love over mind
over matter
Transitions call for this principle.
The first edition of my poster was called: If you do(n't) mind, it does(n't) matter.
It came about at a time when I was taking concrete steps to realize my vision of setting up my own letterpress studio. At Typorama in Bischofszell, I used this sentence as a mantra. Not as a pretty statement, but as a declaration of intent. Literally: if I don't take care of it, it remains an idea. If I take care of it, it becomes matter.
The logic is that simple.
If something is important to you and you give it genuine attention, it takes shape. If it has no place in your attention, it will hardly become reality.
This principle isn't just something I stick to in the studio. It's been a constant theme throughout my life.
Because the two belong together: just thinking is not enough, nor is just doing.
When heart and mind join hands, inspired results emerge.
This is precisely why the original poster has evolved.
Over time, I have come to realize that “If you do(n't) mind, it does(n't) matter” is no longer sufficient for me. “Mind” alone is too narrow. The heart must also be involved. One can care about things that one does not truly love. And one can fulfill desires that later feel empty.
That is why the second edition became:
If you do(n’t) love, you do(n’t) mind.
If you do(n’t) mind, it does(n’t) matter.
The correct order is crucial.
Love leads to attention. Attention leads to action. Action leads to realization.
And the same applies in reverse.
For me, this is not a theory, but lived experience across a number of transitions. Every time I really loved something, I was willing to give it my attention. And only then came consistent action. That's how my family, my studio, and my art came into being. That's how life develops.
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More InformationStefan (a fellow student from the Life Design Lab) visited me at my letterpress studio to witness printing of the second edition of the poster “If you do(n’t) mind, it does(n’t) matter.”
Life is not a straight line, but a cycle of evolving steps.
Let's take my own career as an example.
The first phase was a formative period. Learning, craftsmanship, design, music, storytelling. During my design degree in California, I experienced an intensely creative period. Tradition and innovation coexisted. That shaped me. It was all about attention to detail, typography, digital media, attitude.
Then came a phase of expansion. I founded companies, built teams, worked internationally, won awards. Lots of energy, lots of development, lots of implementation. This was very much about action. Ideas became projects, projects became structures.
After that, I moved into strategic leadership roles and entrepreneurial responsibilities. From the outside, it looked like a success. Internally, I slowly noticed something shifting. There was a growing distance between me and my creative core. This inner tension was another sign for change.
So it was time for my next move. I quit my job, started working with letterpress, and began training in life design. Today, I'd call this phase “integration.” Music, design, entrepreneurship, and personal development all came together. No longer separate, but together as one.
In retrospect, I realize that each of these transitional phases called for change. And whenever I really listened, I tried to initiate them under a common guiding principle, with a love of attention and the courage to act.
The first edition I often used at small creative events. Visitors could print their own copy. We only embossed the two n't's, without color, so nothing had to dry and everyone could take their poster home with them right away. It was simple, pragmatic, and at the same time very fitting for the message. You consciously decide for or against caring, for or against conscious realization.