blog by a designer in Germany
Searching for a new job is exhausting. Every application feels like tossing a paper airplane into a storm — most never make it to where they’re supposed to land. And when they do, it’s often just to return with a polite, “unfortunately…” I try to tell myself it’s not personal, but after the tenth or twentieth time, the words start to weigh on me. Some days I stare at my email, debating whether I…
After spending about two and a half weeks in Japan, I got back to Germany… and immediately got sick. A full week of doing absolutely nothing but lying in bed. And then, just three weeks later, we decided to go to Japan again. Yep. Now it’s summer here. A proper Japanese summer. Today was 37°C with a heat warning. It’s not like Germany’s dry heat—it’s sticky, heavy, and makes me want to take three…
I’m currently in Japan, and today I visited a tea utensil shop that left a strong impression on me. As soon as we entered, the obaa-chan (the owner’s wife) welcomed us warmly and offered us a small sweet and a bowl of matcha. That simple gesture already said a lot—it wasn’t just a shop, it was a place of hospitality and care. We ended up talking with her for a while, and later also with her son,…
I’ve always had a low social battery. Crowded places make me dizzy. The noise, the pressure to perform, the sheer volume of energy around me—it’s too much. So I often choose stillness. Quiet corners. Days with more space than noise. Now that I have more time, I’ve been spending it doing creative things that calm me. Lately, it’s been hand sewing. Nothing professional—just adjusting seams here and…
Finding out I’m an INFJ-A — the Advocate — didn’t exactly surprise me. It just made some things click. It’s like reading a description of yourself and thinking, "Yep, that explains a lot." After leaving my last job, I had a bit of space to think about what I really need from work — and life — and how much of that ties back to who I am. Meaning Matters I’m not someone who can just clock in and out…
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When people talk about loving their job, they often mention exciting projects, great benefits, or cool office spaces. But when I think back to the job I loved most, it wasn’t because of any of those things. It’s mostly about the people you work with—and for me, it was especially my lead who made all the difference. He wasn’t the loudest in the room. He didn’t walk around trying to impress anyone.…
I’m still somewhere in the middle of writing my life plan. Or maybe rewriting it. Things have shifted, as they often do. But lately, I’ve been leaning more toward something that feels simple and true: tea, Japanese culture, the things that bring me a quiet kind of joy. There’s one thing I do know for sure—an idea I had two years ago is finally starting to take shape now. Back then, it was just a…
Last week was one of the most emotionally draining experiences I've had in my professional life. It began with an unexpected phone call from a colleague asking me to come into the office to "talk about work stuff." I found it odd—why not just schedule a web call like we usually do? Still, I went in the next day. The moment I arrived, I sensed something was off. My usual desk setup was gone. I…
I wasn’t even planning to write this — but I need to get it off my chest. Lately, something’s been happening that’s not just concerning — it’s been messing with my head. Just tonight, I got several alerts about suspicious login attempts to my accounts. One of them actually got in — someone managed to access my Catawiki account. Thankfully, nothing seems to have been changed or stolen. But still,…