Heather Hardison has made it her profession. A letterer and illustrator, she specializes in sign painting, preserving this all but lost craft. Her commissions include anything from designing a Golden State Warriors poster to painting full-blown murals that highlight the simple beauty of typography.

Born in North Carolina, Hardison graduated from the College of Design at North Carolina State University in 2009, with a degree in Art and Design, but her love of typography (alongside the financial crisis) shaped her career course.

“These days I keep busy with my illustration and sign painting jobs,” Hardison shared in an interview with The Design Kids. “But I’m always looking for ways to bring those skills together.”

According to Hardison, so far, murals and food packaging have been two of her favorite ways to accomplish just that.

Hardison’s work stands out for being both nostalgic and very much contemporary. As such, it provides a unique way of giving a business a feeling of individuality and character. And as traditional signwriting is slowly but surely making a comeback, Hardison’s craft appeals to a growing audience.

Check out some of her work in the gallery below.

The post Heather Hardison’s Hand-Written Signs Are Worth the Investment appeared first on MobiSpirit.

Born in Hokkaido, Japan, Yamaguchi began her calligraphy training at the mere age of six, studying the basics under the guidance of Master Zuiho Sato. Having moved to the US in 2004, she now combines her art with performance, transforming its two-dimensional form into a 3-dimensional presence.

According to Yamaguchi, the practice of calligraphy is very much physical. “Calligraphy is like karate,” she explained in an interview with 99u. “Until you get the black belt, you have so many ranks to move through.”

“Studying calligraphy is really physical,” she went on to say, “and I was a perfectionist. I would look at my master’s work and try to write it exactly the same, following his brushstroke. My work wouldn’t come out the same, so I’d get frustrated. However, I’m really persistent, so I would strain my back over a sheet of paper, practicing for hours until I could write something nearly identical to my master.”

Her hard work paid off. Over the years Yamaguchi has won numerous awards, including the First Place prize from the Minister of Education at the 44th Asahi Calligraphy Nationwide School Exhibit and the Superior First Place at the 33rd National Students Calligraphy Exhibition.

And while her work is considered contemporary (exploring the meeting point between traditional Eastern classics and modern artistic expression), she still draws from her cultural upbringing, breathing new life into this all but forgotten art form.

The post Aoi Yamaguchi Explores the Physical Aspects of Calligraphy appeared first on MobiSpirit.

“The entire project is representing the power of reading,” he told A’ Design Award and Competition’s blog. “I wanted to challenge myself with a passion project using paper craft to elevate my favorite stories into surreal and imaginative works of art,” he explained the thought process behind his viral series. “I wanted to create a conversation and a guessing game between the viewer of the art and the books they represented.”

According to Watts, in a digital world it’s becoming harder to dedicate time to the classic paperback but reading from screens makes us read slower, learn less deeply, remember less, and sleep worse. “This is why students prefer to print out their electronic textbooks,” he says. “This is ‘The Power of the Paperback’.”

Which, of course, makes his day job all the more ironic. A multidisciplinary communication designer, Watts specializes in brand activation, promotional material, digital content, and conceptual development for brands and film or TV projects.

Take a look at some of his book sculptures in the gallery below.

The post Todd Watts Pays Homage to His Favorite Books appeared first on MobiSpirit.

But any stationary admirer knows it’s all in the details. Details like little handmade faux-leather envelope pencil pouches and illustrated tissue paper. Handmade with high-quality materials, such products are keepsakes meant to be cherished.

According to Charlie, though most of our experiences these days are digital, there still use for paper stationery. “I’ve asked a lot of people to recall the last time they sent or received a lovely handwritten letter,” she told the Printed blog. “Hardly anyone could remember. There’s no getting away from the ease of an email, but I really hope that by selling these products I can get as many people as possible taking a little time out of their day to correspond to a friend or loved one with a letter.”

While Charlie is the illustrator and product designer of the operation, Gav is in charge of the artwork set-up, managing print production as well as social media. But the couple also has a cat, Mr. Miaow, who acts as CCEO (Chief Cat Executive Officer).

The post These Stationery Sets are Meant to Be Cherished appeared first on MobiSpirit.

The Instagram star went viral thanks to his poignant poetry. Based in New York, his creative journey took off in 2014, using first a different online platform – Twitter. According to Holmes, Twitter has taught him how to say less and still make a point. “I think a lot of people in my industry are content with the ‘struggling artist’ ideology,” he says. “I’m not. On any given day, my account brings in 600,000 to one million ‘likes.’ The object is to be seen or heard, and I make a lot of noise.”

“Your account should be growing, you should also be growing. Evolving is the point,” he relayed. “People bulls**t in our niche, they say follower count doesn’t matter but how in the hell do you expect to reach this generation if they’re not following you in some form or capacity?”

Much like his persona, his poetry is straightforward and unapologetic. Just the sort of encouragement we need this day and age.

The post This Instagram Poet Tells It Like It Is appeared first on MobiSpirit.

“When I first started sharing my work online, I wasn’t very serious about it and I really just wanted an outlet for the things I was too afraid to say,” Reddy shared with Isaase. “My poetry is very much a reflection of who I am,” she adds.

Her poems are just the right length for this day and age, cutting to the chase fairly quickly, but in a way that is both delicate and quite moving. “Some days I am the flower; Some days I am the rain,” reads one poem. While another asks: “Must the moon be full in order to be loved? And what of the heart?”

“I started writing as a kid, simply as a way to verbalize feelings I didn’t know how to talk about – and while my writing has definitely improved since – I still write for the same reasons,” explained Reddy.

The key to understanding her words? Opening your heart and listening.

The post Pavana Reddy Writes Her Poetry With a Full, Heavy Heart appeared first on MobiSpirit.

Her collection includes anything and everything, through which she revives the ancient art of letter writing. “Creativity comes from a long way back, and has developed throughout the years in an always present character trait,” she recalled in an interview with Surely Simple. “As a kid, I was always busy collecting things, wooden boxes, postage stamps, poetry illustrations, books, paper, but also ladybugs or tadpoles.”

“Some of my favorite things to do is decorating envelopes, making flipbooks and collages and write letters,” she went on to say. “I seriously get happy by unpacking mail and discover a little bit of the world from the person behind it.”

Her collection includes postcards, stickers, washi tape, and original wax seals. Some of which she also sells on her Etsy shop. Prepare to fall in love with paper:

The post Menw Hurkens Will Inspire You to Write That Letter appeared first on MobiSpirit.

Heather Hardison has made it her profession. A letterer and illustrator, she specializes in sign painting, preserving this all but lost craft. Her commissions include anything from designing a Golden State Warriors poster to painting full-blown murals that highlight the simple beauty of typography.

Born in North Carolina, Hardison graduated from the College of Design at North Carolina State University in 2009, with a degree in Art and Design, but her love of typography (alongside the financial crisis) shaped her career course.

“These days I keep busy with my illustration and sign painting jobs,” Hardison shared in an interview with The Design Kids. “But I’m always looking for ways to bring those skills together.”

According to Hardison, so far, murals and food packaging have been two of her favorite ways to accomplish just that.

Hardison’s work stands out for being both nostalgic and very much contemporary. As such, it provides a unique way of giving a business a feeling of individuality and character. And as traditional signwriting is slowly but surely making a comeback, Hardison’s craft appeals to a growing audience.

Check out some of her work in the gallery below.

The post Heather Hardison’s Hand-Written Signs Are Worth the Investment appeared first on MobiSpirit.

Born in Hokkaido, Japan, Yamaguchi began her calligraphy training at the mere age of six, studying the basics under the guidance of Master Zuiho Sato. Having moved to the US in 2004, she now combines her art with performance, transforming its two-dimensional form into a 3-dimensional presence.

According to Yamaguchi, the practice of calligraphy is very much physical. “Calligraphy is like karate,” she explained in an interview with 99u. “Until you get the black belt, you have so many ranks to move through.”

“Studying calligraphy is really physical,” she went on to say, “and I was a perfectionist. I would look at my master’s work and try to write it exactly the same, following his brushstroke. My work wouldn’t come out the same, so I’d get frustrated. However, I’m really persistent, so I would strain my back over a sheet of paper, practicing for hours until I could write something nearly identical to my master.”

Her hard work paid off. Over the years Yamaguchi has won numerous awards, including the First Place prize from the Minister of Education at the 44th Asahi Calligraphy Nationwide School Exhibit and the Superior First Place at the 33rd National Students Calligraphy Exhibition.

And while her work is considered contemporary (exploring the meeting point between traditional Eastern classics and modern artistic expression), she still draws from her cultural upbringing, breathing new life into this all but forgotten art form.

The post Aoi Yamaguchi Explores the Physical Aspects of Calligraphy appeared first on MobiSpirit.

“The entire project is representing the power of reading,” he told A’ Design Award and Competition’s blog. “I wanted to challenge myself with a passion project using paper craft to elevate my favorite stories into surreal and imaginative works of art,” he explained the thought process behind his viral series. “I wanted to create a conversation and a guessing game between the viewer of the art and the books they represented.”

According to Watts, in a digital world it’s becoming harder to dedicate time to the classic paperback but reading from screens makes us read slower, learn less deeply, remember less, and sleep worse. “This is why students prefer to print out their electronic textbooks,” he says. “This is ‘The Power of the Paperback’.”

Which, of course, makes his day job all the more ironic. A multidisciplinary communication designer, Watts specializes in brand activation, promotional material, digital content, and conceptual development for brands and film or TV projects.

Take a look at some of his book sculptures in the gallery below.

The post Todd Watts Pays Homage to His Favorite Books appeared first on MobiSpirit.

But any stationary admirer knows it’s all in the details. Details like little handmade faux-leather envelope pencil pouches and illustrated tissue paper. Handmade with high-quality materials, such products are keepsakes meant to be cherished.

According to Charlie, though most of our experiences these days are digital, there still use for paper stationery. “I’ve asked a lot of people to recall the last time they sent or received a lovely handwritten letter,” she told the Printed blog. “Hardly anyone could remember. There’s no getting away from the ease of an email, but I really hope that by selling these products I can get as many people as possible taking a little time out of their day to correspond to a friend or loved one with a letter.”

While Charlie is the illustrator and product designer of the operation, Gav is in charge of the artwork set-up, managing print production as well as social media. But the couple also has a cat, Mr. Miaow, who acts as CCEO (Chief Cat Executive Officer).

The post These Stationery Sets are Meant to Be Cherished appeared first on MobiSpirit.

The Instagram star went viral thanks to his poignant poetry. Based in New York, his creative journey took off in 2014, using first a different online platform – Twitter. According to Holmes, Twitter has taught him how to say less and still make a point. “I think a lot of people in my industry are content with the ‘struggling artist’ ideology,” he says. “I’m not. On any given day, my account brings in 600,000 to one million ‘likes.’ The object is to be seen or heard, and I make a lot of noise.”

“Your account should be growing, you should also be growing. Evolving is the point,” he relayed. “People bulls**t in our niche, they say follower count doesn’t matter but how in the hell do you expect to reach this generation if they’re not following you in some form or capacity?”

Much like his persona, his poetry is straightforward and unapologetic. Just the sort of encouragement we need this day and age.

The post This Instagram Poet Tells It Like It Is appeared first on MobiSpirit.

“When I first started sharing my work online, I wasn’t very serious about it and I really just wanted an outlet for the things I was too afraid to say,” Reddy shared with Isaase. “My poetry is very much a reflection of who I am,” she adds.

Her poems are just the right length for this day and age, cutting to the chase fairly quickly, but in a way that is both delicate and quite moving. “Some days I am the flower; Some days I am the rain,” reads one poem. While another asks: “Must the moon be full in order to be loved? And what of the heart?”

“I started writing as a kid, simply as a way to verbalize feelings I didn’t know how to talk about – and while my writing has definitely improved since – I still write for the same reasons,” explained Reddy.

The key to understanding her words? Opening your heart and listening.

The post Pavana Reddy Writes Her Poetry With a Full, Heavy Heart appeared first on MobiSpirit.

Her collection includes anything and everything, through which she revives the ancient art of letter writing. “Creativity comes from a long way back, and has developed throughout the years in an always present character trait,” she recalled in an interview with Surely Simple. “As a kid, I was always busy collecting things, wooden boxes, postage stamps, poetry illustrations, books, paper, but also ladybugs or tadpoles.”

“Some of my favorite things to do is decorating envelopes, making flipbooks and collages and write letters,” she went on to say. “I seriously get happy by unpacking mail and discover a little bit of the world from the person behind it.”

Her collection includes postcards, stickers, washi tape, and original wax seals. Some of which she also sells on her Etsy shop. Prepare to fall in love with paper:

The post Menw Hurkens Will Inspire You to Write That Letter appeared first on MobiSpirit.