Simona Hodonova - Christmas postcards: Minimalist living

During the festive season (Christmas), we are all panicking and running around shops trying to find the best present for our loved ones. Keeping ourselves busy with this Christmas madness we sometimes forget the true essence of the season! What would be the best gift to give? The one you can't buy but is more valuable?

It is our time spent together, nice words, shared moments and memories, being in the presence of each other, here and now! It's that time when we should slow down and take a breath, smile and appreciate the whole year we had. After all, buying less 'stuff' and giving more of ourselves and giving our time and thought, instead of an object, will make our planet happier as well. What if, this Christmas, you give someone your good intention and love, instead of a thing that ends up in a cupboard or in the bin?

I created those postcards when I was reflecting upon those thoughts of giving more with less. Living a more satisfying life with the right priorities, using the time we have wisely and enjoying every little moment that may seem ordinary but it's the most precious time we have when we are with the ones we love, creating memories that warm our hearts even years after.

This project was a small self-directed brief. I wanted to create something for the festive season that was coming up (Christmas & New Year) and also look at things from a different perspective. I', interested in a subject of minimalist living, so living with less. This seemed to be the right theme to choose for a time of the year when everyone is shopping and supporting consumerism more than usual. What I wanted to achieve with this mini project is to look at how I can present a new approach to gift-giving and how I can use my design skills in promoting this idea.