Sources of inspiration: Keith Haring // Kunsthal Rotterdam

The last few days you can still visit the Keith Haring exhibit in Rotterdam Kunsthal. I know I am a little late with this post but I did not plan to write about it actually. But when I visit the exhibit yesterday I was struck by how much his work is still inspiring me up until today. So a little writing is in order.



I was 15 when I got introduced with the art of Keith Haring. With it's colorful pop culture works of graffiti and giant canvasses I completely fell in love with the energy put into the art. It was then when I realized I could create something to release my emotions, that might look a little naive to some, but was in fact a part of dealing with what was going on. I loved its powerful strokes and expressive colors and up until this day I find myself being inspired by the works of this NY graffiti artist.

Keith Haring was a street artist of it's time, heavily influenced by the eighties in which he openly discussed (his) sexuality, the global commercialization and political topics like the war. His work might be playful but clearly shows his perspective on serious matters like the increasing homophobia, Aids, drugs, homosexuality and rape. Some pieces are very explicit. The topics are heavy but the body of art makes it all joyful, light and almost appealing. He was struggling with his own health and was diagnosed with Aids. Every painting and every canvas is a piece of himself, reflecting on his life and life in general. His symbolism and way of expression in color and shape still truly captures me up until today. So if you have some time to see an upcoming Keith Haring show near your place in the future go and experience the lightness of a heavy life. It is breathtaking.

Let's celebrate pink / 5 reasons why we all adore this color of positivity and optimism

Colors have a strong but also subconscious effect on our everyday lives. During my design studies, studying color was our most demanding and time consuming subject. As a visual artist I was taught how to influence and effect others with my use of the color spectrum.

Pink is the color of compassion, optimism and love. Pink is soft and warm and often used for feminine related subjects. With a little hint of red this is a passionate color that will give you a calm balanced energy and triggers positivity. Studies have shown that when you are surrounded by pink, negative influences have lower impact. All though nowadays society sees pink as a gender related color, a color of feminism and romance, there is a good reason to celebrate pink for all of us.

1 // I love pink personality
After blue, pink is the most beloved color of the spectrum. It works soothing and is associated with our nurturing side. Is pink your favorite color? It will probably reflect in your personality. People that prefer pink over any other color are usually a little more sensitive to the needs of others. Do you have a need to protect and take care of others? Do friends see you as warm and easy to approach? The color represents a nurturing part in us.

2 // Pink & branding
Pink logo's are usually made for feminine businesses. Such as beauty parlors and massage salons, fashion brands and glossy magazines. To attract more female clients this is the color to use for your brand. It is soft, warm and open. A good combination to attract people to your business. To add a little more professionalism and sophistication pink is usually combined with a strong gray or black. To keep it light, youthful and fresh, on younger female market, pink is usually mixed with whites and pastels that enhance the softer side of the color.



3 // The color of motherhood
It is impossible to give birth to a daughter an not receive pink gifts. But even though we see pink as a female gender color match, it is the softness, warmth and nurturing effect that drives us to make things pink. It might be why pink is mostly represented on the market even though blue is the most favored one.

4 // pink & business
Are you the girl boss just like me? Do you have people working for you or are you manager in a big firm? Studies have shown that powerful woman wearing pink are seen as more approachable, warm and calm. Most female CEO's wear strong colors and are seen as superior.

5 // Girls & boys
Of course whether it is subconsciously or because we were brought up in a world of pink, we woman all feel a little more girly when we are dressed in pink or decorate our house with a hint of pink in there. But I personally think we now are at a point in time when we all want to let go of the little girl boy box too. Woman might be a little warmer, softer and maybe have an instinct to nurture, all of that is also part of men. And no, not only gay people have a softer side there. Pink is not a color to separate from gender. Think about all the romantic gestures that are related to love and also marriage, pink is also a color of romance that brings people together. Embrace the softer side.

Fun fact: traditionally pink was a color used for boys in Belgium

Pink has been a girl-only color for a long time but there is a more conscious trend going around. We all have the need to get back to nature, eat more healthy, purify our lives, consume less. So if we talk about pink it is usually from the nurture point of view. Do consumers really want pink for there girls or are we taught to choose pink over any other color? Pink will be battling between nature and nurture. But it is good to see a blossoming gender neutral market. Even in our business we see a growing demand on gender neutral themes and colors.



But what if you don't like pink?
Usually a strong reaction on color comes from a subconscious level. Of course you can dislike a color but if you really feel like you hate the color pink it might relate to a disbalance within. Did you grow up in a safe environment where you felt nurtured and taken care of? Do you woman feel feminine?

I never necessarily liked pink much and if I see it from a psychological point of view, yes this strong reaction might have something to do with me on a more personal level. I see that designer colleagues and friends that run there own businesses all have a little thing against this crazy popular color. Is it because it is forced on us woman to relate with everything pink? Or are we out of touch with our feminine side? Or just quirky designers that take a prefer a different approach?

Nevertheless pink works for me personally but also in our Little Smilemakers design business. Our pink designs are most popular, people are crazy for pink! And working on a market for new borns is kind of awesome. Yes, that triggers our warm, motherly sides too. I wonder if you can relate to this topic. Do leave a comment if you have something to say about this topic.

Made with Little Smilemakers Studio Fabric // May 2015

It is so exciting to see a finished project after working hard on a new collection or a series of illustrations for our clients. But with finished fabric designs it is even a bigger surprise to see what customers create. To see how final products evolve when people put their own creative energy in there is amazing.

I love how Little Smilemakers creations are the foundation for other creatives all around the world to work with. So here is our monthly blog post that features some creative results from Canada, Poland, United States and Russia. This is our new May selection, this month with a little soft pink theme.
If you browse around on etsy for some kids fashion you are very likely to stumble upon some Little Smilemakers. Most creatives with small home based businesses sell their projects via Etsy. So take a look and see if there is something for your little one too.



Geometrics and Ballet
We love the photo styling here. The cute little triangle shirt was made by Posh and Cozy. Danielle makes fun kids and baby fashion she also sells via Etsy. Don't you love the combination of the cool triangles shirt with the soft pink voile ballet skirt? She just received another batch of new Little Smilemakers fabric so stay tuned!

The vintage cabinet project
Ferpie and Fray is a blog where you can find all sorts of up cycling projects. The old vintage cabinet was painted in warm soft pink and the drawers were covered with Pastel Feathers wallpaper made by Little Smilemakers Studio. You can find the step by step process on their blog together with other inspiring home decor projects.

New born soft soles
The feathered baby shoes by Titot were made with Little Smilemakers feather series via Bebé Casa. These soft soles keep you little ones feet warm in the fresh spring breeze. Marta is based in Poland and started our with only leggings and shoes but now you can also find: headbands, scarfs, bandanas, blankets and many more for children and mammas in her easy shop. Everything is made with love for fabric and sewing and with greatest care. So take a look at her shop.

Bows and birthdays
Some Little Smilemakers designs people just can not get enough of. But some more simplistic designs stay in the shadows of the hot sellers. Seeing finished projects of those designs rarely used for kids fashion is always fun.
This cute bow legging was made by a Russian costomer. Petite Princesse is a small kids fashion brand in Moskou and they sure know how to represent themselves. We love the quirky photoshoots and props in their images. Good job!

We have already seen a lot of awesome sewing projects made by Little Smilemakers fabric customers. We made a little selection out of the dozen photographs that were sent to us or that we were tagged in. Cute home decor items. Personalized bedding, scarfs, leggings and head bands. So much to choose from! If you'd like to be featured in on of our monthly "made with..." posts. Please send us your images.