#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.
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.
Los Angeles traffic in 2017
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 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.
People (not working)
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."
Telecommuting discussed in 1990
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.
One of the first Nomad List meetups at Hubba Bangkok just when nomadism started exploding in late 2014
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.
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in Wyoming
“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.
Playa del Carmen in Mexico
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.
Akihabara in Tokyo with the Tokyo Anime Center
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.
Nashville's Music City, aka the center of Country music
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.
Yoga retreat (not in Ubud)
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.
Not my friend group, but someone's
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.
Austin, TX
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's ranch
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.
A tropical eco village that might look how Dojo Village in Bali will look
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.
Hippie communes in the 1960s that didn't work
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.
Feels Like Home is a Portuguese hotel chain that targets remote workers with home-themed apartments and rooms. A mix between a hotel chain and Airbnb.
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.
Google's new campus
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.
Companies surrounding Stanford University (near Palo Alto on the map)
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 secret to the US economy's huge innovative success in one graph: the global flows of inventors into and out of various countries. Reversing this is going to end up be a very bad idea for the long-term success for US startups & the economy in general. https://t.co/kOZYEkMkjOpic.twitter.com/qL14XHsdn4
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.
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.
Traditional separated zoning of residential vs commercial
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
Mixed zoning combining residential and commercial for better liveability
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.
Are you planning to relocate because you can work remotely now?
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 Great Atlantic Migration from Europe to the United States brought 37 million people across the Atlantic over 2 centuries
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.
Lauren Bagley, founder of Beluna Coworking, Ubud, Bali
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
Balinese Waterfall
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.
Signing contacts—let the fun begin—Beluna Coworking
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).
The Beluna construction site
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
First time upstairs—Beluna!
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?
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?
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.)
IMB approval of the building—Beluna
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.
Mindfulness & ice bath therapy!
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
Traditional Balinese ceremony for the land Beluna is built on
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
Beluna almost ready to open, then Corona happened
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’
Ground floor sunrise—Beluna
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?
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.
A girl needs to eat—preferably healthy vegetarian food
"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?
Another Balinese ceremony showing respect for local customs and traditions
"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.
Safely relocating a tiny palm on the building site
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.
Beluna surrounded by beautiful rice fields
THE FINAL TWO
Name three people you would like to answer these questions?
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”
THIS POST CONTAINS ADVERTISEMENT FOR PRODUCTS WE TRUST!
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.
—
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.
#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!
—
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 Galleryis 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 ...
PANGAIAis 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
... 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.
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.”
—
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.
#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!
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—Staris 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 dailysuggestions 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.
Olafur Eliasson. Photo by Alex de Brabant
Meteorological circles, Shanghai, 2016. Photo: Anders Sune Berg
Happiness, Shanghai, 2016. Photo: Anders Sune Berg
Riverbed, Denmark, 2014-2015. Photo: Anders Sune Berg
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.
#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!
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!
TABLEAUwelcomes 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.
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."
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.
—
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)
#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!
Jérôme Vintageis a Copenhagen based vintage boutique specialized in selecting and selling fine vintage clothing. We love how they make vintage garments look stylish as f***.
"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.
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 Mondeis 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.
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.
—
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.
—
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.
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!
—
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.
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.
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 Runyonis 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 Darkholmein 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!
