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When we grow older, we loose a lot of the wisdom we had as a child. The wisdom to accept things as they come, at the same time see the world in wonder, and ask all those questions that grown ups do not have the answers to. The wisdom to try a different approach than suggested and go for the impossible. Kids paint the sky purple, use their sleeves to clean up the spoiled juice and try  to read upside down.

When entering a class room, a new era begins. Not only because of all the brilliant things kids learn like writing, reading and calculating, but also because of the rules we set. Kids have to sit down, listen, and learn about facts.

Less creative
Kids loose creativity once they go to school and grow older.  Every kid wants to belong and therefore most of them will do the same as their classmates do. Being original or different is not much encouraged, it’s all about facts and traditions. What a shame and how different should it be. Ofcourse traditional skills are very, very important; our kids do need to learn how to read, write and calculate thoroughly. But how powerfull would it be when those skills would go together with creativity and courage!

New skills
In this rapidly changing world our children will need different skills, simply because they will have different jobs than we had or our parents had. So next to the traditional teaching, there is a whole new job awaiting for us. Innovative thinking, problem solving, communication and collaboration are just a few of the things a boy or girl nowadays has to learn.

The system
On Curacao, we are surely making progress. Digiboards are entering the classrooms and kids get acquainted with working digital. However, the system won’t change fast. It will surely take some time before all those 21st century skills will have been included in the programs. But if we are aware of what is needed, we can already start a small change in daily life. A nice challenge to broaden your own horizon and see how you could encourage your kids to do things differently, look for a new approach and improve communication. Not easy with all these attention-seeking tablets and smartphones around us. Make sure they paint the sky any color but blue!

Nicer people
Not only will they be better prepared to enter the brave new world, it will also make them nicer people. The broader the perspective, the nicer they will become. On a day where I was confronted with a small story about resistance towards LGBT in the classroom, I can only hope we will teach our kids right.

The most important thing we have to do, being an adult, is to actually see our kids, remember how we once were, and start letting go of everything ’the way it should be’.

When I thought about writing this blog, the first thing I did was start a search for numbers about traditional mail versus digital. Well, very soon I realized it was useless… Who needs numbers to be convinced that digital has taken over the world of correspondence?

What I’m really curious about, is how you feel about that empty mail box next to your door. Beside the newspaper and some bank statements, nothing much going on there? I don’t know about you, but I actually kind of miss it the good old post card. I do have some loving family and friends who know about this and send me one occasionally, and I am grateful for that. To me, a written card is like receiving a little present. After reading, I won’t swipe it to the left or put it in my trash can. No, I will put it on the fridge and smile another 25 times when I see it.

Digital is here to stay, I know. And I can honestly say I adapted and – compared to other people my age – keep up pretty nicely with all the apps, online tools and social posts. However, I do want to plead for more real mail. Let’s give those postmen something to work with!

Here in Curacao, mail is not delivered every day. Letters and cards can be on the road for a while. Sending packages abroad to family or friends is something that takes effort; waiting lines can be long, it is quite expensive and it might take a few weeks before arriving. To be honest, after all these years, I’m still not sure about the local mail delivery. I’m going to send my friends a post card and find out!

Do you love mail too? Surprise a friend or family member, send something today. Most book stores offer cards and stamps, and a mailbox is not that far away (most hotels have one, van den Tweel supermarket has one, Mensings Caminada has one). If you would really like to receive more mail yourself, consider mail swapping. Many minds like me and you send cards to each other. There’s lots to find on the internet, like www.postcrossing.com

Would you like to get a personal card from me? Just send a message to saskia@studiojune.net. I’ll be happy to send you one. Have a great day!

Time is not the enemy. It was the only quote I came up with that did not vanish again, after I challenged myself to create a brand new one liner. A quick check online learns that it is not completely new and never said before. But the thing is, I gave it quite some thought, instead of just using a phrase I ran into on Instagram. Therefore, it says something about me and the phase I am apparently going through. Oh, if they weren’t that ugly, I’d put in a smiley right now.

Time should be my friend
Time is not the enemy, but jeez, it really feels like that almost the entire day. When I check my watch, it hardly ever gives me a good feeling. Always trying to get as much as possible done. Trying to squeeze 20 hours of work and chores into, let’s say, the 16 hours we’re awake. Well, living with an enemy is clearly not a good thing, so I realize I must make this fellow called time my friend again. Guess it takes long-life investing in this precious relationship, it is not an easy one. I’m convinced that most of us nowadays run too fast, and take too little time to enjoy what really matters. I am no exception.

How I can make time stop
Fortunately, something crossed my path a few years ago that helps me take breaks. When I was talking to a coach about my professional life, she gave me the advice to start an art journal. Since creativity is the main factor in my work, but isn’t something you just switch on and off, I was longing for a way to stimulate the creative flow. And there it was, my solution.

Art journaling is not for softies
Keeping an art journal is liberating. Yes, you can fill the pages with pink flowers and happy text. But, far more important, you can use it as your safe place to let go of whatever you want. There’s enough space for experimenting; with words, techniques, materials and colors. Lots of blank pages to smash your bad mood on, to make mistakes, doodle and scratch. The key to the success of art journaling? The promise you make to yourself: this is for me, I don’t have to share my creativity with anybody, unless it has turned out really great and I’m proud of it. The promise that every mistake will stay in the book, no pages teared out. Because especially those pages give great insight in what kind of day you had, and are available for improvement on a better day. Or they stay the same, and will tell you one day how you have developed in a certain direction. And if not that, it will certainly remind you of the little and big things that happened in your life. All of it is relevant and worth to capture. So: art journaling is not for softies. It’s for everybody. Just wanted you to know that.

How to start
Feel like trying it? You should! Find yourself a notebook; preferably with blank pages, but if you only have lined paper, start with that. Get a pen, some pencils, even some paint maybe. And then, just start. Don’t be afraid, nobody is watching you. What’s in your head today? What could be the key word for this week? What made you happy or sad? Try to draw, use some words, choose some colors. By the way, the colors you go for instantly will say something about your mood, so it’s always the right choice. There’s no good or bad!

Materials and where to go
You can start with very little material. However, when you get the hang of it and start creating more and more stuff, you might want to add some extras to your supplies. Try some watercolor, crayons or brush pens. You can add some spray paint or use stencils. Here on Curacao, Diamonds is one of my favorite stores. They have a wide variety in paint, brushes and pens. In fact, I think it is the best stocked place on the island for creativity purposes. If you know another shop like that, please tell me your secret! However, one thing I’m missing here, is the Moleskine watercolour books. For me, it is the best paper to work with, when using watercolor paint. Have been buying them in the USA and the Netherlands, but no luck here yet.

Another great store to visit it Living Happy Conceptstore; sometimes they sell great notebooks and there’s lots of nice stuff with quotes and illustrations. Positive vibes all around. I always feel inspired after leaving the place. You know, sometimes, just one little thing can change a lot. The Micron pen was such a gamechanger for me. Discovered this pen during one of my first courses online, and it is here to stay. Waterproof, and therefore great in combination with watercolor paint. You can find them at bookstores on the island and don’t cost much. I would say, go out and try, but it is all about finding your own style. At least, if you want to. If you just want to clear your head every day, an art journal is great for you too. So, don’t wait any longer, let go of your need of perfection and start filling those blank pages!

If you would like to now more about art journaling, you can also check out my Facebookpage Peace of Art. I haven’t posted much recently, but hopefully I will have more time for that soon. There we go again, time is my friend. Smiley.

Yes, I’m back on track after the holidays. Time was very well spent with family and other loved ones, but it’s time to get back to work and pick up where I left just before Christmas. I answered all e-mails, cleaned up the mess on my desk and started designing again. Which feels pretty good! Last but certainly not least on my short list is to write this brand new first 2018 blog.

Something is on my mind for a while now. The power of quotes. I am sure you have noticed this trend for the last few years; one liners in all kinds of fonts and colors show up on every corner of the street and your social media. Not just quotes from famous people are in vogue, catchy phrases from unknown authors are extremely popular as well. ‘Be the change you wish to see in the world’ are wise words Ghandi once said (at least, that’s what Google tells us!). They have been repeated over a million times. ‘Live, laugh, love’ is an order you get almost every week when checking in at some fancy place offline or online.

Nice quote at Karakter, Coral Estate

Positive and powerful
The thing is, most of those quotes on the street are so positive and powerful, they do cheer people up. How come? It’s just a few words, not even spoken by a real person, but brought to us on screen, paper, or – another trendy thing – the chalkboard. Why do we love them so much that this trend is still here after all this time? I guess this is a very nice example of how powerful the combination of image and text can be. Easy to read and with cheerful illustrations; a bunch of flowers, leaves or swirls. And, those messages are short, most of the time encouraging, heartwarming or humorous. In this hectic world, where we don’t take much time to reflect on things, those quotes are like fast food. Easy to get and little time needed to consume (although quotes are much better for your digestion, that is).

Express yourself
Maybe the best reason for this quote-hype is that it is a safe, comforting way to express yourself. To tell people what you stand for – up until a certain level. You don’t really show yourself, but let people see a bit of your values and beliefs. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not judging it or saying we should stop this. On the contrary, I love those easy to process positive thoughts. In my art journal I use quotes sometimes if I don’t have a lot of inspiration but want to create something anyway. If I want to lighten my thoughts, cheer up the pages.

(Unfinished) quote in my journal

Make a difference
But what I would even love more, is when we would take the risk of showing our true selves a little bit more. Not just a quote from an ancient guy or famous girl, but some thoughts of our own. In our journal, on Facebook or on the chalkboard. Nice challenge for 2018! Let’s see if I can come up with a few in the upcoming weeks.

The end of the year is near. Some of us look back, maybe satisfied, maybe with a few regrets and some of us look forward to the upcoming year. But I guess most of us are just living day by day, hour by hour, trying to get things done before the holiday starts. A persistent misunderstanding about living in the Caribbean, is the assumption that a tropical climate automatically means you don’t do a thing all day. Yeah, maybe you do have a job to earn some money, but most of the time you’re relaxing at the beach, singing reggae or rocking your hammock, lucky you! I guess it might really surprise people what an average day looks like for most of us. Believe me, it involves getting up early (5.00 – 6.00 am), working hard and crashing the couch at night…

One of the traditions on Curacao is getting your house prepared for the holidays. A good cleaning job won’t do it, most people make an extra mile or two. Do it yourself stores are the most likely place to spontaneously meet friends or family these days. Some fresh paint, new curtains, a new lounge set, or shining Christmas decorations are brought home to enter the new year in style. Great to see people making an effort to create a beautiful and inspiring environment in which hope, love and friendship can flourish. But what if we all just put those paintbrushes down, leave the floor dirty and the garden a mess? That would make some great extra time to chat, play, tell stories and watch a great Christmas movie together.

Fresh air
I know, it’s something you probably have heard already or thought of yourself. A lot of us try and keep on trying. Maybe we do a little better each year. I also try to focus on what really matters in love and life myself… and find myself running, forgetting and feeling anxious over and over again. Finishing up work, getting things done and making a checklist of all your checklists, it is part of the game. But to stay sane, you do need time off. Even if it seems like there’s no time to waste. Especially then. You need to get fresh air once in a while, in order to appreciate the smell of a Christmas tree again.

Transforming a blank page
The way I like to ease my mind, is to work in my art journal. An art journal is a sketchbook or notebook you keep to create whatever you feel like. It can be messy, ugly, beautiful, surprising, confronting, funny or just some scratches without a meaning. For some people it might seem childish, unnecessary or simple. Don’t mind, those are probably the ones who didn’t give it a try. The way transforming a blank page into something new, that only reflects who you are and what you did, it is kind of like a therapy. Next time I will share some tips and tricks on how to start and keep an art journal. You don’t need any fancy stuff to do this, so no need to go shopping first. You can start right away.., so leave your to-do list right where it is. If you feel like trying already, you can check out these useful tips on my Facebookpage Peace of Art.