August wind gave me such a cold that I can only look forward. Oh, how philosophical! Immortal op-op-optimist!

What else is there in my August sky of falling stars?

Compared to what’s going on in the world right now- it’s all super-duper.

I can’t complain about anything – the roof over my head is there, the beloved man is nearby, there is food in the fridge, a lot of weekends with friends, more creative thoughts, e-shop is running… Health? See the first sentence, haha…

And with the mantra ‘It’s getting better!‘ how can you give in to those provocations of life?

Few books (a gift from a friend) I was dreaming about are now laying on the table: Betsey Johnson’s memoir and a book on the fashion business. The first is for motivation, the second for 'work, bee, don’t stop’ inspiration to work. Thank you, Mindaugas!

 The bag “Dirtier than me” now has a brother “Imagine” ;).

The most...

Well, it started to annoy me how M and I kept dirty clothes for washing in our house. In a random plastic bag. It also started to annoy me not having where to put my dirty socks or underwear when we travel for a couple of days.

That’s okay, I thought.

Design, after all, is a problem-solver.

This is how the ‘Dirtier than me’ came to life.

Photo by Agne Vei

Agne Vei Concept Store

‘We’ll rest when we die’, the teacher used to tell us at school. ‘Let’s work, work, work!‘ she would smile clapping her hands, as she was trying to encourage us to do the work quicker.

I repeat this thought to myself every day (especially when it’s soooo deadly hot outside) because I need a holiday, it won’t be this summer. The story of a designer’s life. Somewhere I heard someone say that we do not even actually retire, but 'work, work, work’ until we die. That’s when we rest. Cha, cha! 

Well, it’s not that bad when you’re doing something that you enjoy. Those hours pass at the speed of light, week after week brings so much fun, sometimes with great results, sometimes without them. 

But the lessons ‘oh, oh, oh’, there are loads of them, just like in school, but every single day of your life…

I still see a positive movement towards my dreams, even though sometimes it’s extremely...

Nobody tells people who are beginners — and I really wish somebody had told this to me — is that all of us who do creative work … we get into it because we have good taste. But it’s like there’s a gap, that for the first couple years that you’re making stuff, what you’re making isn’t so good, OK? It’s not that great. It’s really not that great. It’s trying to be good, it has ambition to be good, but it’s not quite that good. But your taste — the thing that got you into the game — your taste is still killer, and your taste is good enough that you can tell that what you’re making is kind of a disappointment to you, you know what I mean? A lot of people never get past that phase. A lot of people at that point, they QUIT. And the thing I would just like say to you with all my heart is that most everybody I know who does interesting creative work, they went through a phase of years where...

Concept: The drop once kissed the ocean and became the ocean itself. Will you be my OCEAN?

Photo by Agne Vei

Agne Vei Concept Store

‘You are an artist because you are bringing to materials a voice that you feel has something to say and you have to be willing to allow the world to vote.’ Michele Oka Doner

THINK DESIGN

WHAT IS GOOD DESIGN?

DO DESIGN

WRITER WRITES EVERYWHERE

DESIGN

Photo by Agne Vei

Agne Vei Concept Store

I want to tell you about my new passion, which was born very unexpectedly.

Every week I visit my parents’ house and I constantly admire chilli pepper while drinking coffee together in the kitchen. The chilli has been showing off its fruits for several years and loves to warm up in the sun on the windowsill. It is more like a pet, probably a dog! Well, at least that’s the energy I’m feeling coming out of it. The only difference is that you are the one running towards it and if you had a tail, oh, boy!!! Full of blossoms, greens, and red spicy peppers all year round. One little one cut in half and thrown into the soup makes your heartbeat faster, puts a smile on your face and a simple joy emerges: IT’S SO GOOD TO LIVE!

‘And that’s what I want too!’ - the red chilli in my handbag glowed with life carrying six seeds in it. I brought some soil, planted it, watered it, put the box in a...

Like I said… Birthday, or rather two birthdays came, gave me presents, and left.

It is genuinely nice that at least one day of the year very selfishly belongs only to you. That lifting feeling is not equal to any of those remaining few hundred days.

‘But how fast days pass???!!!’ - I looked at a teaspoon with one raised eyebrow, licking of the crumb of a third cake. Already a week has passed: beautifully smelling flowers - began to wilt, champagne bubbles have evaporated, but the most beautiful birthday wishes remained in the heart for a long time.

The power of words is indescribably strong.

I read what you wrote to me on my birthday, and I felt goosebumps running down my body. I felt lifted all day long.

And everything I create has words in it because I adore them and their power.

Sometimes just two letters (GO!), can wake someone in you, who can take down mountains.

...

One day I realized that I almost forgot the philosophy behind this powerful word that could be a perfect daily reminder.

Word EQUANIMITY (calmness, spiritual balance) came to me while living in Asia when I was searching for myself through yoga, meditation, Buddhism, and so on.

I will share with you Dr. Chönyi Taylor’s explanation of the meaning of equanimity, which seems extremely simple and understandable.

Dr. Chönyi Taylor – What is Equanimity?:

Equanimity basically means having an even-minded emotional approach to things.

So, if you see chocolate because you are a chocolate addict – ‘I want this!’ is one side of it, and the other side is if someone gets it before you do – ‘That’s not fear!’ Equanimity sorts of sits between these. Equanimity is part of learning that we don’t have to be affected by this ego. So when there’s no ego, we’re not grasping for the chocolate. We’re...