What does it mean to be free?

Ideas on freedom, lettering icon, opportunities & cool links

Feb 10, 2023

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👋 Hello dear reader, how are you doing today?

This issue was supposed to be called ‘‘you have too much personality’’ but I decided to make it a tribute to the song by Thomas Azier, what does it mean to be free?

When we pursue the creative field, it is a call for freedom to express and explore. It was my case. I could have pursued law and become a totally different person. But I chose to believe in an inner voice that enticed me to dare, no matter the challenges. At the core of a creative, there is a statement to create freely. It does not mean there are no constraints. We use them as a tool and master a truth about freedom and creativity: no matter the weather, we create and move forward.

What creativity can teach freedom and vice versa?
Creativity is a vehicle of freedom. It can also become a prison if we forget its first purpose: expressing SELF in a universal way. I have created while feeling stuck, I have felt free while releasing my creativity. The funny thing with both is that they do not care about external constraints. They are a birthright to pursue. Both are entwined and speak of the art and training to be a channel for others to receive.

What does it mean in the era we live in
What I liked about the songwriting and ritournelle (musicology) of the song is the reminder: we forget the meaning of things. We lose the significance of freedom over time. The era we live in is a paradox of freedom and captivity. Each one of us questions our freedom. Some fight for their freedom and lose their lives. We have gained so much flexibility thanks to technology, but are we really free? Have we, as a whole, ever experienced freedom? Maybe we have but at different times or spaces.

Freedom of the mind, freedom as a guide
Freedom is first internal. We have accumulated many patterns that define who we are. They may, at a time in our lives, prevent us from experiencing freedom. Freedom becomes a guide when we realise it is our sole option. It is our endeavour. Freedom takes effort. It has an internal and external price, a sort of ''rite de passage'' to get to the other side. Perhaps, we are running after freedom when it has always been our gift.

Thomas Azier - a message of a fan ‘‘The real you’’

I have been a fan of his for years now. I value and celebrate his confidence in being more vulnerable. He tackles more and more ideas and emotions that may differ from the mainstream. That is freedom for me, from day one to today: freedom is also a journey. When I read this comment, I thought it was a great example of an encounter at the appointed time. It happens that we may not be ready for things. But one day, we can perceive them differently because we have evolved. It does not mean the idea is not good enough: we were not ready yet.
I feel there is growth on both sides: on the creator and on the listener side. This comment also sheds light on the power of expressing who we are. Thanks to that freedom and growth, it is possible also to magnetise people who did not like what we did before.

Freedom is a journey and an encounter.

I would love to read what you think of the theme of this issue. What does freedom mean to you? Let me know, you can hit reply or comment. For next week, I am preparing a sweet package for the Love & creativity issue.

Sending light vibes 🎈

Coup de cœur: Stefan Kunz

I discovered Stefan Kunz's work last year while preparing for my first pop-up event. I had to learn how to do window lettering for the first time. I lived into many videos and stumbled on him. It took me a weekend to tackle the physical choreography of drawing on a window with people passing.

Stefan Kunz creates art with words! His educational take on drawing is an inspiration for any creative.

Since then, I have seen his stunning work. He infuses in you a sense of freedom and motivation to push through. I see lettering as a playground, he entices me to push it into more material, more in the city.

His impressive work

🐎 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.

Blue cactus artist residency (open call for Spring/Summer 2023)
Become a Fabricante (for curious & passionate creatives under 25 years old)
Nomad harmony (🇫🇷 8 unique profiles of freelancers)
TrovaTrip Scholarship Program (grant of $4,000 to travel, in art and more)
The Creative Lab Five (work for the Google Creative Lab - only US/UK)

Ask me anything creative

🤩 A short quiz → your question

Pépites music: Thomas Azier

🤩 Cool links to click on

Richart Sowa’s plastic island (I stumbled upon his story on BBC and was blown away by his pursuit of freedom, service and creativity)
Creative director Forest Young (on designing a more inclusive future)
The Big Bull is a masterclass (brilliant movie & the rhythm of a blockbuster)
Bigger than fiction (an inspiring story factory)
Colouring graphic worlds (colouring book for adults / ENG / FR)

💡 It's a Prompt

Light up your creative fire this week • 💎 Prompt of the week

• Create a digital product in less than a week and sell it.

Within my creative business, I create digital and physical products. My latest product is a colouring book for adults that helped me understand more market research.

Here is a free page sample - my favourite one: the sun.

Creating a download, an ebook, a journal, a colouring book, or a book is work. Still, with a clear intention and process, it is freedom. You have many amazing things you have created that can be turned into a product. And many new ideas that can pivot your business into an ecosystem.

→ ✏️ Freedom paradigm. You have the ideas, tools, reach and capacity to launch an aligned product within a week. For the profit it is marketing. I have been training for months now in this routine.

First, it is the idea (observation of a situation and bringing in solutions. On my Brand(ing) now to what's next, I share a tip if you do not know what to sell).
Inspiration (sketches, aesthetics, references in several fields)
Market research (listen to people, read comments... their words are golden clues. This step is an evolving one you can leverage for better products).
Niche (who am I selling to, what already exists, platforms, data...)
Prototype (sketches, a quick sample you can test and correct)
The final product (ready to sell, creation of assets visual, copy, etc...)
Launch (pre-sell, platforms, customer roadmap,...)
Share and promote (share, learn how to *sell... I am training on this!)

Rinse and repeat.
Each product I launch teaches me how to do better next time.

* The art of selling + Hit reply if you would be interested in a course on how I create my digital products.

Creativity is in every little curious experimentation.
Feel free to share! Have fun!

Yours creatively,
Keva.