If you’re in need of a lift today, we hope these videos give it to you—and that they may fill in a few design gaps until we meet again in person at HOW Design Live 2020, set for Oct. 26–29 in Atlanta. Sessions like these are just a taste of everything we have in the works for you. Until then, stay healthy, stay strong, and keep creating. Together, we will beat this.

Talking About Feelings: Personal Work for Fun and Profit

If you’ve ever met Adam J. Kurtz, read one of his books, or seen one of his talks, you know that he is wholly, hilariously and amazingly himself. So when he says that the best way to stand out is to be your authentic self, we’re wise to listen. The key to it all? Personal work, which gives a prime opportunity to explore what matters to you, and lets clients and fans alike know just who exactly you are. Take in Adam’s story and learn how you can write your own. Watch Now

The Great Contentment

Tina Essmaker, former editor of The Great Discontent, spent years interviewing the top minds in the creative field before she launched a new career and found her own contentment. How’d she do it? She slowed down. And as she describes, “What happens when we abandon the hustle? We begin to hear our own voice again, we are able to practice gratitude at a greater level, and we can craft our lives around our values rather than react in the moment.” In her meditative, poignant session, Essmaker helps us all see how we can do the same. Watch Now

Contemplative Inquiry: Mindfulness in the Design Studio

And speaking of meditative—if you need your moment of Zen today, this is it. In this session, Rhonda Schaller, founder of the Meditation Incubator at Pratt Institute, shows how anyone can employ a mindfulness practice within their creative studio. Simply put, Schaller believes that mindfulness and meditation can make you a better designer—and here, she shows you how to get started. (The mere sound of her voice is already lowering our anxiety.) Watch Now