Sean Wes: Early Wake, Daily Write

I've been admiring Sean Wes' hand lettering work for years now, and lately Sean has been sharing his knowledge, not only on how to get started on hand lettering, but also on how to make a living with your passion.

Sean is such a prolific artist, and besides doing lettering work, he has an amazing podcast in which he discusses creativity and business.



This is one of my favorites videos he has posted on his Youtube channel: Early Wake, Daily Write: How to make a name for yourself. I've been trying to be more consistent with my writing and be more disciplined, so I recommend watching this video to hear Sean's insights on the topic. He's so articulate and smart and has quickly become a mentor figure to me.

Sean is working on his book The Overlap Technique, which he will be releasing for free, so make sure to sign up to his mailing list to be notified.

It's the little things

I don't remember where I read about how we shouldn't wait to be happy until we achieve major things like getting a promotion at work or going out on vacation. Of course, those things contribute to our happiness, but if we are only happy when they happen, we only get to be happy twice a year or so. Sometimes, we end up postponing our happiness indefinitely.
Instead we should find joy in everyday things like enjoying a cup of coffee, watching the sunset (or the sunrise!), going for a bike ride or just getting to sleep in a little late.

What little things bring you happiness? Please, share!

Images: Monica Aguinaga

Creative Mornings: Rebel

I attended Creative Mornings last Friday, and had a great time meeting other creative people, and listening Vanessa Garcia speak. Her talk was actually an art performance with her theater company The Krane, and was totally mesmerizing. 

This month's theme is Rebel, and Shutterstock, one of Creative Mornings sponsors, commissioned Zach Higgings to illustrate some of the best quotes from previous talks. Love the results!

See more here.

James Victore

I'm a huge fan of James Victore; he's one of my favorite people on the Internet. He's an awesome designer and teacher. Whenever I feel uninspired or stuck in a rut, I go to his Youtube channel and browse his videos. He gives great advice. He's witty and clever. He's awesome.
I was excited when I saw he's featured on The Great Discontent this week, you should take a few minutes of your time, grab a cup of coffee and enjoy the interview; it's fantastic!

P.S. You should follow him on Twitter, for inspiring and/or funny tidbits.

Self Improvement by reading

A few months, I got a Kindle as a gift, and I love it so much. I used to read a lot when I was younger, but for some reason I've stopped doing it. Since I got my Kindle, I've been reading everyday; I've started reading the Harry Potter series (I'm now reading the fourth book, so obsessed! ), and a few classics like Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre.

I usually read at night, in my bed, and I found that it relaxes me and helps me takes my mind off worries (real or imaginary). I read until my eyelids feel heavy and then I just close my book and drift to sleep. Before, I'd turn and toss thinking about to-do lists, projects, ideas, and that would keep me up for hours and hours.

I also like to read when I take the train or bus to NYC; the 1 hour ride would get me impatient, specially when the trains are delayed. Now, I just bury myself in whatever book I'm reading, and before I know it, I arrived at my destination.

An added bonus of reading on a e-reader, it's that it comes with a built-in dictionary, so if you want to know the meaning of a word you just click on it, and it tells you what it means. I'm forever in awe with technology!

So, reading has been a nice change of pace for me; I've been sleeping  better, learning how to being patient and improving my vocabulary.

Do you like to read? Do you prefer digital books or paper books? Do you have a favorite author or book? Share your recommendations!

10 Rules to live by

Great advice by Thomas Jefferson: 10 Rules to live by.  

I have to remember all these great rules, especially to count to a hundred when I get angry!

Free and in love

Roshambo from FreePeople on Vimeo.


I'm a big fan of Free People, and I was excited to see this short film starring Christopher Abbott (from my favorite show Girls) and model Sheila Marquez. What a beautiful love story.

The Reconstructionists

I love this new collaboration by two people I deeply admire: Maria Popova, the author of Brain Pickings, and Lisa Congdon, a wonderful artist and illustrator.  This project, "The Reconstructionists", is a yearlong celebration of remarkable women -beloved artists, writers, and scientists, as well as notable unsung heroes- who have changed the way we define ourselves as a culture and live our lives as individuals of any gender. 

This project will be updated every Monday, check it out here:  The Reconstructionists.

Paris, the City of Light

PARIS, THE CITY OF LIGHT (FULL LENGTH HD VERSION) from Trak on Vimeo.


"Paris, City of Light doesn't mean "the city with a lot of beautiful lights" but, rather, "the city where, during the eighteenth century, the lights of science (with the biologists like Buffon or Jussieu and with the encyclopedy writers like Diderot or d'Alembert) and the lights of philosophy (Voltaire, Rousseau, Condorcet, Montesquieu, ...) have been lit."


I've watched this video a few times already, and I thought I'd share it here. It's so beautiful and magical.

Directed by Benjamin Trancart.

How to beat the Winter blues

Yup. It's that time of the year again. Winter is here, there's no point in denying it anymore. We already had our first snow storm, and now that the days are getting shorter. I know a lot of people suffer from the Winter blues (myself included) and these are some things I've done that have helped me to deal with my Winter moodiness.

Get outside as much as possible

Just bundle up and get outside! Even if it's overcast, you'll be able to benefit from the UV rays and improve your mood. Even 20 minutes helps!

Wear bright colors

It's no secret that colors affect how we feel, so try to wear bright colors. Most people wear black and gray during winter, so remember: the duller the colors you wear, the duller your mood is*. I love to wear my red coat, or wear yellow thighs with my dress. Even just a scarf in a happy color or pattern will do! This also applies to make up, I love bright pink nails, red lipstick and rosy blush.

Get moving!

I know when it's cold outside, it's easy to forgo exercising. You just want to bundle up and be cozy.  I like to take advantage of the freezing temperatures, and go ice-skating. It's something that I only get to do during Winter, so it always gets me excited. It's vital to get some exercise, so your body will produce some endorphins and you'll feel happy!

And if it's really cold and windy outside, I do a workout dvd in my living room.

Socialize

Now that the holidays are approaching, you have more excuses to get together with family and friends.
But what to do after the holidays? It's easy to become reclusive. Make coffee or movie dates with friends, take a class or volunteer. The important thing is to go meet people and not become a hermit.


Start a project

It's always a good idea to start a project to keep you busy and get some feeling of accomplishment.
These are some of the indoor activities I'm planning to do this Winter: taking a wine class, paint my bedroom, make this diy wall decoration for my dining room and do some screenprinting at home.

These are only some tips that have helped me in the past, if you have more tips on how to beat the Winter blues, please share them in the comment section!

Stay warm! -Monica


*Quote by Karen Erickson.

5K Sales in 365 Days

Today I want to tell you about a little gem of a book that I discovered: 5K Sales in 365 days by Mayi Carles (who happens to be one of my favorite people in the Internet).
In this e-book, Mayi reveals all her secrets on how she made $75,000 with her first digital product: Life is Messy Planners. She tells us how she started her empire with no money down and went from idea to launch in just one week, generating an income of $75,000 in 365 days.

If you are interested in creating digital products and make money while wearing your pajamas, Mayi's guide is a MUST. Her energy is so contagious and her advice is priceless.

This guide covers:

• How to find and develop the right idea
• How to discover your mojo
• How to price your product
• How to launch your product successfully
• How to create a massive payday!

My favorite chapter was Lesson 1: The idea doesn't have to be revolutionary, it just has to be yours. Mayi explains how you can't discover your true calling if you're trapped in a compulsion to conform and be liked by everyone. Also, she tells us how often times we need other people to help us recognize our own talents. We already are experts at something, but sometimes we don't see it. 

After reading this e-book, I feel so fired up and inspired. Mayi's book will be the nudge you need to transform ideas into profitable ventures. She urges us to stop waiting to "be ready", we are ready!

If you want to make a difference in the world and you don't mind doubling your income, you're going to love this e-book.

Make sure to check out Mayi's blog, it's full of info on how to be organized, reach your goals and dream BIG.

*Disclosure: I'm part of Mayi's affiliate program and I make a commission if you buy this guide from the link I provide. The opinions expressed are my own and are based on my observations while reading this e-book. 

Community Service Announcements

Jeremyville began drawing Community Service Announcements as notes to self about navigating day-to-day life. His art has since appeared on shoes, murals, and now Threadless t-shirts.

I want them all!

The LEGO Story

Hey! Stop whatever it is that you're doing and watch this amazing video about the LEGO company and its inspiring story. What a great lesson in perseverance!
Via: Nomada Design Blog

Every day is the best day

"Write it in your heart that every day is the best day in the year."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Another favorite quote, from Emerson; I like waking up with this attitude.When you expect good thing to happen, good things happen, indeed!

Do you have a favorite quote? I love inspirational quotes, I love referring to them when I'm feeling down or discouraged. More of my favorite quotes here: 

Image: Monica Aguinaga

Piece of advice

I recently came across this wonderful post by The Angry Therapist, and I thought is a must read for everyone out there.

What’s the one piece of advice you wish you’d been given in your mid-twenties?

• Don’t worry about where or who you’re going to be in five years. Like high school, you’re going to look back and wish you had done so many things differently.
• Know that and do them differently now.
• Focus on what’s in front on you.
• Work on the relationship you have with yourself first.
• Slow down.
• Enjoy today.
• It’s okay to not know.
• Eat alone in restaurants.
• Stop trying to prove something.
• Seek growth instead of validation.
• Shatter your veneer.
• Be heard.
• Draw boundaries.
• Pull from your Solid Self as much as you can.
• Sweat.
• Process (get therapy).
• Travel.
• Don’t compartmentalize people.
• Love fearlessly, even though you’ve been crushed before.
• Practice gratitude.
• Eat clean.
• Toss your scale.
• Pull yourself out of the victim position.
• Exercise your forgiveness muscle (you will need this).
• Don’t be concerned with what others think of you.
• Step out of line and jump into life, yours.
• Accept your story.
• Don’t chase paper.
• Seek truth.
• Be patient.

Via: This Buried Life

Don't think

Ray Bradbury has a lot of great quotes. This is, by far, my favorite.

Image credit: Monica Aguinaga

Zen Pencils

Have you heard about Zen Pencils? It's a website run by Gavin Aung Than where inspirational quotes are adapted into cartoons. The quote above by the Dalai Lama is one of my favorites.

You can buy prints here.

Make sure to read all of the quotes, they're all great!

Church + Bookstore

I could get lost in this bookstore!  The Selexyz Dominicanen Bookstore in Maastricht in the Netherlands was originally a church that hadn't been used in over 200 years. There are a lot of abondoned churches in the Netherlands, and they are being restored and converted instead of being demolished. I'd love to see more restorations like this one. 

Project: Merkx + Girod Architecte

Images: Roos Aldershoff

Via: Buzzfeed

Ever since I decided to cut back on Facebook , I get so much done! I've been working out, getting more sleep, working on a few personal projects that make me happy and generally, feeling more content with my life.

 I love this cool clock to remind me to live life and spend less time online.

From Uncommon Goods. Designed by Paul Ocepek. Buy it here.

Pretty things

I'm in love with this picture. Grand Central in New York City by Cuba Gallery.

I had the chance to browse through this magazine, Lucky Peach and it's fantastic!

I made this Pineapple Ginger Smoothie the other day and it was delicious. The (not so) secret ingredients is  ginger!

Happy Friday!