Meet today’s guest 🧃

My name is Madelynn De La Rosa, I’m a filmmaker and ceramicist based out of Los Angeles. Video is my one true love - I’ve been making videos on YouTube for a long time (15 years!!!), have made a bunch of shorts, shot on film namely super 8 and 16m, and for the past 6 years have been making ceramics under Maddie Cakes.

I am interested in the creative process, the moon, love, film, space, girlhood, meditation, Jesus, nature, art, cinema, animals, storytelling. All of which inspire my work :-)

Florencia: I would love to start by asking about how has your relationship with the internet changed after creating videos for over a decade? I have been following along for years and your work has always been a lovely source of inspiration and joy!

Maddie: Aww thank you! Well, I think I’ve come full circle in a way. Yes, I’ve been making videos for a long time, and yes, I’ve seen the platform and trends evolve along the way. Even though I’ve been doing it for so long it still feels exciting, and I think it’s because my videos evolve with me. It’s still me underneath it all, but I started when I was 19 making outfit and makeup videos, which evolved into cruelty-free beauty, then slow fashion (over ten years ago!), which eventually led to experimenting on super 8 and 16mm making short films…. You get the gist.

I started when you couldn’t even monetize on the platform, when getting brand deals or sponsorships was unheard of. I first started making videos because I loved video editing, which is still the case. When I moved out to L.A. and it became my job, I definitely fell into the trap of needing to make money from my art, which eventually put so much pressure on it. And now I’m back to where I was from the beginning, which is: I do it because I can’t help myself. I do it because I LOVE it.

Florencia: Was there a particular moment when you realized YouTube could be a long-term career for you?

Maddie: I suppose when Ipsy reached out and wanted to move me out to L.A. in 2015. I had just graduated from college with my master’s degree in elementary education and had been doing YouTube for around 4 years at that point. I was not thinking about what any of it meant in terms of my career. I’m trusting and pursuing something internal that I literally cannot help… I do it for the love of the game, truly! At this point I think I’m finally settling into the fact that I have a huge body of work under me and I can use it as leverage for bigger things as I see fit.

Florencia: What’s something about your creative process that might surprise people who only see your finished videos for instance?

Maddie: This is a one woman show! After all these years I’m the one shooting, editing, starring in, directing, illustrating, promoting, managing…. When I was with Ipsy for 3 years from 2015-2018 I did have help which was absolutely amazing and life-changing. I would work with a crew of two people max (a producer and cinematographer) for larger projects. Aside from that, it’s just me - no manager, no 3rd party editor, no team, etc. It’s hard work and it’s scrappy, but it’s how I know how to work and I think I’m better for it. Ultimately, I know working this way is temporary so I’m just enjoying the ride :-)

Florencia: How do you balance staying true to your creative vision while also navigating algorithms, trends, or the expectations of brands that you work with?

Maddie: I make what I want to make, when I want to make it. I’ve never cared about the numbers, what’s trending, or performing for an algorithm. I’m not here to do or be anything that I am not, which is why I stay in my lane, PERIOD. I’m driven by the urge to create and if it resonates with people, or a brand, lovely!

When it comes to working with brands, I have certain guardrails or standards in place already that weed out the ones that don’t matter. Over ten years ago, I made the decision to only work with cruelty-free, vegan, or sustainable brands. I mean, even saying that now I don’t know if it means much because brands have caught on - those terms feel like buzzwords... Bottom line is I collaborate with brands that align with my values and give me creative control.

Florencia: Looking back, what advice would you give to your younger self when you were just starting out online?

Maddie: You are allowed to own your craft!!!

Florencia: Amen! I’m also curious about the role play or experimentation in your work today, especially after doing this for so long?

Maddie: It’s vital. I think that’s why having ceramics helps too because it gives me something to do with my hands, I’m able to take a breather from videos and be in touch with my creativity in a way that’s more meditative and tactile - it feels old, and ancient, and… human. It definitely helps inspire ideas for videos and vice versa. When you’ve been practicing a medium for so long (a decade or more) you have no other choice but to give yourself permission to play. Your job is to follow the fun, not what you “think” you should be doing because you’ve done it a certain way for a prolonged period of time, or what you think people want to see from you.

Florencia: How does rest look like for you right now?

Maddie: Lots of time in nature with my dog, Violet, exploring, bird watching, moon gazing, driving around aimlessly, not filming everything I do, keeping my personal life private. It’s glorious!

Florencia: Are there any practices or rituals that help you overcome creative blocks?

Maddie: Switch up the routine! But also, if you’re struggling with being freelance, make yourself a schedule and stick to it. I made myself a schedule a month or so ago and it’s changed everything for me. It’s given me a container to play within instead of feeling totally aimless (which is how I was working for over a decade - oops!).

Florencia: Please share some of your favorite ways of finding inspiration outside of the internet!

Maddie: I get inspiration from everywhere including movies_, music, nature, children’s books, places I’ve lived/traveled to, my childhood, road trips, spending time with family, going on a photo walk, museums, etc. Mostly being outside and living life on airplane mode (the state of my phone most of the time).

Florencia: Can you share some online and offline things you are enjoying right now?

Offline:

• I saw Addison Rae at The Greek last October and I’ll never get over it!

• The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More is amazing.

• My Universal Studios annual pass.

  

Online:

Favorite YouTube channel and most trusted tastemaker: my girl Christine Mai Nguyen.

Florencia: Anything exciting that we should keep an eye out for?

Check out my YouTube channel (still holding it down!), subscribe to my newsletter, The Art of Slowing Down, , and keep an eye out for a short film — maybe sooner than you think?!?.

Thanks so much to Maddie for her time and generosity answering all the questions for Sobremesa!

If this conversation inspired you, leave a comment, share it with a friend, or consider upgrading to a paid subscription.

Leave a comment

Email me at florenciaornelas.f@gmail.com if you are interested in collaborating or being featured in Sobremesa.

A few more corners of the apartamento 710 universe:

Work with me | Instagram | Youtube | Shop apartamento 710

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A few more corners of the apartamento 710 universe:

Work with me | Instagram | apartamento 710 store

Dear reader,

I’m hosting the second part of last month’s class on July 17, all about turning inspiration into original creative work. This class is free for my paid subscribers and available to non-paid readers for a one-time fee. All details here.

How to turn inspiration into original creative work

The ability to turn abstract ideas into tangible work is one of the most valuable creative skills you can develop today. There is an overflow of content and sources of inspiration, but turning all the inputs into something real is where we usually get stuck.

How often have we spent months in planning mode? Watching hours of Youtube tutorials, making Pinterest moodboards, and organizing references before actually creating the thing. Planning feels safe, mapping all the things that could go wrong makes us feel in control. But nothing really happens if we stay in that zone.

The magic happens when you start. When you make the first version, even if it’s imperfect and messy. When you share your work with people and gather feedback. As they say, the path unfolds as you walk it.

Ready to stop consuming and start creating? Join the class on July 17. Paid readers, please leave a comment or reply to this email if you are interested in joining this one!

Reminder:

Creative Camp starts July 4. A self-paced, month-long challenge where we’ll create four crafts alongside the apartamento 710 community. Each week throughout July, I’ll open a thread in the chat where we can check in, share our progress, and show what we’ve been working on. I’ll share craft ideas each week to inspire our making and you’re welcome to follow my suggested projects or create your own thing! Let’s get our creative juices flowing.

Looking for inspiration? I’m adding craft project ideas to this board every day. Check it out.

What are you excited to make this summer? Leave a comment below, and let me know if you are joining!

Leave a comment

Con amor,
Florencia

A few more corners of the apartamento 710 universe:

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Save your spot

Welcome back to another issue of apartamento 710, a newsletter about living a creative life. If you are new here, welcome to one of the coolest corners of the internet! If you are a returning reader and friend, thank you so much for being here!

My recent piece, How to Have the Most Creative Summer of Your Life, has received a lot of love, and it got me thinking about how I could enable a space that goes beyond inspiration and into creation. It’s one thing to read about living creatively; it’s another to actually make the time to create! So I thought… what if we did it together?

Remember summer camp? This is the crafty, cool, adult version of it.

Introducing: Creative Camp

Creative Camp is a self-paced, month-long challenge where we’ll create four crafts alongside the apartmento 710 community. Each week throughout July, I’ll open a thread where we can check in, share our progress, and show what we’ve been working on.

Maybe you’ve been meaning to get back into creating and could use a little accountability from a supportive group. Or you have been feeling blocked and you’re looking for an excuse to try something new with your hands and spend less time on screens. Summer is the perfect time for it and I’d love for you to join us.

How to join the camp:

Subscribe to apartamento 710 and make sure you are following along in the chat. Following the challenge has no cost.

How the Creative Camp will work:

• This is a self paced experience, with access to an encouraging community along the way. It will run throughout the month of July. If there is interest, I could look into hosting an online meetup at the end of the month.

• I’ll share craft ideas each week to inspire our making (see below). You’re welcome to follow my suggested projects or create your own thing!

• Every week on Sundays, I’ll open a thread in our chat where we can share progress, ask questions, and celebrate what we’ve made.

• You are encouraged (but not required) to share photos of your creations, your honest progress, chat with other makers, or leave questions for the group.

Here are the projects I’ll be making this month:

You’re welcome to make them alongside me, or choose your own projects instead.

Week 1: Sew something small from scratch
A pillowcase, table runner, napkin set, or another beginner-friendly sewing project.

Week 2: Personalize a picture frame
Decorate a thrifted or plain frame and fill it with a photo, drawing, or keepsake you love.

Week 3: Experiment with natural dyeing
Use avocado peels and pits, sage or turmeric to naturally dye fabric.

Week 4: Give a piece of clothing a second life
Add embroidery, buttons, patches, fabric paint, trims, or other weird, personal touch.

Creative Camp guidelines and reminders:

• The point of this challenge is for you to get into the groove of making things, so I encourage you to find approachable art projects that excite you. The focus is on experimentation and having fun. Not perfection.

• Before spending money on any supplies, see if you can use what you already have, borrow, thrift, or swap with a friend.

• Rely on the group for accountability and take it as chance to make things alongside curious people like you from around the world. There are folks from 123 different countries in the apartamento 710 chat!

• By the end of the month, you’ll have completed four projects and hopefully discovered a few new creative interests along the way!

We’ll start Creative Camp on Sunday, July 4, so you have a couple more weeks to gather all the materials for your projects. I’m so excited to embark on this with you - it’s going to be so much fun!

Looking for inspiration? I’m adding craft project ideas to this board every day. Check it out.

What are you excited to make this summer? Leave a comment below, and let me know if you are joining!

Leave a comment

Sending love,

Florencia

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• Access to my interview series, Sobremesa

• Monthly workshops & virtual classes

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How to have the most creative summer of your life

I don’t know about you, but every Summer I feel pressure to be out spending more time and money enjoying the long, sunny days. Especially living in Canada, and after a long, wet winter, I want to maximize every minute of nice weather we get.

This year, instead of spending all my time looking outward, I want to use this season to transform Summer energy into both small and big creative endeavours that make feel excited and connected to my community, so that I can emerge from it recharged rather feeling than depleted.

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Here are 10 ideas I’m exploring to have a fun and creative summer without burning out or breaking my bank account:

1. Romanticize your city: Spend time outside visiting your favorite third spaces, working from the library on a hot day (hello, air conditioning), and heading to the community pool after work. Something at the top of my summer bucket list is joining neighbourhood walking tours and exploring heritage homes to get a peek inside their interiors and gardens. It’s a cool way to learn about the history of the place you live in. I’m making it a goal to visit the home of writer Joy Kogawa here in Vancouver before the end of the summer!

2. Create a summer curriculum: Make a list of things you want to learn and design your own curriculum (or, as calls it, a summer camp schedule) around them. Maybe you spend June learning about gardening, July discovering new poetry, and August experimenting with printmaking. Having a loose structure can help process curiosity into action. At the end of the summer, host a mini-exhibition for friends and family showcasing what you learned. If you want to take it a step further, make a zine, publish an essay, start a blog, or submit your work to a local gallery or community art show.

3. Build a summer archive: I can’t stress the importance of having a physical record of your life in the era of cloud storage enough! Don’t rely on apps to keep a record of your life. Print your photos, fill a journal with pressed leaves from a day at the botanical garden, and tickets from a successful date. My mission this summer is to make a photo album-junk journal and keep it as a time capsule of this period of my life.

4. Find ways to have fun at home: Not every memorable summer day needs to involve spending money or leaving your house! Host a dance party (we need to be dancing more this Summer), learn how to make ice cream at home from a cookbook recipe, have friends over for a potluck dinner, start a backyard book club. The possibilities are endless, just remember Summer can be a restorative season.

5. Practice intentional offline weekends: Choose one weekend a month to disconnect from social media. This can look like leaving your phone at home while running errands and progressively disconnecting for a full day or two. I experimented with this last week on a trip to the Sunshine Coast. I didn’t post about my trip on social while I was there or search for things to do on TikTok, but I was tempted. I asked friends for recommendations before heading there and grabbed a map at the ferry that listed local gems and must-see places.

6. Choose in-person connection over online lurking: It’s easy to spend the summer watching other people live their dream vacation through ig stories! This comes back to my previous point of being mindful about how we are using social media. This summer, I want to pay more attention to my life and make new memories with my friends, invite someone new for a walk, and attend community events in my city.

7. Learn from elders: Talk to older family members, neighbors, or community members about their lives. I’ve shared this before, but going to my local community pool is always the highlight of my week because I get to meet people from older generations. It’s refreshing to hear them talk about with such gratitude, and they have so much wisdom to share about life!

8. Craft a seasonal reading project: A few themes I’m curious about exploring this summer are poetry, the psychology behind creativity and urban gardening. I plan on seeing if my local library has any interesting titles related to those themes or asking on Stories if anybody has specific books I have in mind. I’m a bit embarrassed to admit that a lot of my knowledge these days comes from social media sources so I want to spend time deepening my understanding of subjects I’m interested in through books and credible sources. Other sources I want to explore for my seasonal reading are Atmos and an Apartamento Magazine subscription.

9. Become a regular somewhere: Pick one place in your area - a café, record store, community garden, or farmers’ market and visit it consistently throughout the summer. Becoming a regular allows you to develop a deeper relationship with your neighbourhood and creates the possibility for serendipitous encounters and new friendships!

Bonus ideas:

• Follow a natural phenomenon all summer long: Get into stargazing or learn about all the different types of clouds!

• Collect one thing: Stamps, feathers, postcards, cool rocks, photographs of front doors, library cards from little free libraries, or sketches of neighbourhood houses!

Thanks to readers , , , , , , and for contributing ideas for this newsletter through the community chat.

What else would you add to the list? Please let me know in the comments!

Leave a comment

Thanks for reading apartamento 710! If this inspired you, like it, share it with a friend, or consider supporting my work by upgrading to a paid subscription.

Email me at florenciaornelas.f@gmail.com if you are interested in collaborating or follow along on the other app. Talk to you soon!

xx

Florencia

Reminder: Join my online class on June 12

I’m hosting an online class on June 12 on building a unique visual identity for your newsletter or personal brand! This class is free for my paid subscribers and available to non-paid readers for a one-time fee. All details here.

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Meet today’s guest 🧃

Kristen Pumphrey is the co-founder of P.F. Candle Co., a Los Angeles–based home fragrance brand independently owned and operated by Kristen and her husband, Thomas Neuberger. Kristen started the brand almost 20 years ago, in 2008, after losing her job in publishing and deciding to create her own opportunities by opening an Etsy store. With a few candle-making supplies and a clear vision, she set out to build one of the most beloved scent companies worldwide.

I sat down with Kristen to talk about the behind-the-scenes process of creating some of P.F. Candle Co.’s best-selling candles, what it takes to turn your passions into a business that generates revenue, and the ways she protects her peace as a founder in the era of ‘building in public’. Let’s dive in!

Florencia: After almost 20 years running P.F. Candle Co., what helps you keep the work feeling fresh, playful, and creatively fulfilling?

Kristen: One way I see things through fresh eyes is through how others present us, especially internationally. Seeing a store in Japan or France present P.F. Candle Co. as a California brand distills what’s important and gives me permission to experiment while keeping those core “through-lines.” You also have to love running the business so that you don’t lose that beginner’s stance.

Florencia: I’ve always wanted to ask you about your iconic branding! The amber jar and typography have remained consistent since starting the brand in 2008. How do you balance the urge to rebrand with staying consistent to your vision?

Kristen: People often think of creativity as “sparks,” but I’ve learned it takes discipline to stay true to a creative vision. I’m also a Virgo born in the Year of the Ox, so I’m incredibly stubborn!

One way to innovate is by releasing limited-edition collections throughout the year that allow us to scratch that creative itch while keeping the core brand consistent. We did collaborations with Haricot Vert and Grillo’s Pickles, which felt like playing “dress-up” for a day. They’re very easygoing and playful, and at P.F., we care about quality but don’t take ourselves too seriously.

Florencia: Can you share a little about the process of developing a new product? How does a new scent start? Emotions, memories, or something else?

Kristen: The emotional component is so important to fragrance. We actually developed an entire line based on emotions and how a scent is meant to make you feel, but I’ve found that our best work happens when we’re chasing a specific ingredient or a fragrance note.

Take our scent Arroyo Oak, for example. I was really obsessed with the idea of creating a frankincense candle. We spent a lot of time getting it together, smelling raw materials, and figuring out what would pair well with frankincense. We ended up building the story from the note itself because the blend reminded us so much of the dry creek beds of the Arroyo Seco, near where I live in Pasadena.

That’s one way to do it, where the fragrance is the seed for the story. But you can also approach it from the opposite direction, where you start with a final image and fill in the fragrance notes to match. Our Golden Coast scent was one of the first ones we developed this way. I wanted to capture the entire image and feeling of Big Sur—the sea salt, the redwoods, and that specific scent of baking sage in the sun we found on a hike along the Ewoldsen Trail. We knew we wanted it to feel dry but still marine and mineral, and bringing those notes together created one of our best-sellers.

Because we’re digital-forward, that imagery is everything. In our process, my development manager creates a mood board at the same time we’re working on the scent notes. When we pitch to our fragrance house, we send them the whole package: the concept, a description of the vibe, and the images. All of those pieces together help the perfumers come up with the final concept.

From there, they’ll send us three or four samples for every pitch, and we’ll iterate—sometimes up to four rounds—really drilling down and asking them to pull back on certain components. Finally, we test it across different products, from candles to diffusers, just to make sure the scent works perfectly across every format.

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Florencia: DIY culture and crafting are at the core of your brand. You started selling your products on Etsy. Many newsletter readers are in the process of turning a passion project into a business. I think you are a great example that persistence and discipline can make that happen. What advice do you have for doing this intentionally?

Kristen: I started P.F. Candle Co. because I was working in publishing and lost my job during the 2008 recession. At the time, Etsy was just kicking off, and there was this huge resurgence of what people call ‘grandma crafts’ today, things like cross-stitch and handmade goods.

In those early days, I was incredibly scrappy. I was working multiple part-time jobs and essentially living in the gig economy before it even had a name. I’d make pillows, book safes, or buttons and constantly ask myself, ‘I can make it, but can I sell it?’ I was just trying to figure out how to monetize my craft to grow a business for myself.

However, once we started hiring staff and growing P.F. Candle Co., I realized how easy it is to steamroll your love for the craft by getting lost in the business operations. I’ve had to ‘deprogram’ myself from that early scrappy mentality where I thought every single thing I made had to be something I could sell. You have to protect what you love about the craft itself.

I try to take on craft projects that have absolutely nothing to do with candles or fragrance. I quilt and knit. I know I cannot monetize those things because I’m just not that good at them, but that’s the beauty of it!

There is real value in building a life for yourself that is private, away from the public eye. I think anything you put online naturally becomes publicized and monetized in a way; you’re essentially creating a brand version of yourself. When that happens, it starts to feel like a role you’re playing rather than an embodiment of who you actually are.

There are a lot of things I just don’t talk about online. I don’t really share things about my daughter or my time playing tennis and doing yoga. I also do a lot of community advocacy for cycling and safe streets, and I spend time watching Survivor with my family. Keeping those parts of my life private ensures I have things that belong to me, separate from the brand.

Florencia: On that note, what is your take on building a personal brand as a founder and partaking in social media in that way? Currently, we hear a lot about how the most successful companies are those whose founders build in public.

Kristen: Yeah, you can feel a lot of pressure to build in public. I think I did that much more in the beginning when we were really small, back in that 2015 era. I used to put a lot more of my life online and had TikTok going for a while.

I was getting some viral videos and things like that, but it just ended up sucking the joy out of being online for me. It gave me so much anxiety that I eventually just realized I couldn’t do it anymore. I couldn’t keep up with that ‘performance.’ And who’s to say whether or not that would have even made me more successful in the long run?

There’s always this element of comparison where you look at someone else and think, ‘Oh, well, they look amazing.’ But of course they do—everyone’s life looks amazing online because they’ve curated it to look that way.

I started a Substack a couple of years ago, and I’ve been posting regularly. I really like showing up online in that specific way because I love to write. That’s actually how I started this business, with a blog.

Florencia: Now when it comes to P.F. Candle Co., how do you balance putting out content that feels true to the brand but also generates sales?

Kristen: It’s funny because we had really good growth on Instagram for many, many years. Then we had a brief stint on TikTok, and while we had some viral moments, I eventually had to sit down and ask: Who is this serving? During that time, our growth was actually declining because we were going overboard trying to create this trendy content.

We’re growing in engagement and follower count again because the change we made was simply showing up consistently. Consistency for us means creating content that can be delivered time and time again. It’s not flashy, and it’s not trendy—we don’t even hop on trends anymore.

Florencia: Do you have any secrets to overcome creative blocks?

Kristen: I physically reset my whole space. I think this works because you’re touching physical objects and dealing with very low-pressure decision-making. You’re making these really quick, rapid-fire decisions, but you’re also able to move through it in a bit of a creative flow state—like arranging books by subject or by height.

The other thing I do is put timers on myself. Being aware of the clock, setting a timer for just five minutes and doing what I can in that window is usually enough to take that good flow energy and ‘rebound’ off of it back into a true creative state.

Florencia: What are some of your favorite ways of finding inspiration outside of the internet?

Kristen: I love visiting flea markets, vintage stores, museums, going to the movies, going for walks and bike rides around my neighborhood in new cities. I’m a homebody, but traveling is a great way to turn the prism in your mind for inspiration too.

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I’m reading The Organized Mind right now, which explores why the mind works the way it does and how it can adapt in an increasingly chaotic digital world where things seem to move faster than ever.

By way of The Traitors, we started watching Survivor. There’s something comforting about having such a deep well of seasons (50!) to tap into. We’ve watched five seasons so far.

Florencia: Is there anything exciting coming up that we should keep an eye out for?

Kristen: We’re releasing a new scent called Saltwater Jasmine. This was previously a limited-edition scent, but we’ve gotten so many requests to bring it back—and it just feels really fitting with the jasmine season here in Los Angeles and summer almost upon us. Other than that, we’ve been in the lab sudsing up a completely new product. I feel like we’re learning to make candles all over again, which is exciting for a company almost 20 years old.

Thanks so much to Kristen for her time and generosity answering all the questions for Sobremesa! Saltwater Jasmine is already out, check it out at pfcandleco.com and subscribe to Kristen’s newsletter, , here on Substack.

If this conversation inspired you, leave a comment, share it with a friend, or consider upgrading to a paid subscription.

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Email me at florenciaornelas.f@gmail.com if you are interested in collaborating or follow along on the other app. Talk to you soon!

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I decided to put this list together for two reasons.

1. When I moved to Vancouver five years ago, the third spaces in this city became my escape during very lonely times. With no family or close friends nearby, finding affordable places outside my tiny Downtown apartment and my office building became essential to my mental health. These spaces gave structure to my days and helped me feel part of a new community.

2. I want to inspire you to seek out and visit the third spaces near you. Cities can feel increasingly expensive and isolating, and I think we all need more spaces where we can just exist without the pressure to spend a lot of money. When communities actively use and advocate for places like libraries, parks, and community centres, they become much harder to remove or defund. Showing up regularly and being involved matters!

I hope this inspires you to make your own list in your city and to share it with your community.

My favorite third spaces in Vancouver ↓

• Stanley Park: Top on the list because it is truly one of my favorite places in the world. The park is a preserved acreage of natural forest, with a stunning seawall, walking and biking trails, multiple gardens, and even a local beaver lake (see below). I don’t think locals really understand how special this space is in a busy city like this one.

• Beaver Lake: My number one place to go and spot birds, and of course, the family of beavers <3 that lives in a very cute den. It’s one of the most peaceful places, and you forget that you are right in the city!

• Queen Elizabeth Park: A quick train South of the city, and you find one of the most charming parks in Vancouver. The viewpoints make it ideal for a sunset walk or a picnic in its gardens.

• Burnaby Central Park: A large urban forest in the Burnaby area with a pitch and putt golf course, tennis courts, an outdoor pool, jogging trails, a fitness circuit, and lots of children’s playground. Planning my next picnic here as we speak.

• VanDusen Botanical Garden - Paid
  Totally worth the modest fee. You can easily make a day of it and explore the entire garden, have a picnic, join one of the guided walks, or check out their library!

• Bloedel Conservatory - Small fee
  Located in the heart of Queen Elizabeth Park, this conservatory is filled with tropical flora and fauna, including a collection of crazy, stunning orchids. It’s quite warm and humid inside, so it's one of my favorite date ideas during the fall and winter.

• Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden - Free
  Another hidden gem in the middle of the city’s chaos. It features a koi pond and plenty of seating areas to relax and admire the Japanese maples.

• Stanley Park’s Rose Garden - Free
  My go-to spot when I want to lie down like a lizard and spend the day sketching and smelling the roses!

• Vancouver Public Library (Downtown Branch) - Free
  I’ve expressed my love for our city library many times in my newsletter, and I won’t stop until everyone I know has a library card! My go-to place to work outside of my apartment, do research or read a book on the terrace on a sunny day. The Kitsilano and West End branches are also nice if you are looking for a more cozy vibe.

• Emily Carr University Library - Free
  The Emily Carr Library is not only a very inspiring place to work, filled with natural light (and with a Nemesis coffee shop just outside!!!!), but it also houses a massive collection of art books available to the public. As if that weren’t cool enough, the Libby Leshgold Gallery is also located there and regularly features exhibitions by contemporary artists.

• Hillcrest Community Centre & West End Community Centre - Small fee
  Affordable access to gyms, saunas, lounges, and classes. Also, a super underrated place to meet people of different age groups.

• Second Beach Pool & Kitsilano Pool - Small fee
  Always impressed to see how well-maintained the city pools are. Spots fill up quickly in the summer, so plan your trip!

• Vancouver Art Gallery - Free on the first Friday of every month.

• Contemporary Art Gallery - By donation

• Museum of Vancouver - By donation on the first Sunday of every month.

• Belkin Art Gallery - Free

• Vancouver Maritime Museum - By donation on the first Sunday of every month.

• Marianne and Edward Gibson Art Museum - Free

• Vancouver Aquarium - Paid, but free once per year through the Leisure Access Program.

• Granville Island Public Market - Free to wander around the market and the seawall.

• Robson Square - Free

• The Cinematheque - Free admission is always available for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples. They occasionally host free screenings and presentations. Complimentary tickets are provided to various local community groups and organizations for those who cannot afford admission. You can contact them directly to arrange this through their Equity & Accessibility page.

• Farmers market - Free to wander around, chat with vendors and have a picnic at the park afterwards!

• Neighbourhood plazas - Small outdoor public plazas are great spaces to take part in neighbourhood activities and hangout, read a book or people watch. They have spring and summer arts programming which is also super cool to be part of. One of my favorites is the 21st & Main Plaza.

• Community gardens and city orchards - In Vancouver, there are more than 110 community gardens and orchards in City parks, on schoolyards, and on private property. This is a great way to be part of your community and make friends, while learning about taking care of the land and growing your own food!

Are you familiar with the third spaces in your community? How can you show up and be more involved in the programming this year?

Leave a comment

Remember: Sharing access to free resources and third spaces is inherently anti-capitalist. Make a list of third spaces in your city and distribute it to your community.

I plan on keeping adding to this list throughout the year. If you are in Vancouver, let me know if you have a spot that you would like to see featured!

Thanks for reading this issue of apartamento 710. It means the world to me. It would help me a lot if send it to a friend (or enemy) who you think might enjoy reading it as well!

Follow along on Instagram or email me at florenciaornelas.f@gmail.com if you are a brand and are interested in collaborating or hosting an event together!

If you would like to support my work monetarily without paying for a subscription:

Buy me a coffee

Love,

Florencia

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Let’s talk about why you should have a creative guide!

Today’s newsletter is about something I have been thinking a lot about lately: the role of creative guides in our lives. We’re used to the idea of mentors, people we look up to, often further along in a career we admire. But creative guides are different.

From my point of view, they are someone whose work you keep going back to as a reference and as a source of inspiration because something in the way they approach their craft and their process resonates with you and moves you. But this pull towards their creations goes beyond aesthetics. It’s a recognition of the self, kinship. No matter if you’ve never met them, or if they existed centuries ago…

Some people grow up surrounded by artists or creators, mirrors that reflect what’s possible, but a lot of us didn’t have that. I didn’t grow up around what you’d call ‘traditional’ artists. There weren’t many mirrors to look into. So in adulthood, finding mentors, and especially creative guides, has helped me a lot to figure out my voice.

An artist I really admire, Cody Cook-Parrott, often speaks about having a “Spiritual Committee of Creation,” a personal list of artists, writers, and ancestors who inform your work.

In the words of Cody, “This exercise is to help you remember that while creation is often a solitary act, we have a lot of help we can call on beyond this realm.”

HERE ARE SOME OF THE ICONS IN MY SPIRITUAL CREATIVE COMMITTEE ↓

Octavia Butler

Nathy Peluso

Leonora Carrington

Yoshimoto Nara

Paloma Elsesser

Cindy Sherman

Lady Gaga (specifically the energy she channels on the Marry the Night music video. I truly always go back to it when I’m feeling down)

Tove Jansson

Devonté Hynes

Sofia Coppola

Patti Smith

Phoebe Waller-Bridge

A PERSONAL ARCHIVE THAT YOU CAN REVISIT ANYTIME

I keep track of the some of favorite work by my creative guides in a log that I revisit anytime I’m feeling uninspired, sad or stuck. There is an abundance of information and content online, but I love going back to a mini library of materials and resources that I know are valuable to me and at the same time bring me a lot of comfort. I’ve added my log below, you can make a copy and start your own log this week!

Download here

Do you have creative guides? If not, who would you be adding to your list? I want to know! Please let me know in the comments <3

Leave a comment

Thanks for reading this issue of apartamento 710, it means the world to me. It would help me a lot if send it to a friend (or enemy) who you think might enjoy reading it as well!

Follow along on Instagram or email me at florenciaornelas.f@gmail.com if you are a brand and are interested in collaborating or hosting an event together!

If you would like to support my work monetarily without paying for a subscription:

Buy me a coffee

Love and gratitude,
Florencia

More from apartamento 710:

• Paid readers get access to snail mail! Here’s how to join ↓

• My website is up! I’ll be adding new offerings there, including merch, prints, and other surprises. Making it a bit easier for those of you who want to support my work but can’t do a monthly subscription <3

• I uploaded a vlog about my experience hosting events in Vancouver! Speaking to the camera is way outside my comfort zone but it’s a fun, silly challenge. Hope you can watch it!

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There’s something about Maxine's work that always transports me to happier moments of life. Rooted in joy, pleasure, and the beauty of everyday moments, her practice invites us to pay attention and appreciate the mundane things in life. In this conversation, we talk about following your own creative voice, making space for play in adulthood, and building a creative life beyond algorithms.

Meet the artist 🫒

I’m Maxine, and I’m an artist based in Toronto. I love thinking and painting about joy, pleasure, fun, delicious foods, and spending time with people we love. Life is short and often difficult, and I find a lot of happiness in creating beautiful scenes and painting memories of joyful, simple times.

Florencia: I’m a big fan of your style and the bold, colorful universes you create. Worlds where tables full of flowers and desserts are often at the center. Can you share a bit about your journey toward finding your visual language, and some of the references or influences that continue to inform your work today?

Maxine: It’s funny you bring up flowers being at the center, because I often think I should paint them more. I’m pretty sure doing flowers was how I got here, in a way. I was a florist for many years and even had a flower farm with a bestie of mine in Detroit. COVID put all of that work to a dead stop, so I began doing what I secretly loved most-drawing- all the time and feeling less shy about it, since it felt like the world was ending anyway.

I realized that making beautiful scenes was what I loved most about doing florals, but I love that in painting, I don’t need to keep anything alive or make anything sensible the way you have to when setting a table for real human beings. I love the freedom to paint my own worlds, which can be completely wonky and unrealistic.

Florencia: Being an independent artist today involves giving visibility to your work online. It can be life-changing to find an audience that resonates and supports your creations. Do you have any advice on how to balance staying true to your creative vision while also navigating algorithms?

Maxine: Gosh, it’s a good question. I used to get really bummed out when I’d love a piece, and it wouldn’t get any traction online. But then I realized that the people who really get me and want me to expand and grow as an artist are always the ones who show the most love anyway. There will be people online who love what you do, but really want you to stay in the lane that they know you from.

That’s all so nice, and it is wonderful to be supported, but your job as an artist is to follow your own voice and know that the right audience will find you eventually. Compromising your vision for the sake of the algorithm just makes me think of Black Mirror or something and is totally antithetical to making art, though trust me, I am guilty of it from time to time! Oh, and even if you’re shy, post pictures of yourself sometimes. That always gets a bit more love, haha.

Florencia: There is a section on your website that I really loved titled ‘Play’, kind of a video archive of the art projects you embark on just for fun. Can you share a bit more about the role of play or experimentation in your work as an artist?

Maxine: Yes! I often do little made-up projects to get myself out of funks. I rarely take videos or photos of them, but sometimes do, and I thought I might as well include them on my site. I’m not totally sure why. I guess I feel if I have to represent myself, that’s a big part of it; play.

I think we all need to play around and connect with our inner child, as trite a thing to say as that is. I also love seeing big brands bring artists on board to create in a whimsical way, and I would love to work more with forward-thinking brands that allow me to work in a playful way and experiment.

Florencia: Are there any practices or rituals that help you overcome creative blocks?

Maxine: Yes! When I’m feeling stuck, I usually go for something three-dimensional to play with.

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Reference Library is a quarterly compilation of all the different curiosities that inform the world of apartamento 710. All the books, films, and music that I am loving, the art that inspires me, and the practices or mediums I’m experimenting with. Sharing it all with you for your leisure. Read other editions of RL here.

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Art musings

• The work of artist Aya Takano. I accidentally came across Aya’s work scrolling on my old Tumblr account the other night. Aya Takano is a painter, Superflat artist, manga artist, and science fiction essayist. The characters in her work remind me of growing up with my sister in the early 2000’s, playing with fantasy makeup and putting way too much fuchsia blush and blue eyeshadows, filling our hair with blobby hair accessories, and then jumping into the inflatable pool in the garden, pretending we were fish for hours. One of her comic books, Cosmic Juice is at the top of my wishlist. Have you come across her work before?
  

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• The work of David Chapelle. I’ve seen this photo of Gael at least a dozen times online, but I never got curious to dig in about the artist behind the lens of this iconic photoshoot.

It turns out I’ve been living under a rock, because it’s none other than David LaChapelle who has captured my super crush, Gael García, as well as some of the most iconic personalities around the world, including Björk, David Bowie, Britney Spears, Michael Jackson, and manyyyyy others. From what I’ve gathered so far, I feel like he really has a gift for bringing out the essence of his subjects through immersive worlds full of color, texture, and imperfection.

Videos, movies, documentaries

• National Film Board of Canada: OK, you are going to love me for this one, especially if you live in Canada. The NFB is a publicly funded organization created by the Canadian government that offers an extensive catalog of independent films, animated movies, documentaries, and more than 6,000 titles free for streaming. Goodbye, Netflix! Here are a few documentaries I’m going to devour this weekend:

  • Waterwalker, 1984

  • Indigenous Plant Diva, 2008

  • The Intertidal Zone, 1985

HOT TIP

If you are looking for alternatives to the major streaming services, I highly recommend Tubi (I watched What About Bob last night, starring Bill Murray, and loved it. A very light, funny, and heart-warming film) and Kanopy, which you can access for free with a library card!

• The world of the incredible Petra Collins: If you are a chronically online person, you’ve probably seen the newest Olivia Rodrigo music video for Drop Dead, which was directed by Petra Collins. The scene of Olivia playing the guitar at the Palace of Versailles reminds me of the early Shakira music videos in her rock era.

  

Miscellaneous

• It’s springtime here in Vancouver and that means lots of time outside watching birds. My partner is an oceanologist and has worked in the conservation of marine birds throughout his career. I truly owe all my knowledge about birds to him! Something very cool that we enjoy doing this time of year is walking to a blue heron colony near our apartment. Right now, all the eggs are hatching, and it is fascinating to go and observe closely the eggs that fall out of the nest. A fun fact that Alanh shared with me the other day is that Blue Herons share their responsibilities very equitably in building the nest, incubating the eggs, and feeding the chicks. Humans could learn a lot from birds!

• Systems, systems, systems: One of my top priorities this year has been building a stronger body. I signed up for the cheapest gym I could find to lower my resistance and continue going, and I’m proud to share that I have been lifting weights since January!!! I’ve been tracking my consistency using a notebook and dot stickers. It’s much more satisfying to add a sticker to the page than to go to an app or even post about my progress online. I can lift 15 lb on each arm now! This is the notebook I currently use.

My current wallpaper! A vision of myself at 70 rockc-limbing because I’m sooo strong and fun and cool

A few other fixations:

Thanks so much for making it all the way to the end! Follow along on Instagram or email me at florenciaornelas.f@gmail.com if you are interested in collaborating or hosting an event together!

If you would like to support my work monetarily without paying for a subscription:

Buy me a coffee

Other offerings:

• My website is up! Or at least a very first version that I feel comfortable with. I’ll be adding new offerings there, including merch, new zines, and other surprises. Making it a bit easier for those of you who want to support my work but can’t do a monthly sub <3

  

• My upcoming event in Vancouver is almost sold out! So excited to be collaborating with some of my favorite creatives to bring this event to life. If you are based here, you can still snag a ticket!

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On Saturday, May 2nd, I’ll be hosting a creative night at Umeglow in Chinatown, Vancouver. I’m partnering with a florist and food artist to make this experience a truly memorable night. If you are in town, I would love to see you there! Readers of the newsletter get a special discount with code APT710.

Event details

Today’s newsletter features a special guest. Mapi Arce is a student of Chinese Medicine and the creative force behind A Fruit of Dreams, a newsletter about reconnecting with the sacredness of it all through art, ancestral medicine, and our bodies.

Mapi is a lifelong student of Traditional Oriental Medicine and Vedic Philosophy. Through her practice and art, she hopes to dissect the sacred and the unseen. I’m grateful that she is sharing her wisdom with us today.

Here are seven unconventional signs of health, according to Chinese medicine.

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1. A pull towards stillness, a newfound silence

A calm mind indicated a balanced Heart. The ability to stay still, in silence, is a sign of health and well-being. Constant mental stimulation depletes Heart qi and weakens digestion, which in turn depletes Heart Blood. Generalized anxiety, needing to do something at all times, a sense of urgency, and a need for noise are all indications of an agitated Heart. A moment of silence once a day strengthens Heart qi.

2. An innocent urge to express creativity

Feeling creative and fulfilling this urge indicates a balanced Liver. In Chinese medicine, the spirit of the Liver (the Hun) is said to inspire us by bringing ideas from the ether. In Women Who Run With the Wolves, Clarissa Pinkola stresses the importance of creativity and its fulfillment for women’s spiritual, mental, and physical health. A general lack of creativity, or beginning a creative project but not fulfilling it, are all signs of an unbalanced Liver. Creating something, anything, once a day disperses Liver qi.

3. A natural detachment towards one’s thoughts

Slow but steady thinking, thoughts that come and go naturally, and a sharp intellect are all indicators of a balanced Spleen. Excessive thinking, “sticky” intrusive thoughts, rumination, and worry all deplete Spleen qi and lead to mental fatigue. In Chinese medicine, the Spleen (and pancreas) absorb, transform, and transport the nutrients extracted from food. In the same way, Spleen qi helps us extract the nutrients from anything we consume on a mental level and, eventually, let go of the waste. Attachment to a thought in the form of rumination is a sign of poor digestion. Reducing processed sugar, dairy, and heavy foods (past, creams, pastries) will reduce “sticky” thoughts in the body.

4. A soft but constant eroticism

A love for existence, soft sensuality, and a lust for life are all signs of strong Kidney qi. The Kidneys govern the life-death cycles in the body (growth, reproduction, and aging). The life-death cycle, so inseparable from nature, is at the foundation of any erotic feeling. Eroticism is the pulse of life made possible only by its eventual cessation. Eroticism is closely tied to pleasure and pain, life and death, because it’s synonymous with presence. It has a divine element to it that comes from complete presence with one’s senses, enabled by a calm mind and healthy Heart Qi. In this way, the Heart and Kidneys are connected. When the axis between the two is thriving, one experiences a lust for life that is grounded by a still mind.

5. Sacrality, searching for meaning

This concept often has a religious connotation attached to it, but it does not need one. Searching for meaning and sacredness is a sign of good Lung qi. This is highly tied to detachment and letting go, which also corresponds to the Lungs in Chinese medicine. The Lungs are the organ closest to “Heaven” and this connection is made possible through the breath itself (meditation). This sign may be the most conventional sign of them all, considering finding meaning in life is a very important indicator of health in modern Psychology. Strong Lung Qi enables this search, and eventually, an inner sense of sacrality and purity can be accumulated.

6. Inner strength and vitality, courage

In Chinese medicine and Chinese culture, excessive timidity and lack of courage are signs of a weak Gallbladder. Courage reveals inner strength, vitality, and health, particularly of the Gallbladder and Liver, which together are responsible for decision-making, planning, and taking action. In 2026, these themes are of vital importance as it is the year of the Fire Horse, a year of wise and decisive action. The courage to pursue one’s creativity, vision, and desires is what brings joy to the body, mind and spirit alike. In the Sheng cycle, a cycle of 5 elements, the Liver and Gallbladder are characterized as the “mother” of the Heart, the “organ” responsible for the feeling of joy. In the same way, one’s courage gives “birth” to endless happiness if one uses it wisely. Courage is both a hallmark of health and an instigator of it.

7. Patience, an inner harmony that remains undisturbed

Patience is not merely a virtue, but speaks to the smooth flow of qi, an inner harmony that remains undisturbed even amid the unpredictable ebb and flow of life. It’s the body settled in a more parasympathetic way of living. Patience is also a reflection of a calm spirit, and so a healthy Heart and nervous system. It speaks to inner resilience and endurance, traits that also reflect a strong Zong qi, our life force that circulates in our chest. Patience is a virtue that arises naturally when Heart qi is strong and Zong qi circulates freely.

Thanks to for her contribution! It’s fascinating to explore creativity through the lens of different perspectives. If this inspired you, leave a comment, share it with a friend, or consider upgrading to a paid subscription.

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Follow along on Instagram or email me at florenciaornelas.f@gmail.com if you are interested in collaborating or hosting an event together!

For all my Vancouver friends: Creative night with Umeglow details are out. I’m partnering with Flower House Studios and Api Eats — two of my favorite woman-owned, local creatives to make this a truly magical evening. I hope I see you there!

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For this edition of Sobremesa, I am talking with Madeline Odonoghue, the Auckland-based artist behind the typefaces all over our Pinterest feeds. In this conversation, we dive deep into the behind-the-scenes of her creative practice, the inspiration behind her iconic typographic styles, and how she embraces imperfection and analog processes in the era of AI and automation.

Meet the artist 🍧

I’m a multidisciplinary designer & artist currently living and working in Auckland (Tāmaki Makaurau), Aotearoa New Zealand. My work explores language, symbols, and hand-made forms, celebrating imperfection, analogue processes, and ideas that feel rooted in something bigger. I make a range of things, from icon packs and fonts to prints, ceramics, short films, and visual research projects.

Some key inspirations are Sister Corita Kent, the 1970s, Nina Simone, early Newport Folk Fest, art galleries, Los Angeles, old cars, folk music, protest language, documentaries, quilting as communication, Badlands (1973), architecture, Apartamento magazine, Georgia O’Keeffe, and peace signs. Essentially forms of visual communication that push against or question the systems around us.

For those discovering your work for the first time, could you share a bit more about the work you do?

I have a background in Fine Arts, majoring in painting, but I taught myself design tools while living in Los Angeles (when I wasn’t able to work under a strict partnership visa). Since then, my practice has become a merging of the two, bringing hand-drawn, organic, analogue processes into digital tools and systems, which I try to make available for others to use when possible.

I make quite a range of things. Drawings, songs, icon-based illustrations, downloadable art prints, but lately I’ve been in what I like to call “fontland”: a place where I make hand-drawn, hand-crafted fonts that can be used and reused by others, ideally on meaningful projects.

I came across your typefaces on Pinterest last year and was immediately inspired by them. I was struck by how familiar they felt. There’s a childlike quality to them. I’d love to know a bit more about what inspires your design work, and how you think about balancing playfulness with intention when you’re creating type.

Being in “fontland” gives me a lot of freedom to play with letters, drawing, and communication in a way that feels quite different from anything else. It’s like creating an idea or a feeling that can be used over and over again to communicate visually, so it really taps into my interest in language as visual communication.

There’s always a balance between being playful and conceptual, while also knowing how to systemise that into a usable design tool with the intention of it being used. That said, some of the best work I’ve made has come from moments that are more fluid, hand-drawn, or messy — ideas that didn’t try to fit a particular style, but ended up having the most impact and resonance.

I find that when I try to make something with too much intention, or become too aware of how things “should” work, baselines, structure, all of that, the work can lose its expressive, childlike quality. It loses its naivety, and with that, some of its feeling, so it becomes less successful for me.

It’s that idea that the more you know, the harder it can be to hold onto true naivety, and naivety is where the freedom sits. Much like naive music experimentation, rough recordings, where the beauty lies in the mistakes, the rawness, or a crack in a vocal, for me, playfulness is the starting point, and intention comes after.

In an era of AI and automation, I admire how your practice embraces handmade and slow processes. What does imperfection offer to your work that optimization doesn’t?

I struggle with anything too rigid, clean, or overly gridded. That might be because I don’t come from a traditional design background, so instead I tend to look at systems that are in place and slightly mess with them, so that artful thinking can still exist within them.

I still want things to function, a font still needs to work as a tool, but I want there to be an element of the hand, something human, embedded within it.

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In this letter: My current spring obsessions, a look into the new apartamento 710 merch, and my rejection log list, aka all the things I’m trying this new season. From career moves and creative partnerships to artistic pursuits. It’s a juicy one. 🧃

Before we dive in, A COUPLE OF HOUSEKEEPING ITEMS;

• apartamento 710 merch it’s finally here!!!!!! I’ve designed a sticker sheet inspired by sobremesa. It will be in the next batch of snail mail to paid readers. I can’t wait for you to see it in person. The color palette is just delicious. If you are a paid reader, this is the last call to sign up for snail mail club just in time for the spring batch.
  

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• I’m hosting a workshop in Vancouver tomorrow with Kado Studios at Cowdog to celebrate the beginning of spring! I’ll be guiding folks to create art around a floral installation by the Kado team. Huge shoutout to Partake for sponsoring the non-alc bevs for the night. Thrilled to meet some of my local readers this weekend!

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Dear reader,

I started this blog over two years ago when I was working a corporate job that wasn’t stimulating my creativity. I was utterly bored and needed an outlet to express myself. apartamento 710 was born out of the desire to connect with a community, specifically with other artists and creatives who also have to work a full-time job to fund their creative pursuits.

Since then, this space has become one of the most exciting parts of my creative ecosystem and has opened many doors to new projects and collabs with people I admire. But something that brings creative fulfillment can still be challenging to balance, especially having a 9–5.

In this letter, I’m sharing with you what has worked for me in the past 2+ years running my newsletter: how I’ve taken it from 0 to 5,500+ readers, the details of my writing process, the tools I use to manage the world of apartamento 710, and more. Let’s dive in!

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Paid readers: Don’t forget to opt in for snail mail club by filling out this form. First batch of mail goes out next week!

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1. Stop waiting for the opportunities and go create them yourself. Nobody is going to give you a seat at the table, you have to grab that chair.

2. You are never going to be 100% ready. Go for it, learn as you go, make it good later.

3. Disconnect often. Going offline is not a luxury, it’s a basic need in our times.

4. Say no more often. Resist the urge to over explain yourself.

5. Keep a diary.

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In celebration of my birthday this week, I am running the biggest sale of the year to celebrate! From today through March 19th, upgrade to a paid subscription for 60% off the usual price. That is $2/month (less than your morning matcha) or $24 for the whole year. Best birthday gift you can give me!

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For this edition of Sobremesa, I am talking with Fernanda Navarro, the creative force behind some of my favorite hospitality projects in Mexico. To know her is to be inspired by her taste, sensibility, and magnetism. Today, she shares with us the behind-the-scenes of her creative process and some of the tools that have enabled her to build unique and successful brands in the past decade.

Meet the artist 🦪

My name is Fernanda Navarro. I’m a multidisciplinary designer from Ciudad Obregón, Sonora, Mexico. I work across creative direction, branding, interior design, and art curation, shaping brands and complete spaces from concept to experience.

My work is genuinely inspired by the desert where I grew up and by everyday life — from cloudy skies to people who are unapologetically themselves. My process is intuitive and very mood-driven (I’m a Gemini). Lately, I’ve been intentionally returning to how I started: working through analog processes like photography, painting, and collage, as well as taking ceramic and sewing classes — letting ideas take shape physically before anything becomes digital.

For those discovering your work for the first time, how do you describe what you do, and how your roles as creative director, interior designer, and graphic designer inform one another?

I don’t experience my roles as separate disciplines. Graphic design, interior design, and creative direction are simply different languages to tell the same story.

I think in systems rather than outputs. A brand identity informs how a space feels; a space influences how people move, eat, and interact; and all of that feeds back into visual language.

Designing across disciplines allows me to create coherence — where nothing feels added on, and everything belongs to the same emotional world.

When designing a new space, where does the story usually begin for you: with the space, the food, the brand identity, or something else entirely?

I start by listening to the place, the city, the climate, the people involved, and the food, especially if it’s a restaurant project. I’m interested in spaces that feel inevitable, as if they could only exist there and nowhere else.

I do use private Pinterest mood boards as part of that early phase, not to define an aesthetic too quickly, but as a way of gathering references, textures, and atmospheres while I’m still observing and listening. The brand identity usually emerges from that process rather than being imposed.

What parts of the creative process energize you the most, and what aspects have challenged you or forced you to grow the most in the past decade, bringing ambitious projects like Humo&Sal and Salón Apache to life?

What energizes me the most is the early phase of the creative process, when things are still undefined and fragile — that moment when intuition leads before clarity appears.

I love sitting down to choose color palettes and textures, thinking about how a space or a brand should feel rather than how it should look. When working with interiors, art curation is one of my favorite parts of the process — selecting and placing pieces in a way that makes a space feel lived-in, personal, and unique. It’s where emotion and intention really come together for me.

The biggest challenge has been learning to balance sensitivity with leadership. Bringing projects like Humo&Sal and Salón Apache to life meant stepping into roles beyond design: making decisions, taking responsibility, and trusting my own criteria even when it felt uncomfortable. Growth, for me, has come from understanding that creativity also requires structure, patience, and care — that intuition needs a framework in order to fully exist in the real world.

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When you hit a creative block, what practices or rituals help you reset?

I pause work almost entirely and focus on taking care of my body — exercising, eating well, and returning to a slower rhythm. Rest, for me, isn’t something I earn after being productive; it’s what allows ideas to come back naturally.

This interview is part of Sobremesa, my series of intimate conversations with artists. Paid readers get full access to this interview and more than 60 pieces in the archive.

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Dear reader,

In celebration of my birthday next week, I am running the biggest sale of the year to celebrate! From today through March 19th, upgrade to a paid subscription for 60% off the usual price. That is $2/month (less than your morning matcha) or $24 for the whole year. Best birthday gift you can give me!

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Four years ago, I moved from the desert to the Pacific Northwest. Living here has forced taught me to move with the seasons. After four winters on this land, the darkest, coldest months have become the time when I replenish my energy, truly rest, and allow myself to slow down. Because of that, I’ve stopped thinking of January as the beginning of my new year. For me, spring, the astrological new year, marks the true start of the year.

This time of the year, late winter, also coincides with Pisces season: a liminal space where we are invited to reflect on what we lived in previous months, to dream, soften, and tend to our emotional and spiritual worlds as we prepare for renewal.

Across many northern Indigenous communities, late winter has long been understood as a season of spiritual preparation for the coming spring. Among Inuit communities, this time has traditionally centered on gathering what is essential, strengthening communal bonds, and turning inward.

I recently borrowed Inuit Women Artists from the library—a collection of drawings that documents life in the North through the eyes of women. It was enlightening to learn through these illustrations how these communities have existed and resisted in close relationship with the land for centuries, guided by a profound reverence and respect for nature. Highly recommend you take a peek at the book if you can.

To-dos before the snow melts:

1. Take inventory of your energy drainers: Late-night scrolling? Making impulsive purchases after indulging on TikTok? Make a list of what is no longer serving you as you move into a new season.

2. Finish (or drop) a project: Close a creative loop before starting something new. You don’t have to stick with things just because you said you would. It’s okay to change your mind!

3. Declutter one drawer or corner: I’m doing a big spring cleaning in my closet, taking some stuff to the thrift store, and selling another portion. If it’s been in my closet for more than 4-6 months and I didn’t wear it, it’s out.

4. Mend or repair something: Sit down with a cup of tea and lots of patience, and mend that sweater that’s been missing a few buttons since last fall! I did this a couple of weeks ago, and it was very satisfying. There’s beauty in repairing what you own instead of running to order something new online.

5. Get involved in your community: Book that volunteer session, or email someone new to have a coffee chat. Remember that spending time in community is important as we come out of hibernation.

6. Spend time outside in the cold: Later in the year, we will miss the breeze of a nice winter morning walk. Go outside, even for 10 minutes, and witness how nature transitions to spring.

7. Create something with your hands: We love crafts here, of course. Something I love to do at the beginning of each year is to make a photo album that includes photos of my previous seasons. I love to decorate it with stickers and memorabilia, scrapbook vibes. Don’t let your photos get lost in the cloud! Print them and make a cute photo album for your future self and family. Here’s some inspiration to get you started.

I’m sharing some of my favorite early spring flowers for you to update the folder icons on your desktop and make it even cuter this spring. 📁 Updating the icons is very simple, I’ll add a step-by-step below! Paid readers, scroll down to download the flowers and a bonus surprise 🥀

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Sobremesa is the interview series of this newsletter, where I feature creators and artists across different industries. I chose this name because I wanted the space to feel less like a formal interview and more like an intimate conversation with a friend. The kind that happens after a good meal and maybe a couple of drinks. Sobremesa is about curiosity, honesty, and letting conversations wander.

In the first season, I featured some of my favorite illustrators, designers, prop stylists, animators, and a baker! The second season comes out later this month, and I can’t wait to share the conversations I’ve been having recently with painters, children’s book writers, florists, and even my favorite YouTuber of all time. Can you guess who?

You know how much I value going back to previous work and looking for patterns. There were many valuable insights worth revisiting from the first round of conversations. If you have been following this series, you may know that I always ask folks about their favorite ways to search for inspiration outside the internet. Below you’ll find a compilation of all the places these artists turn to for creative inspiration, beyond scrolling online. Here is a recap of the first batch of Sobremesa interviews. Enjoy!

A year of Sobremesa: conversations with the most creative people I know

Hiller Goodspeed, artist and illustrator based in Vancouver

Advice on creating things:

I used to think I had to wait for things to happen for other things to happen—that everything required a mountain of prerequisites. I’ve learned that none of that is true. No one knows what they’re doing initially, but they do it anyway. And then they do it again, because why not?

When I’m working, I try not to think about anything other than the task at hand. If you enjoy what you’re doing and do it for yourself, it will be imbued with an unmistakable you-ness. The people you love will listen to your EP, taste your bruschetta, or look over your garden and know that no one else could have done it that way.

Ideas come and go, seemingly from the ether. I’ve learned I have to direct my consciousness to a certain mental space—like finding a good fishing spot—and wait. If I hang out there long enough, something might happen.

Where Hiller likes to search for inspiration outside the internet:

• I like to ride my bike, and walk around my neighbourhood. I assign myself missions that encourage exploration of unknown spaces. I love going to the Denman Place Mall to be inspired. I love spending time in grocery stores and wandering through alleys looking for weird, discarded stuff.

• I live close to Stanley Park and have spent a lot of time in the forest just “taking it in”. I take photos of everything I find interesting and constantly go back to reference things I have encountered.

Francesca Farris, food systems enthusiast and aspiring shepherd based in Southern Italy

Thoughts on starting from scratch in a new country:

A job, whether full-time or not, inevitably launches you into a community. It gives you a place to belong and allows people to recognize you as someone who is trying. I find that once you consistently show up, people will start to include you, and things will start to flow naturally.

When I got to Sardinia, I worked with a shepherd in the mornings, helping him shear his sheep. He used to pay me with cheese and vegetables. I also worked as a bar waitress in the evening, and this was great practice as I got to talk to strangers and completely let go of my fear and embarrassment of being wrong. I realized from the moment I opened my mouth that Italians knew I wasn’t a native speaker, but for me, this is a point of pride—that I can speak more than one language and be playful with it.

Favorite places to seek inspiration offline:

• Participating observer in small-town events. From patron saint festivals to fashion shows and talent shows, I love the energy and planning people put toward preserving tradition—and inventing tradition. All for the sake of gathering and sharing experiences as a community.

• Maximalist shops: Stores packed to the ceiling that require a ladder for the store attendant to reach the goods. In Palermo, there is an inspiring fabric store and a bookstore called La Stanza Di Carta. I love the maximalist contrast to today’s minimal, simplistic aesthetics. I find the organized chaos very exciting.
  

Sandy Sanchez, writer, brand strategist, and content creator based in Brooklyn

Sandy on creating a space that inspires you to create:

Gathering inspiration online can be a great reference. You might like how someone is styling their rug, incorporating color into their living room, or framing their art—but always think about how that would apply to your space. And when you see what others are purchasing, it’s important to ask yourself: Do I actually want that, or do I just want it because everyone has it?

Her favorite places to seek inspiration offline:

• Movies: I’m a member at Metrograph and try to see a movie every month. I also go to my neighborhood theater—it’s kind of grungy and old, but so comforting to see a movie on a random weekday.

• Historic home tours: I recently visited Donald Judd’s home in SoHo, and the guided tour was fascinating. Home tours are one of my favorite activities—nothing beats seeing these spaces in person and how artists actually lived.

Andrew Hurt, multidisciplinary artist and cook based in Vancouver

The mysterious realm of ideas and how they land in our brain:

When I get an idea for something, it usually just pops into my head out of nowhere—kind of like how David Lynch relates to creativity when he says, “An idea is like catching a big fish.” Some weeks I have no ideas at all, but I keep fishing. Then randomly I’ll get something, and when it appears, one medium usually stands out in front of the others.

I wish I could say I’m able to sit down and just come up with ideas and choose a medium at my own discretion—that would be sick. But usually, an idea just slaps me in the face out of nowhere, with the medium already in place.

Where Andy finds inspiration outside the internet:

• Exploring the city I live in: I love going to Chinatown and into the markets and seeing the old butchers behind the counter doing their thing. Food is the core of any community, and when you surround yourself with food, you surround yourself with stories—and the faces that make up a neighborhood. That always inspires me.

Lisa Cyang, art director, set designer, and photographer based in Montreal

Advice on starting a career in prop styling/photography

Don’t be scared to reach out to people whose work you like. In terms of practice, surround yourself with things you like—utensils you find interesting, rocks with nice shapes, desserts you find beautiful. Doing this might inspire you to start shooting. Exercising your imagination and putting it into practice is the best way to understand your style and strengthen your eye.

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Dear reader,

There is something about February that makes me feel very hopeful. Maybe it’s that I can almost feel spring and the longer days ahead, or that Pisces season (and my birthday) is around the corner. I’ve also realized how much I love Valentine’s Day as an excuse to show extra love to the people in my life through small acts of care, like sending voice notes telling them how much I miss them, baking for them, or one of my favorite expressions of love: writing letters.

Over the past few decades, perhaps thanks to Hollywood, writing letters has been reduced to a symbol reserved almost exclusively for romantic interests, which I think is lame. This year, I want to encourage you to write more letters casually, not only to your crush, but also to friends and even to people you don’t know.

Want to start writing letters? This is a non-comprehensive list of things you may need. You probably already have most things at home, so get writing!

Hot tip: If you are not feeling inspired, my go-to is writing down one of my favorite poems or song lyrics that remind me of the person, and sending it to them in the mail.

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In other news—after experimenting with it last year, I’ve decided to officially launch snail mail for all paid readers! Seasonal snail mail for 2026 will arrive in March, June, September, and December. If you are a paid reader, fill out this form to opt in, and be ready to receive the first mail next month!

This will be one of the many perks paid readers unlock when upgrading. If you enjoy my work and want to support it further, this is the chance to upgrade and start receiving something from me in the real world as well.

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Seasonal snail mail will include:

• Stickers of the month: I will include stickers that I collect periodically from some of my favorite artists

• Stationery: For the past couple of years, I’ve been collecting special pieces of stationery and ephemera every time I travel, and I want to share them with you!

• Original illustrations: I am excited to include a small print made by me, inspired by each season

• A handwritten letter: Obviously, a note or postcard will be inside your mail, with maybe a poem, a confession, or some other surprise hihi

Thanks for supporting my work, and for being here the past two years of apartamento 710. It truly means the world to me!

Follow along on Instagram or email me at florenciaornelas.f@gmail.com if you are interested in collaborating or hosting an event together. Manifesting fun events around the world this year!

Dear reader,

Today I bring you the fourth installment of my series: Where to find inspiration outside of the internet. I started this series last year, and it has become one of my favorite sections of the newsletter. I decided to try something different and wrote it all by hand this time, along with illustrations and journal scans. Thanks to and for sparking inspiration to create my own analog newsletter!

In case you missed it:

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Join the apartamento 710 book club! We start reading Lost Lambs on February 9th. Newsletter readers get 20% off at Massy Books. Use APT10 at checkout. Full details here ↓

Follow along on Instagram or email me at florenciaornelas.f@gmail.com if you are interested in collaborating or hosting an event together. Manifesting many fun events around the world this year!

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I’ve spent a big chunk of my 20’s reading self-help books. I always hoped I’d turn into a completely new person after reading them. An improved version of myself— optimized, without the quirky traits inherited from my dad’s side of the family. Maybe I’m just more cynical now. Or it’s the natural rhythm of life that, when you land in your late 20s, things you cared about ten years ago seem irrelevant, including the need to constantly improve yourself. So this year, the goal is to pick up more poetry, fantasy, and fiction books. I don’t want to pretend I’m an intellectual. I want to read stories that make feel things, where I may have nothing in common with the main character, and yet I can still lose myself in the plot.

I want to invite you to read more fiction with me and join the apartamento 710 book club. It’s free, it’s cool, and it will keep you accountable. For our first read, we’ll be reading Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash. Set in a small coastal town, follows the Flynn family as their carefully balanced lives begin to unravel and a mysterious shipping container pulls them into a criminal conspiracy.

To learn more about the book before committing, you can read the excerpt here. The author, Madeline, is a writer based in New York City, and Lost Lambs is her debut novel.

⭐ For all my Vancouver based readers who want to join the book club:

Massy Books is offering the apartamento 710 community a 20% discount on your book. Just make sure you order it through this link and use code APT710 at checkout. ❤️ Massy Books is 100% Indigenous owned and operated. Please remember to support your local bookstores instead of billionare corporations that don’t care about the people or the planet.

Here’s how the book club will work:

• We will start reading the book on February 9th, with the goal of reading it in a span of 4 weeks.

• We will use the apartamento 710 chat to discuss the book and our progress weekly. During the first week of March, I will be hosting a session online for us to jump on and discuss the book upon finishing.

• ⭐ Paid readers who join the book club will receive very cute, book club-themed merch. If you have been considering to upgrade, this is your time!
  

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Feel free to forward this to a friend who might want to join too. Can’t wait to read with you this month! Below is our schedule:

apartamento 710, in the real world ☁️

• Some of my illustration and photography work will be exhibited in Mexico City Art Week. This has been a dream at the very top of my bucket list, so I’m very happy and grateful that it’s happening. Thanks to Ana Sofia for inviting me to this group showcase at Safe Place. Preguntas Madre will be open to the public until February 7th. If you are in Mexico City, please stop by and check it out!

• I‘m hosting a vision board workshop with my friend Gabriel, founder of AÉSENCE at cowdog. The event sold out in 40 mins the day we announced it (pinch me). Can’t wait to meet many new members of my community and vision board together. The event is kindly sponsored by Barbet and Nonny, two of my favorite non-alcoholic brands. Poster and illustration work by me.

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Follow along on Instagram or email me at florenciaornelas.f@gmail.com if you are interested in collaborating or hosting an event together. Manifesting many fun events around the world this year!