Thursday 13 June 2013

Something for the weekend... Flow Magazine!

We first came across these lovely creative people through twitter and we think they should definitely be better know in the UK.
"Flow" is a Dutch based creative magazine which also manages to create and sell beautiful paper goods plus their blog/website is pretty darn good too!
So what makes Flow different from all the others?

The latest cover of Flow...available to buy via their website: http://www.flowmagazine.com/order/

Stamps available to buy and other paper goods like diaries and wrapping paper!


There are so many Craft mags out there at the moment but what is seriously lacking is a publication which stands out both in the design stakes and the content.
After a huge dry spell of "good looking" UK craft magazines our market is now flooded with a hundred and one "Molly Makes" look-a-likes.
I do Like Molly's, don't get me wrong, but now other magazines are emulating too closely so it kind of loses it's sparkle as everything out there becomes very samey.


I often think that the majority of craft magazines are very one dimensional. OK so it's a craft mag, so shouldn't it be all about CRAFT making? Yes and no. I love the projects and the d.i.y. content but I also don't see the point of a magazine packed solely with projects you can easily find on Pinterest and an endless showcasing of work spaces. 
OK not everyone is a natural born crafter so I understand why all the projects but how many of these magazines can a market sustain?

Not just a note book...but a beautiful ideas note book!


What Flow manages to do is offer a magazine which is bright, inspiring and inviting without making you feel like all the people featured in the inside pages are living a dream while you fester in reality... a bit like being tormented by a fantastical cake shop which never opens though you have the munchies like no body's business so you're left tapping on the window, wishing it was you on the other side of the double glazing stuffing your face with sweet fluffy cake and not just left out in the cold looking in!

So why all the love? Flow does tap into the hand made zeitgeist yet it's done in an original way. Though it features projects, recipes, freebies and even life mantras it's definitely a marriage of the creative and the philosophical world.
You'd be forgiven for thinking that an article titled "Life is about finding the balance" would be all about offering advise on how to run a designer maker business while balancing a home life but far from it. It taps into a shared aspect -humanity- and it offers content which is open to all and not just to people working within the creative industry. That my friends is awesome... there isn't one mention of craft but it's all about living a better life as a human being and we can all relate to that!

©flow magazine blog
I do like our UK magazines but sometimes I wish they would just "be themselves" rather then try too hard to be a copy of someone else.
Though Flow does subscribe to a certain aesthetic it still comes across as fresh! With a sub heading of: Simplify your life - feel connected - live mindfully- spoil yourself... It's not surprising there is such a huge worldwide following.




This is what they say about their magazine... Flow is a magazine for women who are looking for more peace and quiet in their busy lives. Flow offers inspiration, insights and solutions. Authentic, made with love, a magazine with lots of extras. Each issue has four parts: 1. FEEL CONNECTED: about family, relationships, friends, but also about the world around you. 2. SPOIL YOURSELF: indulge yourself with pretty and fun products. 3. LIVE MINDFULLY: living with awareness, attention for the now, mindfulness and psyche. 4. SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE: practical solutions to make life easier, even inside your head

Got an iPad? Get your Flow app here: https://itunes.apple.com/nl/app/flow-magazine/id632643685?mt=8

We hope Flow manages to keep going in this fast paced multi media world, though I'm sure they will, and if anything we hope we've managed to turn you on to something a little bit different and exciting... so go on if you have some time this weekend go check out their blog... it's definitely worth a few hours of your time!

If you'd like to subscribe to Flow please go to their website:
http://www.flowmagazine.com/order/

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