Everyday I’m trying to make time for graphic research and experimentation. Working on your art sometimes gets lost along the way of making money and the general busyness of life. It’s a trap! So re-establishing the ritual of making graphics as a daily habit for me, even only 30min a day, feels important to my soul.

Inspired by this I established a new set of daily key habits which I try to get done before anything else: earlier rising, deep work on favorite unrealized projects, writing, community development, rigorous reflection.

We went to the Area of Work x ECAL vernissage of my friend Amine Ghorab, which was fantastic. We worked together for Apple when we did one season of the iPhone Pro campaign and wallpaper art direction. Nice memories and great to reconnect.

Input

✺ L’amour ouf (2024) directed by Gilles Lellouche starring Adèle Exarchopoulos and François Civil is an incredible movie I watched this week in the cinema: highly recommended!

Output

✺ Deep breaths are like little love notes to your body.

Felt a bit overwhelmed this week. Longing for simplicity. There are so many projects I’m working on. Do I need more time – or better focus?

Lovely dinner at Abri Soba with Gila, Sarah, and my friend Toeni who was visiting from London. I went with Sarah to Limours over the weekend, just one hour outside of Paris. We rented a little cabin and went hiking in the amazing Forêt de Rochefort to clear the mind.

Input

✺ A short film on the process of author Roald Dahl: Pebble Mill at One 1982

Output

✺ In conversation with: SUEA, Korean-born Brooklyn-based cook and food designer

I continued to improved the Present website and the articles UI and published two of our conversations from Issue 3, with Tareet and Suea, and a bunch of new Present Principles, like the ode to all courageous makers who are ultimately who I’m building Present for. I just want to support everybody crazy and bold enough to pursue their thing.

Output

✺ In conversation with: TAREET aka Etienne Diop, Parisian based fashion designer

Input

✺ Idéal J: Original MCs Sur Une Mission (Instrumental Album), 1996

We joined my old friend and former 2x4 colleague Donnie Luu at the Miu Miu Tales & Tellers vernissage, for which he designed all printed matter. Also enjoyed the Numeroventi exhibition and the Haw-lin magazine launch. And the Martine Syms exhibition at Lafayette Anticipations was super inspiring!

We went to a very beautiful dinner hosted by Parisian artist Oliver Urman. We have things in the making with him:) Thankful to our friend Maryam De Sarre for bringing it all together.

This Week's Wisdom from Willem Dafoe

“It's only risky if it's not risky. If it's a real risk, you're trying something. Something will happen. Something will be learned.”

The idea of trying to fail, rather than striving for perfection. Being more free and not worrying so much about doing everything perfectly. It’s about finding the right balance between being motivated to try new things, but not being so hard on ourselves that it suffocates us. (→ Willem Dafoe on the idea of trying to fail)

Output

✺ Outside of your Control VS. Within your Control

My dad and my sister Marina came to town for a few days. We went to some old and new favorites Rori, Ama Siam, Café des Delices, Discobar, Imperial Raviolis, L’Orillon, Chez Janou, Le Cornichon, and to the concert of Superjazzclub the amazing band from Accra, Ghana. Impeccable Vibes.

I went for a few days to La Ciotat with my father and sister. It was a bit cold but I could still swim in the Calanque de Figuerolles which was wonderful. An absolute recommendation is Molto Mucho!

Output

✺ An homage to the courageous makers around the world

Sarah and I designed the visual identity for LỰU ĐẠN a few years ago and went their event at China Town Belleville for a night of dim sum, mahjong, and karaoke! It was lovely to reconnect with founder (and Present Issue 3 cover star) Hung La at his partner Léa Dickely after our journey together. And new projects are in the making!

We went to BLESS Shop Paris for a night of BLESSkino. Cozy and inspiring!

Input

✺ I absolutely loved the DJ Mehdi: Made in France documentary by Thibaut de Longeville on Arte. Such a rollercoaster ride into my youth from French rap to Ed Banger. DJ Mehdi and EB had a big influence on me for music and design<3

Output

✺ Present Priniciples: How To Stay Calm

✺ Mount Fuji photographed by Asako Narahashi, 2003

Organised a two day workshop event with Newfoundation in an apartment in the Marais to demo and get feedback on our upcoming newOS app. Shout-out’s to Daliah Spiegel and Den Villar for helping us out and to everyone who came by!

Went with Sarah and Ricarda to the Novembre magazine launch at Dover Street Market, great to meet Florence Tétier (founder of Novembre and past Present contributor) who was one my inspirations to go to ECAL back in the day.

Next stop was the soirée of my friend Tony Wang, founder of The Office of Applied Strategy in NYC for the release of his brilliant Hyper-Optimization research dossier.

Output

✺ In conversation with: Sibusio Vilane, first Black man to climb Mount Everest

✺ My Dojo: Hannah Kuhlmann, Artist and Designer in Cologne

I had an inspiring call with my friend Sari Azout, who’s building the fantastic Sublime platform — so good to exchange!

I met my old buddies Tom and Max who were in town for their District Visionevent at Marc Le Bihan. I’m so proud of them and how they built their thing. Unstoppable forces.

We celebrated my homie Max Pittner’s birthday on a boat and I felt like the happiest DJ alive playing my favorites tunes for hours on the Seine river for a wonderful group of friends from around the world <3

Output

✺ Legendary Makers: Georgia O'Keeffe on creating despite doubts, worries and fear