SUN KEEP x LAKE EFFECT CO

I lean on Instagram for so much of my inspiration, and I’ve been followingSun Keep for quite awhile for exactly that. When it came to putting together fall designs, I realized that I had saved a few dozen of these designs to a pinterest board over the past months, so I floated to Catie’s instagram to see what the latest was: that day she posted on her stories that she was taking graphic design clients. Well, that worked out nicely. 

After closing the Pewaukee shop at the end of September, I was running low on energy and deeply craving some time in solitude by the lake. At our family cottage on a perfectly chilly fall weekend, I grounded. Walking beneath tall trees already at near-peak colors. Walking barefoot on the pine-needle covered hillside down to the chilly water for dips in the lake. Fireside naps listening to the wind in the crunchy leaves. Grounding: achieved. 

And it was from that grounded, safe, warm, rested place, that the above happened, almost as if the creativity slowly crept in and pointed me to the right directions. And as I envisioned what I wanted to portray in the year 2020, when all things feel like shaky ground, it was that same sense of groundedness, rest, connection to nature. 

We sent Catie a list of 6 or so themes that we wanted to offer, and asked her to choose a few that spoke to her. From that list, the following three were born:

“natural peace”

“Sunrise sunset”

And a second version of our “there's magic in the water” design

We know you’ll feel the soul in these three. And we’re excited to introduce you to Catie, the artist behind the designs:

Tell us a bit about yourself?

Hi! I’m Catie, the artist behind Sun Keep. I’m a creative person, interested in the topic of existence, and what it means to be alive. 

How did you come to creating such inspired content - what has your journey been like?

To think that I can make stuff that resonates with other people, blows my mind and brings me so much joy. Thank you for the kind words. 

As far as I can remember, I’ve been creative, but I didn’t really understand what I wanted to say or do with my creativity. I’m a highly sensitive person, and tend to get overstimulated easily. Drawing has always been a nice, meditative practice for me. My notebooks from school - all the way from kindergarten to university are filled with doodles. It’s a way for me to relax, and process information. 

I’ve always struggled with feeling fulfilled with my day job, constantly on the lookout for the next opportunity in the hopes that the next thing I find will be the thing that sticks. In 2019, I landed a dream job of mine working for an awesome company. But, after a year, I still didn’t feel fulfilled. And, while I’m so grateful for the opportunity - I realized that I’m not living my truth. This was the turning point for me to understand that if I want to live a fulfilled life, I need to create it for myself. So, I decided that every night after work, I would create something and share it with the world (that was a big hurdle for me to overcome). I kept doing that, every night, every weekend, just creating and sharing. The love and support I get from people all over the world is amazing, it’s so encouraging and I hope that I can continue connecting with people through my art. Growing and learning everyday. 

What’s your favorite way to enjoy nature?

Nature gives me so much inspiration. I’m lucky enough to live in Kelowna, BC, Canada - where nature is all around. I often go hiking with my partner and this past summer we finally got ourselves some paddle boards. Getting outside, on the water after a long day of work has got to be one of the best feelings. 

Most sacred place on earth you’ve experienced?

I will say this - I haven’t done enough travelling in my life. Right before covid hit, I was in California, and spent a lot of time at Moonlight Beach. It was so beautiful. But, to be honest, I am astounded by nature each and every time I go outside. I’ve hiked 3000 foot high mountains and stood in glacier streams, basked in alpine meadows, been on horse drawn sleigh rides in -40°C weather, it’s all sacred. Canada is filled with so many natural wonders and if travelling to other countries is off the table for a little while, I’m lucky to live in country with so much beauty all around. 

How does the water make you feel?

Relaxed, energized, inspired, creative. So many feelings come from water! It’s the basis of almost all life on our planet and a great reminder that everything is connected and working together in harmony. 

Favorite quote, words of wisdom (you’ve given or received), or life theory? 

I love Ram Dass, he is a huge inspiration for me. Be Here Now can’t be said enough. Whenever my thoughts are spinning, those 3 magic words bring me back into the moment. 

A friend of mine gave me the book, The Four Agreements by don Miguel Ruiz and that book was so helpful for me when starting my spiritual journey. The Toltec Wisdom in that book is profound. 

The Four Agreements are: 

1. Be Impeccable With Your Word.
2. Don't Take Anything Personally.
3. Don't Make Assumptions.
4. Always Do Your Best.

Another book that’s had a big impact in my life is The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho - I didn’t actually read this one, but listened to the audio book narrated by Jeremy Irons while I was drawing.

I love to learn and explore new ways of being, and a quote I read from David Lynch felt very fitting to me: “Everything I learned in my life, I learned because I decided to try something new.”