Love and creativity
Does love transform your creativity? Those couples who create as a duo.
🔸 Your creative letter is written with care and dedication. Every issue is a selection of inspiration and creative thinking (in life, the creative role, the joy of building and beyond). I am grateful for each of my dear readers.
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👋 Hello, dear reader. How are you doing today?
Love is a powerful force that can reveal gifts and talents. Let's look into the changes love can bring to your creative fire.
Self-love. It starts there. I always found it peaceful how taking care of myself did echo with my work, with things I get inspired by and themes I am curious about.
Couple love. We all know how we change with love in our lives. With a partner in synch with us, and that inspires us to become the best version of ourselves. It does transfer into our way of creating. It may also unleash a creative side. We never allowed ourselves to experiment. A few years ago, I discovered this famous couple of illustrators on Instagram. They share their couple-life stories and journey. Their power of being a duo makes their art resonate and shed light on a creative power couple.
Family & friends. This love creates an environment where we can create with support. In families where art, design, or music is celebrated, many generations are inspired to grow that spirit as a life mission. The love of a craft as a heritage empowers creativity. We nurture the love and dedication we received.
Happy love day! Enjoy with your dear ones, may it be a stepping stone for a renewed and refreshed creative spirit. You can read here my love issue of last year.
Sending butterfly vibes 🦋
Power couple: Doshi Levien
Doshi Levien is an international acclaimed design studio founded by designers Nipa Doshi and Jonathan Levien. I have been in awe of their work and partnership for years. When I thought of writing this issue, their name immediately popped into my mind. They have built a balanced co-creation of tradition, culture-spark, and playfulness. I always wondered what makes a couple create and not overpower each other: communication, complementary skills, and audacity to follow and question one another... perhaps.
They met at the Royal College of Art in London. They challenged each other and ventured into building a leading and innovative design studio. One develops an industrial technicity, the other an acute visual power for weaving together ideas. Quite a match and inspiration → They are super cute together as well!
If you need to be creative, you’re not happy unless you are creative.
Nipa Doshi & Jonathan Levien
A little list of some famous power couples in art, design, architecture, business…
🔸Charles & Ray Eames 🔸 Frida Kahlo et Diego Rivera 🔸 Niki de Saint Phalle et Jean Tinguely 🔸 Rodin et Camille Claudel 🔸 Man Ray et Lee Miller 🔸 Sonia & Robert Delaunay 🔸 Christo & Jeanne-Claude 🔸 Jacques Demy et Agnès Varda 🔸 David Bowie and Iman 🔸 Barack and Michelle Obama 🔸 François Busnel and Delphine de Vigan 🔸 Geoffrey Holder and Carmen de Lavallade…
🐎 Opportunity knocks
In every letter, I share opportunities I stumbled upon. There are so many cool grants, funding, competitions, and more to enter to experience progress. I hope the list of the week will be useful.
Bold database (the first global open database of female entrepreneurs)
Adobe Creative Residency (prepare your application)
Artist in Residence (artists, creators, and theoreticians. Deadline: 15/02/23)
Femina 2023 (expression of femininity and women)
3 books → 3 love ideas
Three books to shower some love. John Keats will have my ears and attention. Dostoïevski will open my eyes to newness in dark and light places. Margaux Motin & Pacco will bring play into imaginaries. Enjoy the selection!
Pépites music
🤩 Cool links to click on
I 😍 these 3D illustrations (super cool free Valentine’s day assets)
Domicile conjugale (one of my favourite movies, classic!)
Korean melting moment (the soul, the high notes, the swag… I love it)
The love of colour heals a neighbourhood (the man who created a playground)
14 black architects & designers you should know (a much-needed list)
Architects and married (couples in architecture do raise curiosity: equilibrium)
I hope you enjoyed the read of the week. Feel free to share it with friends and family. Sharing is loving.
Yours creatively,
Keva.
I like the callouts of different types of love. Dr. Martin Luther King spoke at length about this during his earlier sermons and speeches, and it's exactly this more-specific qualification that allows us to "love" our enemies, families, and partners - all in notably different ways. The ancient Greeks called love of one's enemies through love of humanity "agape." Smart folks!