far you’ve come.
Put aside time to re-interpret your past events, as a powerful reminder that you can re-interpret your present and future, too.
How can you use time wisely?
5. Get in the zone
You know the feeling of flow — where you’re focused on work that’s not too easy and not too hard — where the work itself has clear goals and is its own reward.
People at the end of their life who claimed to be the happiest with their life were the ones who had spent the most time in this state of flow.
For a good life, pursue the work that puts you in this state, and avoid the things that pull you from this state.
Let’s say life is time. What do you think? Pretty good argument?
Let’s look at another perspective.
LIFE IS CHOICE
Some say life is choice. Life is all about choice. You make a hundred little choices a day, and a hundred big choices in your life. These choices change your entire life. Your life is created by your choices. Therefore life IS choice.
So if life is choice, the way to have a good life is to make good choices.
How can you make good choices? Four ways.
1. Let instinct trump logic
The different parts of your brain started developing at different periods in evolution. The oldest part of your brain, the one that’s been evolving since we were fish, deals with instincts, fears, and gut feelings. The newest part of your brain, the one that’s pretty uniquely human, deals with logic, language, and predictions.
This newest part is still in beta. A $5 calculator can beat it at math. But this oldest part was launched a billion years ago, and has been in production and development ever since.
Everything you observe and learn is first processed by your logical brain, but then the results are permanently stored as instincts, fears, and gut feelings. Your instincts and emotions hold the culmination of everything you’ve ever observed and learned. So you’ll make better choices if you listen your instincts, instead of relying too much on your $5 calculator beta brain.
How can you make good choices?
2. Stop at good enough
You now have more options than ever. You try to choose the best option, the best career, the best school, and the best boyfriend/girlfriend/partner/spouse.
But thinking this way makes you feel worse about the choices you’ve made. You’re more aware than ever of all the options you didn’t choose, and the benefits of each.
So don’t seek the absolute best. Stop when you find an option that is good enough. You’ll make an equally good choice, but more importantly, you’ll feel much better about it. Happiness counts.
How can you make good choices?
3. Set limits
Every choice you have to make causes a little bit of pain. Having choice in life is good, but having more choice is not always better.
You’re happier when you let other people make some choices for you. If you’re very sick, you want your doctor to choose what’s best, not say, "There are dozens of good options. What do you want to do?" This is the appeal of religion. It gives you rules. It makes many of the choices for you.
So set limits to your choices in life. Cut off some options. Give yourself rules.
How can you make good choices?
4. Choose important not urgent
You know the difference between what’s long-term important versus short-term urgent.
What’s urgent are emails, texts, tweets, calls, and news.
What’s important is spending a thousand hours to learn a new skill that will really help you in your life or work. What’s important is giving your full undistracted attention to the important people in your life. What’s important is taking time to get exercise, or to collect and share what you’ve learned.
But none of these things will ever be urgent.
So you have to ignore the tempting cries of the urgent, and deliberately choose what you know is important.
So life is choice? What do you think? Pretty good argument? Let’s try another.
LIFE IS MEMORY
Some say life is memory. The future doesn’t exist. It’s something we imagine. The present is gone in a millisecond, so everything we experience in life is a memory. You could live a long life, but without a lot of memories, you only experienced a short life. If you don’t remember your life, it’s like it never happened. So life is memory.
So if life is memory, the way to have a good life is to make more memories.
How can you make memories?
Change routines. Break monotony. Move. Make a major change whenever you can. These are your chronological landmarks. These are the hooks where you’ll hang your memories.
Document it. Blog it. Not in a company’s walled garden, but in a format you can archive and look through in 50 years, or your grandkids can look through in 100 years. Keep a private blog for your future self, and tell the tales of where you’ve been, what you did, and the quirky people you’ve met along the way. You’ll be surprised how much you forget if you don’t record it.
Socrates said the unexamined life is not worth living. What about the forgotten life?
So life is memory? What do you think? Want to do another?
LIFE IS LEARNING
Both my smart friends and my spiritual friends insist that the meaning of life is learning — that the reason you’re here is to learn. Not just for your own sake, but for everyone alive, and future generations, the meaning of your life is to learn.
So if life is learning, the way to have a good life is to learn a lot.
How can you learn a lot?
Instead of talking about learning techniques, let’s talk about getting the right mindset, so you can learn more than you realize.
You’ve probably heard about the Fixed mindset and the Growth mindset.
The Fixed mindset says, "I am good at this" or "I am bad at this". This starts in childhood when your parents say, "You’re so good at math!" You think, "I’m good at math!" But then when you do poorly on one test, you think, "They were wrong. I’m not good at math.” Most people think this way. You can hear it when they say, “She’s a great singer” or “I’m just no good at dancing.”
The Growth mindset says, "Anyone can be good at anything. Skill comes only from practice."
Two impossibly hard tests were given to hundreds of children. After the first test, all of the students were praised, but half of the students were privately told these 6 words: "You must be good at this." The other half were privately told these 6 words: "You must have worked really hard."
When they were given the second test, the students who were told, "You must be good at this", did 20% worse on the 2nd test. Those 6 words encouraged a fixed mindset that made them feel there was no point in trying. You either are or you aren’t.
The students who were told "You must have worked really hard", did 30% better on the 2nd test. Those 6 words encouraged a growth mindset that made them feel that working harder made all the difference.
So that’s a +-50% difference in performance because of 6 quick words by one teacher.
Multiply that by all the people in your life, all the days you hear feedback, and all the things you tell yourself, and you can see how this simple difference in mindset can make or break a life of learning.
Parents, pay attention to this. You may be harming your kids when you tell them they’re good at things.
Successful people, pay attention to this. You may be harming yourself if you believe the praise that people give you. People tell you you’re great at what you do, never just that you must have worked hard.
So... life is learning? What do you think?
SOMETHING ELSE?
Should we look at the Buddhist idea that life is
SUFFERING?
Nah, that’s no fun.
Life is
LOVE?
Too ambiguous.
Life is
NOTHING BUT REPLICATING DNA?
Too accurate.
Let’s change the subject.
CHINESE
A few years ago, I started learning Chinese. I’m fascinated with the writing. I’m trying to memorize how to write these characters.
Chinese characters look complicated, but they’re mostly made up of smaller simpler characters, the way that English words are made up of Latin roots and such. So you can remember the meaning of each character by knowing the meaning of its ingredients. For example:
语 language = words 讠+ five 五+ mouth 口
So... Language is words that at least five mouths speak? Brilliant!
谢 thank you = words 讠+ body 身+ inch 寸
Hmmm... This one is not so obvious. Maybe the idea is that when you say thanks, you speak words that give a body an inch of respectful space? That’s interesting.
名 name = evening 夕 + mouth 口
So your real name is what’s spoken by a mouth in the evening? That’s kind of romantic.
I get so curious about the historical or cultural meaning behind each one.
Let’s change the subject.
TALKING HEADS
Talking Heads were a great band from the late-70s to mid-80s. Their lyrics were really evocative and mysterious. They made you wonder what they were really about.
Then I read an interview with the Talking Heads where they said that many of their lyrics were just random. They would write evocative phrases onto little pieces of paper, then throw them into a bowl, and shuffle them up. Then they’d pull them out, and put them into the song in that order. They did this because they liked how the listener creates meaning that wasn’t intended.
We assume that if someone writes a song, then sings it on stage into a microphone, that it must have meaning to them.
But nope. It was just random. Any meaning you think it contains was put there by you, the listener, not the writer. Like a Rorschach test.
BACK TO CHINESE
I got so curious about the historical meaning of these Chinese characters that I got a Chinese etymological dictionary that tells the full history behind every one.
I looked up the examples I gave here, and found out those characters were just phonetic! Those composite character bits were NOT chosen for their meaning at all, just their sound!
So it seems I’ve just been putting the meanings into them, myself. They actually had no meaning at all!
It blew my mind. I had been memorizing hundreds of characters for months, reading all kinds of meaning into the ingredients of each one.
After recovering from that, I thought: How many other things in life really have no meaning? What else have I been putting my own meaning into, thinking it was true?
WIRED
I know that we’re wired to do it. I know we survived on the savannah for eons because we evolved to look for patterns. Our ancestors are the ones who noticed the patterns of the tiger stripes or the lion face in the grass.
A moth is so deeply wired to fly towards the light that it may never accept that your light bulb is not the moon.
We are so deeply wired to find patterns that we may never accept that many things are just random.
We should have the same sympathy for our faulty wiring as we do for the moth. Evolution taught us to do this thing, but didn’t teach us to stop.
Give us some dots and a line, and we’ll see a face. Burn some toast and we’ll find Elvis in it.
A carrot from my garden looks like Jesus. What does it mean?
A black cat crossed my path as I walked under a ladder on Friday the 13th. What does it mean?
An old friend calls just a minute after I was thinking about them. What does it mean?
What does it mean that you went to a prestigious well-known school? What does it mean that you didn’t?
What does it mean that your good friend died? What does it mean that you’re tall?
What does it mean that you have a lot of followers online? What does it mean that you don’t?
What does it mean that you’re female? What does it mean that you’re male?
What does it mean that you’re an entrepreneur? What does it mean that you’re not?
What does it mean that all of your previous attempts at something have failed?
Nothing! Nothing at all.
Nothing has inherent meaning. Everything is only what it is and that’s it.
So let’s get back to our original question and wrap this up.
LIFE IS _____
What is the meaning of life?
LIFE IS ______
TIME?
CHOICE?
MEMORY?
LEARNING?
SUFFERING?
LOVE?
REPLICATING DNA?
You can tell by the variety of answers that they are just projected meanings.
You can choose to project one of these meanings onto your life, if it makes you feel good, or improves your current actions.
But you know the real answer is clear and obvious now.
Life is (just) life. It doesn’t mean anything.
Erase any meaning you put into past events. Erase any meaning that’s holding you back. Erase those times where people said that this means that. None of it is real.
Life has no inherent meaning. Nothing has inherent meaning.
Life is a blank slate.
You’re free to project any meaning that serves you.
You’re free to do with it, anything you want.
Thank you.
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ABOUT DEREK SIVERS
Derek Sivers is a notable American writer, musician, programmer, and entrepreneur best known for being the founder and former president of CD Baby, an online CD store for independent musicians. He started CD Baby somewhat by accident in 1997 when he was selling his own CD on his website, and friends asked if he could sell theirs, too. CD Baby went on to become the largest seller of independent music on the web, with over $100M in sales for over 150,000 musician clients.
In 2008, Derek sold CD Baby to focus on his new ventures. His current projects and writings are all at sivers.org.
You can read more about Derek in his own words here.
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WE LOVE TO CONNECT PEOPLE
NAME Derek Sivers
EMAIL derek@sivers.org
WEBSITE sivers.org
YOUTUBE Derek Sivers
TWITTER Derek Sivers
NON-FICTION BOOK PROPOSAL
This is scary. For as long as I can remember, I have dreamed of writing a book. An actual real book. Like a book book. Not just any book, but a book that means something to me and has the potential to make a real difference to others. When I came up with the term “Popcorn Brain,” I knew that was it. My entire life, I’ve had the feeling of being different somehow. I’ve spent a considerable amount of time trying to figuring out why. Popcorn Brain is a reflection of this.
Through the process of defining what it means to have a Popcorn Brain, I realized that I’m not alone. Some have a Popcorn Brain by default; others experience to have a brain that “pops” occasionally or in periods of their lives. The book will explain the term, and provide strategies, methods, and tools to help structure “popcorn” thoughts, balance key areas of life, and gain/regain a sense of direction and purpose.
I promise I’ll do my absolute best to create a creative community that will be truly inspiring, worth following and being a part of. Moreover, I’ll keep you updated on the writing process and make Popcorn Brain strategies, methods, and tools available here on LULU—LAND.
PRELIMINARY INTRODUCTION
No brain is exactly the same. A Popcorn Brain is a brain that pops a lot of thoughts and ideas, fast. It works perfectly well by its own set of rules. But rears at conformity. Some have a Popcorn Brain by default; others experience to have a brain that “pops” occasionally.
A Popcorn Brain doesn’t have a shortage of attention. It pays too much attention to everything. It can easily have four or five chains of thought going on simultaneously, at any given time. It can fast-forward from A to D, without considering B or C, and jump to solutions that no one else can see. It’s brilliant at absorbing new knowledge, understanding patterns, and assessing situations and information at the speed of lightning, which often makes it exceptionally accurate in predicting future events and outcomes.
It can simplify complexity, and it’s great at focusing on the bigger picture and visioning the future. It’s terrifically creative, intuitive, and adventurous. It can be highly imaginative and simply loves to explore new ideas. It’s curious and often thrives being challenged or thrown into a competitive environment. Some popcorn brains even tend to have a higher risk tolerance and thus become more natural entrepreneurs.
A Popcorn Brain can be so passionate about something that it can go into a stage of hyper-focus or flow that makes it able to forget everything else, including basic needs. Popcorn brains tend to be highly adaptive, and they’re greatly affected by their surroundings. For better and for worse. It makes them outstanding at dealing with change, but it can also make them insecure and question everything and everyone at once.
Popcorn brains excel at procrastination, as they tend to be sidetracked quickly and easily distracted by outside stimuli, as well as by internal thoughts and mind wandering. This might also explain an often highly developed ability to work and make decisions in high-pressure and chaotic environments. Popcorn brains “eat” chaos for breakfast.
A Popcorn Brain is wonderful and lively, but it can also be sensitive. It’s like a turbocharged engine that can go really fast. The only problem is that sometimes it goes too fast.
Popcorn brains can be impulsive and hyperactive. Some overtly hyperactive, others hyperactive internally. Restlessness is often one of a Popcorn Brain’s greatest strengths, as it can be turned into a powerful drive that makes it able to reach goals others might think of as crazy and impossible. However, it’s double-edged as restlessness also makes popcorn brains struggle at times. It’s a feeling that can make it hard to be present and stay in the same for too long. Popcorn brains have no respect for the status quo.
Having a Popcorn Brain can be both confusing and frustrating. It can make you restless, fidgety, and easily bored when it doesn’t feel like the outside world can keep up and become overwhelming when you’re the one who can’t keep up. A Popcorn Brain is fantastic, but it can also throw you off balance from time to time.
Many popcorn brains have had the feeling of being a misfit, in one way or the other. Despite that, most popcorn brains wouldn’t change anything if they could. Popcorn Brain has become an essential part of who they are.
Whether you are born with a Popcorn Brain, or it’s something that you experience occasionally, the strategies, tools, and methods in this book can help you structure your thoughts and clear your mind. It can help you focus, keep that focus, and set actionable goals as well as identifying your core values, give you a sense of direction and help you balance key areas of life.
I didn’t invent any of these strategies, methods, or tools. I somehow stumbled upon them along my way. I combined and developed them to work for myself and my Popcorn Brain. I hope that they’ll be as helpful to you, as they have been to me.
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LOUISE BØGESKOV HOU
Copyright © Unpublished Work 2019—All rights reserved
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FEEDBACK & COMMENTS
Please, write hi@lululand.io if you have feedback or comments. I'd appreciate :)
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AGENTS & PUBLISHERS
I'm looking for representation. Don't hesitate to get in contact with me at hi@lululand.io, if you find the book interesting and want to know more. [Currently, figuring how to write a book proposal]
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CONTRIBUTE TO POPCORN BRAIN
I'm looking for entrepreneurs, creatives, artists, writers, poets, etc. who can relate to "Popcorn Brain" and would like to contribute to the book with their interpretation of the term. Please, write me at hi@lululand.io if you are interested and want to know more.
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CREDITS
IMAGES UNSPLASH.COM & PEXELS.COM
After a short break, we are back in business. In the following weeks we will share a lot of new and exiting things with you on LULU—LAND. Sign-up to our Newsletter and follow us on Instagram @lululand.io.
LULU—LAND is a 100% remote micro-business. We have been traveling around the world since day one. Our plan was to work from Barcelona in the upcoming months and then go to New York during summer.
However, due to the severity of the COVID-19 outbreak, we will stay in Copenhagen for an indefinite period of time. A tough decision ...
LULU—LAND is a 100% remote micro-business. We have been traveling around the world since day one. Our plan was to work from Barcelona in the upcoming months and then go to New York during summer.
However, due to the severity of the COVID-19 outbreak, we will stay in Copenhagen for an indefinite period of time. A tough decision, with severe economic consequences for a small newly established business, but nevertheless the only right decision. We love to travel, but we all need to take care of our selves and each other during this worldwide pandemic.
It feels surreal. We know that there are a lot of people and businesses affected a lot worse by this than we are. We want to encourage everyone to be mindful, considerate, and kind.
Help each other. Support the small creative businesses out there, struggling to survive this madness. Reach out to other people. Like, follow and comment on your favorite local business' social platforms. Make orders online and buy gift certificates if possible. It's the small things that make a difference in times like these.
To all of our friends traveling and working remotely around the world: please, postpone any travel, follow the recommendations made by WHO as well as by your governments in order to stay safe and help slow down the spread of the virus. Even though you are not at risk, locals and other people's loved ones are.
Stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe, and last but not least, stay home. Meanwhile, we will do our best to keep you inspired!
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IMAGES FROM UNSPLASH
Joel Filipe
Trinity Treft
Lucas Benjamin
THIS IS POWERFUL. THIS IS TIMELY. THIS IS IMPORTANT.
At LULU—LAND, we like to support people who dare. We find this message about the contradictory injunctions women faces in 2020 from Girl Girls Girls Magazine, Camille Rainville & Cynthia Nixon incredibly powerful, timely, and important, in an age where we are redefining what it means to be female.
The short now-viral video unfolds the various meanings of the term “be a lady,” outlines the confusing nature of what it means to be a “real woman” and highlights the immense pressure and impossible standards women face in society today. We hope that this will help create a constructive and positive debate. Well done!
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TRANSCRIPT
Be a lady they said. Your skirt is too short. Your shirt is too low. Your pants are too tight. Don’t show so much skin. Don’t show your thighs. Don’t show your breasts. Don’t show your midriff. Don’t show your cleavage. Don’t show your underwear. Don’t show your shoulders. Cover up. Leave something to the imagination. Dress modestly. Don’t be a temptress. Men can’t control themselves. Men have needs. You look frumpy. Loosen up. Show some skin. Look sexy. Look hot. Don’t be so provocative. You’re asking for it. Wear black. Wear heels. You’re too dressed up. You’re too dressed down. Don’t wear those sweatpants; you look like you’ve let yourself go.
Be a lady they said. Don’t be too fat. Don’t be too thin. Don’t be too large. Don’t be too small. Eat up. Slim down. Stop eating so much. Don’t eat too fast. Order a salad. Don’t eat carbs. Skip dessert. You need to lose weight. Fit into that dress. Go on a diet. Watch what you eat. Eat celery. Chew gum. Drink lots of water. You have to fit into those jeans. God, you look like a skeleton. Why don’t you just eat? You look emaciated. You look sick. Eat a burger. Men like women with some meat on their bones. Be small. Be light. Be little. Be petite. Be feminine. Be a size zero. Be a double zero. Be nothing. Be less than nothing.
Be a lady they said. Remove your body hair. Shave your legs. Shave your armpits. Shave your bikini line. Wax your face. Wax your arms. Wax your eyebrows. Get rid of your mustache. Bleach this. Bleach that. Lighten your skin. Tan your skin. Eradicate your scars. Cover your stretch marks. Tighten your abs. Plump your lips. Botox your wrinkles. Lift your face. Tuck your tummy. Thin your thighs. Tone your calves. Perk up your boobs. Look natural. Be yourself. Be genuine. Be confident. You’re trying too hard. You look overdone. Men don’t like girls who try too hard.
Be a lady they said. Wear makeup. Prime your face. Conceal your blemishes. Contour your nose. Highlight your cheekbones. Line your lids. Fill in your brows. Lengthen your lashes. Colour your lips. Powder, blush, bronze, highlight. Your hair is too short. Your hair is too long. Your ends are split. Highlight your hair. Your roots are showing. Dye your hair. Not blue, that looks unnatural. You’re going grey. You look so old. Look young. Look youthful. Look ageless. Don’t get old. Women don’t get old. Old is ugly. Men don’t like ugly.
Be a lady they said. Save yourself. Be pure. Be virginal. Don’t talk about sex. Don’t flirt. Don’t be a skank. Don’t be a whore. Don’t sleep around. Don’t lose your dignity. Don’t have sex with too many men. Don’t give yourself away. Men don’t like sluts. Don’t be a prude. Don’t be so uptight. Have a little fun. Smile more. Pleasure men. Be experienced. Be sexual. Be innocent. Be dirty. Be virginal. Be sexy. Be the cool girl. Don’t be like the other girls.
Be a lady they said. Don’t talk too loud. Don’t talk too much. Don’t take up space. Don’t sit like that. Don’t stand like that. Don’t be intimidating. Why are you so miserable? Don’t be a bitch. Don’t be so bossy. Don’t be assertive. Don’t overact. Don’t be so emotional. Don’t cry. Don’t yell. Don’t swear. Be passive. Be obedient. Endure the pain. Be pleasing. Don’t complain. Let him down easy. Boost his ego. Make him fall for you. Men want what they can’t have. Don’t give yourself away. Make him work for it. Men love the chase. Fold his clothes. Cook his dinner. Keep him happy. That’s a woman’s job. You’ll make a good wife someday. Take his last name. You hyphenated your name? Crazy feminist. Give him children. You don’t want children? You will someday. You’ll change your mind.
Be a lady they said. Don’t get raped. Protect yourself. Don’t drink too much. Don’t walk alone. Don’t go out too late. Don’t dress like that. Don’t show too much. Don’t get drunk. Don’t leave your drink. Have a buddy. Walk where it is well lit. Stay in the safe neighborhoods. Tell someone where you’re going. Bring pepper spray. Buy a rape whistle. Hold your keys like a weapon. Take a self-defense course. Check your trunk. Lock your doors. Don’t go out alone. Don’t make eye contact. Don’t bat your eyelashes. Don’t look easy. Don’t attract attention. Don’t work late. Don’t crack dirty jokes. Don’t smile at strangers. Don’t go out at night. Don’t trust anyone. Don’t say yes. Don’t say no.
Just “be a lady” they said.
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CREDITS
"Be a Lady They Said"
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PUBLISHED Girls. Girls. Girls. Magazine
WORDS Camille Rainville
NARRATOR Cynthia Nixon
DIRECTOR Paul McLean
FASHION DIRECTOR Alicia Lombardini
MAKEUP STYLIST Campbell
HAIR STYLIST Riad Azar
MUSIC Louis Souyave
PPST Mini Content
PRODUCER Claire Rothstein
What is creativity? Why do we create? What makes us innovators? What makes us human? And how do we face creative challenges?
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These are some of the questions neuroscientist, author, and entrepreneur, David Eagleman, and composer Anthony Brandt investigate in the documentary: The Creative Brain.
We stumbled upon it somewhat by chance. It's not groundbreaking news for most creatives but worth a watch.
In the documentary, Eagleman explains how creativity works, unravel the creative process, and encourages all of us to be more creative. They seek to inspire and demystify the creative process while exploring brain-bending and risk-taking ways to spark creativity. By highlighting real-life examples of failure and success in the creative industry, they encourage all of us to self-reflect, discover our passion, and embrace our inherent human ability to be creative.
“Creativity doesn’t mean inventing something out of nothing, instead is about refashioning what already exists.”
What makes the documentary interesting is that it taps into the creative process of various innovators and accomplished professionals from across the creative spectrum:
- Game of Thrones Co-Creator D.B. Weiss
- Singer, Songwriter & Chef, Kelis Rogers
- Architect, Bjarke Ingels
- Novelist, Michael Chabon
- Actor & Director Tim Robbins
- Musician, Robert Glasper
- Potter, Ehren Tool
- Musician & Artist, Claire Elise Boucher (Grimes)
- Nanotechnologist, Michelle Khine
- Musician, Nick Cave
- Inventor, Nathan Myhrvold
- Movie Director, Animator & Producer, Phil Tippett
CHECK OUT THE TRAILER HERE
THE DOCUMENTARY IS AVAILABLE ON NETFILX.
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If the documentary makes you curious, the duo also wrote a book:
The Runaway Species — a powerful, wide-ranging exploration of human creativity, which incisively explores how individuals, organizations, and educational institutions can benefit from fostering creativity while celebrating humanity’s unique ability to remake the world.
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THE CREATIVE BRAIN
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GENRE Documentary
YEAR 2019
DURATION 52m
INSTRUCTORS Jennifer Beamish, Toby Trackman
CAST David Eagleman
WRITER David Eagleman
WEBSITE creativebrainmovie.com
FACEBOOK @CreativeBrainMovie
TWITTER @CreativityMovie
INSTAGRAM @creativebrainmovie
Instagram – a love and hate relationship. On the one hand, it is a fantastic source of inspiration. It enables us to explore and discover people, brands, and concepts we wouldn't necessarily find elsewhere. It allows us to share whatever we find inspiring, attract an audience, create a community, and share bits and pieces of our lives with others.
On the other hand, it can be extremely time-consuming, addicting and have some rather unfortunate side effects such as; leaving people feeling insufficient, pressured to live a "picture perfect" life, not to mention the adverse effects on mental health.
And then there is the monitoring, the algorithms, and the non-linear timeline, which freaks us out when thinking too much about it. In general, we dislike the fact that social media platforms try to control our feed, figure out how we feel, what we would like to see, decide what we should be reading, have a say in what we are exposed to and when – It's SCARY. We would opt out of all the above and choose to have the chronological, non-monitored, non-filtered timeline back any day.
Nevertheless, we choose to focus on the positive aspects. For us, the key is — like with most other things in life — BALANCE. It goes without saying that it is inappropriate for us to spend a ridiculous amount of time with our heads buried in our phones. Looking at shit that makes us feel bad, spending way too much energy overthinking what we share and when to post. However, we believe that Instagram is fantastic when used in a healthy way.
In our experience, creating a healthy relationship with the platform is all about who we follow and how they make us feel. Just like in real life, we don't have to agree on everything, but we need to treat each other with kindness and respect. Naturally, we are closer to some people, attracted by certain concepts, brands, and types of businesses in periods of our lives for whatever reason, and that's okay.
Our simple advice is to take active control of your social media platforms and the time you spend on them. Make conscious decisions about who you follow. You don't have to follow anyone just because they follow you. You are free to follow, unfollow, mute, block, delete, and report whomever you want to at any giving time, if for some reason, whatever they post doesn't do anything good for you. Stay true to yourself, your feed is a representation of who you are and what you believe in. Do what fits you. Be responsible and mindful. The moment you have a following of even one real person, you have a responsibility. What you share may influence your audience. Make sure that whatever you do, makes you happy. Don't be a jerk and don't take it too seriously. Have fun! And finally ...
Don't forget to unfollow accounts
that make you feel like shit!
We love to follow accounts that leave us feeling inspired, motivated, and curious. #instagramlove is a series of posts where we share some of the accounts we enjoy following.
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The Classy Issue (theclassyissue.com) is a blog curated by Niclas von Schedvin. You've probably seen the branded logo shirts somewhere in cyberspace or on the streets. Eye-catching! When almost 500.000 people follow you for your taste in images – it's fair to say you must be on to something.
Joel Runyon is an American athlete and entrepreneur. He is the founder of IMPOSSIBLE – a company dedicated to helping people push their limits and do the impossible. In 2017 Joel became the youngest in the World to join the 7 Continents Ultra Club, having run an ultra on all 7 continents (yes, including Antarctica). Along the way, he raised money to built 7 schools for charity. Pretty badass!
We met Roman Darkholme in a dive bar in Lower East Side, NY, last year. We were immediately drawn to his personality and way of just being himself 100%. We absolutely love his videos and Instagram stories! He is ridiculously funny, loves beautiful men, and never seems to have a bad hair day. He is a talented filmmaker, a musician, and a gay with a phone (His words, not ours).
You should follow @the_yoni_empire if you are into conversations about sexuality and pleasure, combined with beautiful aesthetics. Elena Rossi teaches people to make love, works as an orgasm coach, and is the creator and product designer behind @onna_lifestyle. Yes, it’s toys for grown-ups.
David Shrigley is a British visual artist who's art can brighten up the darkest day. It's unpretentious and funny, and he is not afraid of portraying the SHIT we all think about from time to time!
My name is Louise. And well, I am the founder and creator of LULU—LAND. Before starting LULU—LAND, I worked with management and business development in architecture and as a consultant in strategy, business development, and innovation at a Scandinavian consultancy.
I have always wanted to start a business that would allow me to work with a lot of different creative projects and travel at the same time. Eight months ago, I took the first step towards realizing my dream; I bought a one-way ticket to Bali and started working on what I, after countless hours of frustration, overthinking, and horrible alternatives, named LULU—LAND.
Traveling and working in various co-working spaces, in different countries, side by side with creators and entrepreneurs from around the world, made me feel more inspired than ever. So, I spent a lot of time contemplating how I would be able to share this inspiration. Inspiration is a weird and fluffy concept – it can be anything and everything at the same time. In the end, I decided to ask my friends what questions they would ask, someone who truly inspires them. I turned their answers into 50 interview questions, which, when answered, will create a series of LULU—LAND portraits.
As the founder, I am naturally LULU—LAND’s strongest supporter and worst critic. Therefore, it only seems fitting that I'll be the very first person to answer the questions, sharing a part of me with all of you, however intimidating that feels.
OK, LET'S START WITH THE EASY ONES
Name:
Louise Bøgeskov Hou (Nicknames: Lulu, Lou, Loui, people usually only call me Louise when they are mad at me.)
Birth month/year:
December 1986
Nationality:
Danish
Currently located in:
Copenhagen, but traveling and working remotely.
What do you do for a living?
I would probably call myself a creative entrepreneur. I’ve founded LULU—LAND, co-founded APR (A Permanent Reminder), and I’m toying with the idea of writing a book called Popcorn Brain, and a couple of other projects.
MOST OF US HAVE CERTAIN ROUTINES, LET'S GET TO KNOW YOURS
What is the first thing you do in the morning?
I make coffee, pour a glass of orange juice, and take my supplements. I shower and eat breakfast – it's my favorite meal of the day. Sometimes, the order gets mixed up, but this is essentially what I do every morning, no matter where I am. As I have grown older, I have realized how much my morning affects the rest of my day. A stressful morning equals a stressful day. But a slow and calm morning often results in a more focused and productive day. I try to give myself two hours every morning (sometimes it's hard – I really like to sleep as well), preferably from 6.30-8.30 am, for my morning routine, including time for a bit of reading or writing. I started doing this while traveling. I read The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. I don’t write three pages every day, as she recommends, but maybe one or two pages – it helps me keep track of my thoughts, and a lot of new creative ideas come to life and evolve from these pages.
What is a typical day like for you?
Usually, I am out of the door between 8-9 am. If I am in Copenhagen, I’ll go to my office space near the meatpacking district, unless I have meetings or feel like working from a café. When I am traveling, I work from co-working spaces, cafés, or hotels with great Wi-Fi. I try to divide my day into work slots – I’ll have a break around lunchtime and again in the afternoon. I’ll go home around 5-6 pm, meet up with friends, attend a yoga class, workout or go for a run. I love running shorter distances like 5k – it's like meditation for me. I did run two marathons though, without the necessary preparation – not recommendable! If I do some of these things during the day, I often work from home in the evening. At some point I eat dinner when I have figured what to cook - not my force. God, my day sounds really boring, when being put into writing!
And now that we're at it – what are the last things you do before bedtime?
I turn my phone on flight mode. Undisturbed sleep is important. When I have a lot on my mind and feel restless, I tend to have trouble falling asleep, and I wake up like 4-5 times during the night. There was a time when I looked at my phone every time I woke up. Not a healthy habit. Turning my phone on flight mode helps me. I don't wake up because the phone lights up every time I receive a text or a call or other notifications pop up. I would like to get the phone and other electronic devices out of my bedroom. I have been thinking for a while that I should get an old-fashioned alarm clock – I keep putting it on my to-do lists, but never seem to get to it.
How do you spend your weekends?
I try not to work during the weekends and recharge. Depending on where I am, I do different things. When I travel, I try to explore the place I am at, go on short trips, be with friends or meet new people. When I’m back home in Copenhagen, I like to hang out with old friends and their kids or visit my family from time to time. When I don’t have any plans, and the weather is nice, I love to go for walks or just stroll around the city. On rainy days (and we do have a few of those in Copenhagen) I like to stay in bed, reading books, and watching documentaries, attend a hot yoga class or go to a museum (I love Louisiana).
I took my dad to Iceland for a weekend before I went traveling. I want to do things like that more often with the people I care about when I am home. The scenery was truly amazing, and it's a memory we have together for life.
"I PROBABLY SHOULD BE BETTER AT CELEBRATING MY ACHIEVEMENTS; I TEND TO MOVE ON QUICKLY WITHOUT ACKNOWLEDGING HOW FAR I'VE COME"
When was the last time you celebrated?
I actually don’t remember. Awkward. I should do something about that. In general, I probably should be better at celebrating my achievements; I tend to move on quickly without acknowledging how far I’ve come.
WE ALL HAVE MORE OR LESS FLATTERING TRAITS
What is your guilty pleasure?
At the moment, it’s burgers, fries, pineapple soda, and chocolate croissants!
What is your superpower?
Being able to find ways that have not already been paved. My creativity, restlessness, and stubbornness. The latter two are, unfortunately, also my greatest weaknesses.
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT PASSION, NOT THE FRUIT
What could you spend all day talking about?
I could talk forever about how the way we are working is changing and about inspiration, what inspires me, other people, where to find it. And about traveling and working remotely.
What inspires you?
People who dare to do things differently, bravery, energy, great entrepreneurial stories, kindness, traveling and being in New York.
LET'S DIG A LITTLE DEEPER INTO WHAT INSPIRES YOU
Repeat or shuffle? What have you been listening to lately, and what are you humming in the shower?
Definitely repeat – that’s my thing. I listen to a track over and over again until I can’t stand it anymore. It’s awful. Lately, I have been listening to Drake and Jhené Aiko, From time, Birdy and Sam Feldt, Wild Horses, and Freja Kirk, All for you. Actually, Freja’s new album Pussyfied is the first in a long time where I have played the entire album on repeat.
I don’t sing or hum in the shower. I bring my phone with me into the shower instead. One or two phones may have suffered an untimely death on that account – I live in a traditional Nørrebro apartment with one of those tiny bathrooms, where you shower on top of the sink and toilet at the same time.
Poster or collectors’ items? If we gave you a million, what would be decorating your walls?
I love weird art or artists with an edge, like David Shrigley. I also like Jeppe Hein’s work, but I would probably buy a piece or two from my dear friend, and amazing artist, Rune Bosse who’s work often evolves around nature. With sensitivity and presence, he allows himself to explore and connect nature and assemble the world in new ways. If I could, I would buy one of his old pieces, which is a series of photographs of a block of ice lifted from a freezer only to be melted into the freezer again.
Newspapers, journals, magazines, online platforms, digital media, podcasts… you name it – how do you keep yourself updated, and what are your news sources?
I skim the online version of the Danish newspaper, Politiken, Office Magazine, Monocle, and The New York Times almost daily.
I love to visit kiosks, magazine shops and newsstands to check out printed magazines wherever I travel, the layout, the content, the editorials, etc. – an occupational habit – I'm educated in advertising, graphic design, visual, and creative communication. I recently stumbled upon Quoted Magazine – a magazine that was founded as a way of showcasing the beautiful diversity of New York City. It's not just a celebration of diversity in terms of race, gender, or sexual orientation, but also of thought, experience, ideology, and desire. Each issue features ten New Yorkers from all walks of life who invite everyone into their homes to experience the real New York. I love it.
I listen to the Danish podcast “Her går det godt” with Peter Falktoft and Esben Bjerre, every Friday, they make me laugh. They don’t take themselves too seriously, and they actually say out loud what a lot of people only dare to think. In general, I would like to listen to more podcasts.
A good friend recently told me to check out Derek Sivers and this video: “The meaning of life” – It really resonates with me. He argues that each of us are free to create our own meaning.
If you could have lunch with one person, alive or dead, who would that be?
That would be both of my granddads, Kai Hou and Børge Bøgeskov Pedersen. I think that I’m a combination of the two in a lot of ways, and I would love to be able to ask them questions about their lives that I didn’t get the chance to when I was a kid.
Books, movies, and/or series – what can you recommend?
Books: The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. It is an amazing book written as a twelve-week course on how to unleash your own creativity. I plan on making another post about this book, so I’ll stop myself from going into details.
Also, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck by Mark Manson, it’s an easy read, but I actually really liked some of his points. Especially the “Do something Principle.” He explains how motivation really works, that action isn’t just the effect of motivation, but also the cause of it. Taking advantage of this knowledge, we can actually re-orient our mindset. The conclusion is that if you lack the motivation to make an important change in your life, then do something, anything really, and then harness the reaction to that action as a way to begin motivating yourself.
I don’t really watch TV alone, as it tends to make me restless. But I like to watch documentaries, movies and occasionally series together with someone. Especially, with my brothers. I recently saw the miniseries “Unbelievable” with a friend. It’s a horrible story about a serial rapist in Washington and Colorado, but very captivating, and it portrays some badass women in an unpolished kind of way – highly recommendable.
I never watch flow tv or series where I have to wait for the next episode. I hate that. But I binge-watch, when I find a show that I like. I didn’t see Game of Thrones until season 7, but then I watched all 72 episodes in only three weeks – waiting for the final season was really aggravating.
Which three Instagram accounts should everyone follow?
Right now I like:
However, I find new inspiring accounts weekly.
YOUR LIFE SO FAR: SMOOTH SAILING OR OBSTACLE COURSE – A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PAST
Who was your first big love?
Leon. I was young and naive.
What's the single best realization you have ever had?
Work can be fun, it's okay to be different, and money doesn't make you happy. Money gives you security, opportunities, and makes some things easier. However, I have been the happiest when I have been broke as a duck. When happiness lives inside of you, you don't need money to chase it. You create your own story. You are free to change it. Decide that you are happy, and you'll get more of that and probably more out of life. If you decide to be unsatisfied with everything, then you'll never be able to discover all the wonderful things life can bring. It's basic law of attraction. It's simple, you become good at what you practice, whether that is being miserable or happy.
"Somehow, I managed to get accepted to the creative communication program, a program that only accepts 20 students a year, by drawing a huge dog shit on a piece of paper"
What's the best bad or crazy decision you have ever made? That moment that seemed so wrong but turned out so right. If you don't make bad or crazy decisions, have you then ever made a decision that changed your entire life?
My friends would say that I'm the champion of bad and crazy decisions. But in reality, they are not bad or crazy, just a bit unconventional. I live my life based on my intuition and my feelings – which tend to get me in the weirdest places and situations.
When I was 21, I lived in Jutland, and decided to apply to the Danish School of Media & Journalism. Somehow, I managed to get accepted to the creative communication program, a program that only takes 20 students a year, by drawing a huge dog shit on a piece of paper (We had to do an ad for dog food, and I panicked because I knew I couldn’t draw a dog - I wrote "Get more out of your dog!" next to the shit). With only a day’s notice, I had to uproot my life and find a place to live in Copenhagen, which is almost equivalent to finding a place to live in NYC. One and a half years later, I decided that studying advertising didn’t feel right, and I fought to be allowed to switch program and actually finished my degree in visual communication and graphic design instead.
During my studies, I met a lot of wonderfully creative and talented people, who unfortunately sucked at profiting from their talents. I figured that if I could balance both creativity and business, then I would be in a really good position. I applied to a master’s program at Copenhagen Business School in Management of creative business processes. CBS wasn’t initially fond of the idea of accepting someone with my creative background, but after FIVE months and EIGHT supplemental courses, they ran out of excuses and finally accepted me.
The last time I decided to go with my gut was when I asked my employer to be allowed to work remotely and for the commercial rights to my book. This request ended with me signing my own resignation as a consultant and saying goodbye to a steady paycheck. However, I have never been happier. Traveling and working remotely for the past eight months, developing my own concepts, and meeting the most fantastic people with similar mindsets around the world has been the greatest experience I’ve ever had, and I am sure l'll never regret this decision.
AND A LOT MORE ABOUT THE PRESENT
How are you, really? It's nice to check in every once in a while.
I'm ok – I think. I have to admit starting two businesses while trying to write a book at the same time is kind of nerve-racking, but I'm happy, and I love what I do. And that is the most important thing for me right now.
When are you the happiest?
When I travel, have the freedom to do what I love, and when I spend time with people I care about and who understands me. People that I don’t have to explain myself to all the time, where I can relax and be me. Also, when I dance and laugh. And there is something about sunrises and sunsets - they are calming and make you think that everything is going to be alright.
What scares you the most?
When I was a kid, I was terrified of dripping tabs, especially when I had to sleep. I was afraid that my family and I would drown. Fortunately, I have grown out of that. But I’m still scared of losing someone close to me.
What keeps you up at night these days?
Thinking about businesses and coding and how to do a freaking cookie banner that doesn’t look ugly as f*** and annoys people more than it protects them. And my financial situation. I have no idea if this will ever make me able to pay my rent. Right now, it certainly doesn’t.
Tell us one thing people would never know about you by just looking at you?
I don’t own a lot of things. I don’t have my own home. I don’t have any furniture. The things I have, have been stored for the past three years. Everything I have, basically fit into two bags, more or less. The freedom to travel and do whatever I want comes with a price.
What habit would improve your life?
A lot of habits would change my life for the better lol. But I think doing one thing at the time might be the most effective one. I tend to do multiple things at the same time – switching back and forth between tasks. I think it would help me become more focused and productive if I were able to actually finish one thing before starting another – but again, then I wouldn’t be me.
We all have qualities that don't really have any rhyme or reason. What is one thing you don't understand about yourself?
Oh, there are a lot of things I don't understand about myself. There is a famous saying by Aristotle "The more you know, the more you realize you don't know," and I think that's where I'm at, and that's okay – anything else would be boring.
What works for you at the moment, and what doesn’t?
The way I’m working right now works for me – I love that I’m in charge of my own time and can spend it all on my own projects. I feel more creative and energized than ever before and happy with what I do. On the other hand, my love life doesn’t work for me at all. It’s difficult to find someone, who understands, appreciates, and can keep up with, my popcorn brain, and whom I like in return.
When do you feel the most comfortable in your own skin?
When I travel. When I have a tan. When I prioritize to do good things for myself and the people I care about. When I’m able to take the time to meditate, do yoga, workout, check in on friends and family, and when I’m not surrounded by people focused on superficial and materialistic things.
What makes you feel insecure?
Being around people that I can’t read or understand and who seems to have an agenda that I can’t quite figure out. People with a bad vibe! When I feel insecure, I become quiet and not quite like myself.
AND OF COURSE, A SNEAK PEEK INTO THE FUTURE
"I feel at home in New York. It's hard to explain. Somehow the chaos makes me feel calm and I always end up in New York when there is something important in my life I need to figure. I'd say that I'm in an open relationship with New York; it's getting more and more serious every time I visit. Eventually, I might have to move there"
What's the best thing about the next thing you are during?
I'm going to New York to work and meet friends for a couple of weeks. I really look forward to experience the city during Christmas time. I feel at home in New York. It's hard to explain. Somehow the chaos makes me feel calm and I always end up in New York when there is something important in my life I need to figure. I'd say that I'm in an open relationship with New York; it's getting more and more serious every time I visit. Eventually, I might have to move there.
"Plans are worthless– but planning is everything" – Dwight D. Eisenhower. What does the future look like for you – what are your dreams and goals?
Right now, I try to take one day at a time. I hope that I will be able to travel again soon and that I will find love – when I am ready for it. I would like a small family at some point and become a mom. Not right now, that would be a mess, but in the future, when I have become a bit better at the whole self-care-thing. I hope that I'll manage to finish Popcorn Brain and find an agent and a publisher who believes in me as an author, that LULU—LAND will become a success and that I'll get the chance to work together with a lot of inspiring people on different creative projects.
ADVICE – EASY TO GIVE, HADER TO FOLLOW
What (or who) motivates you in difficult times?
My friends and family are a great support. But when the going gets tough, I get motivated by not knowing. Not knowing what will happen the next day, month, or year. Life in itself is ultimately too exciting to just give up and not find out what’s around the corner.
Good advice is priceless. What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten?
Instead of chasing happiness as a destination, decide to be happy now and look at happiness as a journey. If you decide that you’re happy, then that will make you attract more happiness. Once again, it’s that law of attraction.
"I often get compliments for my hair, my eyes, or my butt. But I really like it when people actually compliment my way of thinking or my loyalty to people I care about"
What is the kindest thing anyone ever said to you or the best compliment anyone ever gave you?
Oh, maybe that I’m a Popcorn Brain, meant positively. I often get compliments for my hair, my eyes, or my butt. But I really like it when people actually compliment my way of thinking or my loyalty to people I care about.
How do you heal a broken heart?
I have no idea. Like literally. You think you are going to die each time, and then all of a sudden, things are okay again, and you can breathe. Time is a strange thing. Allow yourself to be sad, don’t try to hide it, it’s okay to be heartbroken – it just means that you dared to put yourself out there, that you gave love a chance.
THE FORECAST – TRENDS AND TENDENCIES
What is going to be the next big thing? (concepts, businesses, ideas, mega trends, etc.)
I think we will start to hear a lot more about environmental sustainability, conscious consumption, minimalistic living, and how the way we are working is changing. The younger generations simply do not value the same things as our parents did, and that is going to create some interesting challenges. Young people do not want to spend their whole lives working just to make a living, they want a life, and they want the freedom and opportunity to spend that life in the best possible way. It’s more about finding your own path and figuring out what happiness means to you, I think…
We would love to find out about cool new places and things to do in your area. What are your favorite places? Where do you like to go to have fun?
Ever since I came home, I have been recommending everyone I know to go to Costa Rica and experience the raw and uncompromising nature. But I feel kind of ambiguous because the amazing thing was that the nature was so untouched. I know that will change if too many people travel there.
On LULU—LAND, we try to share our recommendations everywhere we go in our stories and highlights. Please follow :) We will be in NY in the coming weeks.
THE ONES THAT DIDN'T FIT INTO THE OTHER CATEGORIES
What is the most favorite, most useful, and most useless object you own, respectively?
Favorite object: My Passport
Most useful object(s): My Mac Book Pro, notebooks, and my Yantra Mat. (An acupressure mat that helps me sleep like a baby. This needs a short explanation, I know. An acupressure mat is a foam mat with thousands of very sharp, short needles. You sit, lie, or stand on the mat for anywhere between 20 and 40 minutes. I know it sounds like it would feel completely miserable, but I swear it feels FANTASTIC. It takes away the feeling of restlessness and makes your entire body relax.
Most useless object(s): Some might argue that would be my stones and crystals. But I like them.
What was the last thing you searched for on your phone? Be careful: you might be required to show proof.
The air train from JFK Airport to Jamaica Station – I hate spending money on transfer. I’d much rather spend it on food and having a good time.
Call or text? Which is better, and why?
Calls. Fewer misunderstandings.
What is your pet peeve?
Cats. I hate them! I’m sorry, but I do. Also, I’m not the biggest fan of stinginess.
What is the most interesting thing in your trash can?
Oh, I’ll have to check. 2 sec. It’s empty. My roomie must have taken it down again. I should start doing that more often. Now I feel bad.
You’ve been given an elephant. You can’t give it away or sell it. What would you do with it?
I love elephants! I would keep it for sure. I don’t know how, but I would find a way and name it Giraffe.
THE BIG ONES
What is the meaning of life?
I don’t think I have figured this one out yet. Hopefully, I’ll have time. It’s definitely something with love, people, and relations. Maybe the meaning is something we decide for ourselves. Figuring out what happiness is to you. I don’t think it is the same for all of us.
"For me, success is doing something I love, something I think is funny, and that makes me happy. By trying, I’m not failing – only learning"
Look, mom, I made it! – How do you define success?
In the continued act of trying and not giving up. I don’t believe in overnight success. For me, success is doing something I love, something I think is funny, and that makes me happy. By trying, I’m not failing – only learning. People tend to forget that “profitability” is only one parameter of success. I really like this quote from The Artist’s Way: “What we really want to do is what we are really meant to do. When we do what we are meant to do, money comes to us, doors open for us, we feel useful, and the work we do feels like play to us.” – Julia Cameron.
THE FINAL TWO
Name three people you would like to answer these questions?
Steph O’ Labbe, Entrepreneur (Vancouver)
Joel Runyon, Entrepreneur and founder of Impossible® (Austin)
Tyler James Koenig, Copywriter (California)
How would you describe LULU—LAND?
It feels like I have answered this question a million times already, and I tend to explain it differently every time. I hope I’ll get better at this eventually or that someone else will be able to nail it for me. For now, I’ll just say that LULU—LAND is a wonderful creative mess.
THE END
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WE LOVE TO CONNECT PEOPLE
NAME Louise Bøgeskov Hou
EMAIL hi@lululand.io
WEBSITE lululand.io
INSTAGRAM @lululand.io & @louisebhou
LINKEDIN Louisebhou & Lululand
TWITTER Louisebhou
FACEBOOK lululand.io
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CREDITS
PUBLISHED BY LULU—LAND
PHOTOS Private album