There's plenty of evidence that overwork is damaging to our health and the health of our organizations. Yet, there are powerful internal and external forces nudging us to check one more email, attend one more meeting, or make one more phone call. A review of four new books on overwork outlines what these forces are and offers some solace for those of us who want to pare back our workaholic tendencies.

Client
Harvard Business Review

Client
Imagine5

You can learn to listen better. Dutch philosopher Miriam Rasch says listening has given her more inner peace: 'I got to know myself better, feel less agitated. Do you know how much peace comes from thinking your own opinion is less important?'

Client
De Morgen

Our perception of womanhood is shaped from a young age by mothers and other female role models. Hurtful comments about one's appearance, body, or behavior can leave lasting impressions throughout a person's life.

Client
De Morgen

The purpose of ‘Buitenbeentjes’ (= ‘Outsiders’) is to get children and their parents to go outside and play around in nature. The game consists of 50 playing cards each with a different mission for the kids and their parents to fulfil. The drawings stimulate the imagination of the kids to come up with original ways to fulfil their mission while they interact with nature.

Why We Should Be More Cautious with the Term "Trauma". Not every unpleasant experience is a trauma.

In a world where the term trauma is used more and more loosely, experts caution that we might be doing more harm than good. By overusing the word, there's a risk of people talking themselves into problems, seeking therapy that may not be necessary, or even questioning the validity of real trauma.

Client
De Morgen

Once people retire, it’s important they still help others around them. Because mattering is very important, especially at a time when fulltime employment disappears.

Client
Psychologie Heute

Most women are familiar with moodiness or breast tenderness just before menstruation. But some patients become depressed, suicidal and sometimes they become aggressive towards their partner because they suffer from PMDD.

Client
De Morgen

Illustration and lettering for the winelabel Quatre Mains

The two animals show the collaboration between two winemakers Kampenberg and Wijnfaktorij who teamed up to make a wine that has only Belgian sustainably grown grapes that are naturally fermented and bottled after aging in oak barrels without clarification or filtering.

The falling leaves evoke a sense of melancholy.

In autumn, melancholic music is part of the atmosphere. One might expect sad music to bring us down, but nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, it is often the repression of melancholy that leads to true sadness.

Client
De Morgen

Toghether with Buck Amsterdam we created a new illustration system for the rebranding of T-mobile into Odido. 

We created a world that has a human feel by using a
hand-drawn style and imaginative interactions inspired
by the geometric shapes in the ODIDO logo 

Odido illustrations

Client
Buck
Odido

Illustration for ‘Roots’ an expo in Bulskampveld. Roots is an interactive expo about the amazing collaboration between trees and fungi.

Client
Wondering

People vote with their hearts instead of their minds.

Client
De Morgen

There is not enough place in youth care.

Client
De Volkskrant (NL)

Design for the 8th anniversary of Jansan Skatepark

Fertility Awareness Week.

The campaign aims to encourage and support people who are involuntarily childless or undergoing a fertility treatment.

Client
AZ Groeninge

Researchers want to understand how a teenager’s brain deals with emotions.

Client
De Morgen

Illustration for a bottle of natural kombucha

Yugen is an ancient Japanese philosophical concept explaining the awareness of the universe that triggers feelings too deep and mysterious for words. The feeling you get when something is so beautiful or delicious. I wanted to reflect this feeling in this image. It should express cheerfulness, nature and happiness.

Client
Yugen

Article about sleep and sleep gadgets.

Client
De Morgen

Having anxiety is normal - even great anxiety. It is part of our everyday emotions. However, it becomes a disorder when it feels overwhelming and affects our whole life.

Client
Psychologie Heute

ROMY is a lunchbar and brand that seeks to transport customers from daily life to a world of endless imagination through delicious, flavourful food.

While ROMY wanted to prominently feature their star product in their communication —the crispy focaccia—, they also wished to provide space for showcasing an array of other mouthwatering dishes and treats.

Graphic design
Superset

Photography
Iwein De Keyzer

The neighborhood budget is an initiative in which residents themselves can realize an idea for their own neighborhood. Such as a sharing system for kayaks, or a new sharing garden, playground or public fitness equipments.

Client
f-twee (BE)
City magazine of Ghent (BE)

Kevin Groen of Leiden University is researching the diet of animals by analyzing DNA in their feces. He took samples of lion poop and looked in it to see which DNA they found from prey animals (such as buffalo, zebra and antelope).

Client
National Geographic magazine (NL)

Adapt and survive. How resilient is the UK in the face of climate change?

Client
Civil service world magazine

Everyone occasionally holds up a mirror to themselves and then asks the question: am I normal?

Client
De Morgen

Support theme for the Facebook Messenger app

Messenger wants to create a space where users can come together to show support and help people and causes they care about. You can change each messenger chat into a theme, this one is about ‘support’.

Client
Meta (US)

10 easy (or free!) ways to boost your home value. Whether you’re protecting your investment or looking to sell, here’s what the experts recommend.

www.washingtonpost.com/home/2022/09/28/how-to-increase-home-value/

Client
The Washington Post

By The Way

The hottest new service at hotels? Sleep.
Sometimes the ultimate luxury is a good night’s rest.

Link >

Client
The Washington Post (US)

It’s possible to train your brain against bad influences or fake news.

Just like our body, our mind has an immune system. It’s supposed to protect us from wrong and harmful ideas. Some have better mental immunity than others. In that sense American philosopher Andy Norman argues that conspiracy theories and fake news are a kind of immune disorder.

Client
De Morgen (BE)

Free print and illustration festival

Together with Louise Gevaert, I organize Potloodvenster. This is a festival that brings people together with an interest in illustration or people who know nothing about it at all. Zines, prints, talks, workshops, food and music will be present.

Location: Bolwerk Kortrijk
Date: 21/07/2022

Instagram page >

Remove the tiles from your front yard so that rainwater has a chance to permeate into the soil.

We need to remove the stones and asphalt from front yards, courtyards and alleys as much as possible. In order to create a greener city and allow rainwater to percolate into the soil. We should work together so that the city has more chance to cool down in the hot summers and we can enjoy the greenery together.

Client
f-twee (BE)
City magazine of Ghent (BE)

How to break up without making too much of a mess

The good separation is a phenomenon of our time. More and more couples are afraid to leave behind a pile of broken pieces. The primary goal is to treat each other with respect. But this is often easier said than done.

Client
Brigitte magazine (DE)

Winterwarm is a festival in Turnhout with light installations, circus, music, theater and lots of nature experiences. Illustration for the cover of the city magazine of Turnhout

Client
Uit In Turnhout (BE)

Did Covid-19 kill creativity?

The pandemic became a rare chance for academic creatives to witness the power of imagination and why it matters. Cover and full page illustration for the magazine.

Client
Underline Studio (CA)
University Affairs magazine (CA)

The City of Ghent brings dental care centers to vulnerable neighborhoods. Research shows that people in poverty are less likely to visit the dentist. These centers remove financial barriers and brings dental care close to the people.

Client
f-twee (BE)
City magazine of Ghent (BE)

Up-and-coming artistic talent shows their art: theater, music, visual art, short film, circus.... The young people of KAAIMAN & M I K S unleash their creations on the world. Cover illustration for the city magazine of Turnhout.

Client
Uit In Turnhout (BE)

Good intentions that make the world around you a better place, such as adopting an animal.

To start the new year, the newspaper gives some good intentions you can follow that will make not yourself but also the world around you better. One example is adopting a pet. It doesn't always have to be a dog or a cat.

Client
De Morgen (BE)

Second Chance to make a first impression

As workers return to offices, they’re encountering a rare opportunity to reset the relationships they’ve formed online with colleagues

Client
The Wall Street Journal

Skateboard design for the 5th anniversary of Jansan skatepark.

The pink cloud of pregnancy and childbirth often isn’t that colourful. Plea for a realistic view of being pregnant and giving birth.

In this drawing I want to depict the busy and chaotic feeling that parenthood brings. From the outside it looks like parents live on a peaceful pink cloud, but once you start looking behind that cloud you see more. A heavy theme that I wanted to represent in such a cheerful way.

Client
De Morgen (BE)

The do's-and-don'ts of online dating. How do you find the dating app that suits you? Taking a picture with a dog or your 6-pack or just not at all (assuming you have either)? Meet up quickly or chat for a long time? In her book on online dating, Lara Hallam guides you to the love of your life.

Client
De Morgen (BE)

I was invited to create a visual about Bridging and belonging for Fine Acts and The Greats.

You can find this artwork as well as a full collection of posters made by different artists on TheGreats.co - The works are available under a Creative Commons license, which means that nonprofits, activists and citizens anywhere can use and adapt them non-commercially.

Bridging is a concept that helps us reach towards and form connections between dissimilar individuals or groups, while growing a greater inner awareness. Bridging reminds us that we are interconnected and it helps us build a larger “we”.

The ultimate desired result of bridging is belonging – which is related to place, identity, and security, among others. Belonging, or being fully human, means more than having access. Belonging entails being respected at a basic level that includes the right to both co-create and make demands upon society.

Cient
Fine Acts (BG)
The Greats

An illustration on a delicate subject: Why does someone commit sexually transgressive behavior? Two sex offenders and their supervisors tell their stories.

Client
De Morgen (BE)

Kaunas is the cultural capital of Europe 2022. The Lithuanian city is befriended with my hometown Kortrijk. The main message for the K-totem is friendship. It’s a beautiful symbol to work with.

I divided the totem into 4 different designs. The designs range from a very graphic clean design to a very direct and spontaneous illustration. With my designs I am always looking for a combination within this spectrum. Do I want to work graphic and tight or do I go for a spontaneous and direct illustration? With the K-totem it's just really nice that I can show my different sides within one design. This also allows me to reach many different people because everyone is looking for something different in a design.

Stripes: The stripes come from two different sides and merge in the middle to form a unique shape. This unique shape symbolizes the cooperation between the two cities.

Flowers: The flowers grow towards each other from a different place/ground (Kaunas and Kortrijk). At the top, the flowers meet and form a beautiful whole but they also exist on their own.

The abstract forms: Here there are always two forms that are slightly different from each other and also complement each other. The forms look good on their own but come out even more beautiful when you see them together.

Two people hugging: this is a very direct illustrative form representing friendship.

Client
Designregio Kortrijk (BE) and Kaunas 2022 (LT)

Pictures
©Martynas Plepys

Nature in the city
In search of nature in a (digital) city. 

Everyone needs peace, privacy, silence and connection. In cities bustling with life, however, this does not always seem evident. Certainly not in this digital age. Around every corner of the city there are opportunities for a city life in balance and with nature.

Client
Savvy (BE)
Cores magazine (BE)

Do we still manage to do smalltalk after being isolated from the outside world for so long?

Client
De Morgen (BE)

Award
Shortlisted for The World Illustration Awards 2022

Do I stay in the city or do I go to the countryside? It’s complicated. Katrin Swartenbroux writes about her relationship with the city.

Client
De Morgen (BE)

Packaging for barrik white wine and rosé wine.

Client
Flink (BE)
Hola Cava (ES)

An article on Gender-sensitive parenting in daycare for the magazine ‘Kindertijd’. This magazine is for and by caregivers of young children.

Client
Kindertijd (BE)

Illustrations for De Morgen on books to read during the summer. I wanted to capture the moment when you are totally lost in a book and forget all about time and place.

Client
De Morgen (BE)

Bossy Magazine is Belgium's first online platform and physical magazine with inspiration for venturous women (and their men).

llustrations for the full 'Let it go' Issue

Bossy's Let it go Issue helps you say goodbye to what no longer matters, in order to have more room for the things that are important to you. This issue helps you tackle your procrastination behavior, price setting, slowing down, letting go, ... Do you hold on because you want to hold on, or because you forgot to let go? You'll find out in this magazine.

Bossy - Let it go >

LIVE FROM BRUSSELS: EARLYBIRD LEFTO

Brussels don Lefto brings his weekly show directly from the Belgian capital.

All episodes on Worldwidefm>

Psychological help is expensive and this needs to be changed

Client
De Morgen (BE)

Illustrations for Westrand, cultural center of Dilbeek.

Client
Westrand (BE)

Cover for the Uit in Turnhout magazine about the circus.

Client
Stad Turnhout (BE)

Article on thinking about your first love.

Client
De Morgen (BE)

In the first lockdown, everybody was keen on flattening the curve. This worked quite well, but after the easing of the health regulations, the figures went up again. People got nervous and emotional because a second lockdown was coming.

Client
De Morgen (BE)

Award
Longlisted for The World Illustration Awards

Cynics will say hope is naive and stupid, but it is not. Hope is a catalyst for change… We need hope to go on with our lives.

Client
De Morgen Magazine (BE)

A day care center in Ghent lets the children sleep outside during their afternoon nap, this appears to be healthy for them.

Client
Stadsmagazine Gent (BE)

About apps you can use to scan nature and gather more information about it.

Client
De Morgen (BE)