Showcase
Writing, Illustrations, Interviews, Case Studies
Mindset + Creativity
Leadership is a combination of creative output, vulnerability, and going first. Only the scariest things on earth.
I use “Go where the light is” as a guide to move forward. And for me, the light is in community and connection; not in broadcasting. So I’m going to stop ‘posting content’!
‘Normal’ was created for profit. It isn’t real, so I can’t ‘diverge’ from it. (Even though it feels very real, we’ve built all our systems around it, and the fallout is awful)
There are a few things hidden in a Creative Block. And most have nothing to do with ‘being creative’
The essentials of branding have not changed. But they are not usually talked about.
Everyone is trying so hard to find clarity, to get to the 'end result', we bypass the juicy bits. The bits that could make all the difference.
Most assume branding can be 'done' in a few weeks. What you actually have after a weekend of moodboarding is not a brand, but a tiny sliver of a visual identity. In other words: A paint job. But a brand is so much more than that.
One of the most important parts of a map is the little dot that says 'You Are Here'. It's surprising how often it is neglected – when it is the key to for a map to work. What making maps taught me about branding 👇
We can be humble and confident at the same time. They are not mutually exclusive, and thinking they are diminishes our capacity to lead.
I am not unreliable or fickle for not wanting to continue on a path that makes me miserable or has no purpose. On the contrary: if something isn't working, it is my responsibility to course-correct.
I used to believe the natural cycle of creative flow had to be respected at any cost. Indeed, creativity will take you for a wild ride if you let it. If you don't tend to your creative garden.
At least, not at first glance.
I think I'm pretty cool and hella good at things. I think people like me, I'm great at my craft, I'm creative, my work is important, my thoughts matter.
My Imposter Complex hides in not starting.
If I never start, I never have to commit. If I never start, no one can tell me I gave up. If I never start, I can never be found out.
Only recently did I discover how much of a perfectionist I am. I always brushed it off because I just needed things to be 'complete', not 'perfect'. Now I realize that the level a project has to be at to be 'complete' is ridiculously high. Basically perfect.
Join Marie Poulin + Alice Karolina for a candid and casual conversation about how we navigate transition and uncertainty, using Notion as a tool for mindfulness and self care.
Turns out, I'm terrified of using my voice.
Not scared of what to say, I am crystal clear on where I stand.
What I am afraid of, is what others will do with it. Having to completely give up control over their reaction and surrender to their choices.
But I'm learning that the reaction to my voice is not a reflection of me, but a freeing in them.
I practised surrender for loving partnership.
What I didn’t expect to discover was my identity.
Surrender has completely reassembled my DNA in the tiniest of increments. And I was there for every one of them. I know every chromosome that I am made of now - and I could not be more proud.
When things go quiet in our creative process, we become increasingly uncomfortable the more time passes. We do everything we can to leave this phase & get back into the flow. And that’s because we have completely forgotten what it’s like to be in nothingness. Still waters. No movement. We don't often allow ourselves to fully be immersed and wait it out.
My Grandma Polly (the most courageous person I've ever known) had a favourite saying:
"Don't cry over spilt milk."
In her apartment I discovered the world of play-doh and spilled lots of apple juice on tablecloths that were "going to be washed today anyways". I still associate the word 'thirsty' with juice. And messes with "no big deal".
So I make things. Lots of them. What's the worst that can happen? There's gold in every mess I ever made.
A funny thing happens when you make things all the time (and you don't care about the mess).
You realize you can do anything.
Everything was made up by someone somewhere. You can unmake it. Or remake it. All you need is imagination.
This is a reminder to myself that anytime I get stuck creatively, I have to go make something with my hands. Get away from a keyboard or 'research' and just draw/write/play by hand. I don’t know if there are studies on this (I am NOT going to research it), but I believe that different parts of the brain get activated when we use our hands. It’s an underlying current that we don’t have access to any other way.
A true brand is built for a lifetime. It evolves and grows alongside the work it is made for. It is a living, breathing thing.
Art + Musings
Being of two countries from birth is complex. It's different from being an expat. And it's different from being a nomad or a 'citizen of the world'. Although those can be true too.
Drawing taught me that you never show everything. You can't. And there is a profound beauty in that. And responsibility.
I’ve been visited by herons a bit lately.
Herons are teachers in being with uncertainty, in transition, between worlds. One foot in the water, one on land, hunting in twilight. Fitting, with one more month left living by the water.
My favourite piece of music right now is ‘The Swan’ from Carnival Of The Animals. It inspired my first intentionally layered drawing in preparation of actual artwork. As in NOT design. As in no function other than to exist.
#spaceshells
Seeing the large in the small never ceases to amaze me. Today featuring the milky way in a few shells.
Predators fascinate me – especially their eyes. It’s like I’m looking through the layers of the natural world.
This is the sum of all memories of palm trees, platano chips, unicorn-girlfriends, tropical beaches, flowers, my fav black mirror episode, and the longing for the next sunset surf.
The Big Picture
Alice owns a branding firm, and she runs The Ethical Move Community, an online community focused on ethical branding / marketing. (With the help of dedicated others)
How do we attract customers without using lead magnets?
How can we appeal to our customers without manipulating them?
These are the kind of questions they ask.
Coaching, conversation and culture change to disrupt the scarcity mindset in ourselves and in the collective. Kate Holly interviews brand strategist + founder of The Ethical Move Alice Karolina
‘Ethical Marketing with Alice Karolina’ with Mikhail Myzgin on the Ethics in Marketing Podcast
One of our mantras at the ethical move is 'Not In Our Lifetime'. We are 100% certain of the necessity of our work. And; we don't need to see its conclusion. Because it's much, much bigger than us.
If you ever find yourself thinking "how can I make a difference?", remember: that's what you're supposed to think. It is better for the status quo if we each believe that the weight is to heavy.
A Conversation About Ethical Branding + Marketing and Finding Your Authentic Voice with Alice Karolina
Think marketing and pricing can’t be ethical? Think again – our guest Alice Karolina started a movement, aptly named The Ethical Move, to change that.
This framework is how I'm learning to be thoughtful and intentional in my anti-racism work. Before I learned this I went straight from Awareness to Action and caused harm.
Intersection of brand and market - creating strong values and messaging pillars to guide marketing effort.
It has always been Now More Than Ever. The ‘world as we knew it’ was not healthy for anyone, and supremely damaging to most. Covid is not the ‘great equalizer’, but it has opened a door.
The ethical move is setting out to empower conscious consumers and business owners by creating a new marketing standard based on transparency, trust, and honesty. We are the movement for ethical marketing.
Perpetuating sales tactics that are keeping buyers weak, and then placing the burden of ‘making a difference’ on them, is …the kind of thing a bully would do.
‘Islam ist das Leben’ is a feature article I wrote for kinki Magazine in Zurich, portraying Muslims from several countries living in different areas of Switzerland. For German readers.
Case Studies
