Curated: from dopamine to paper

A spring moodboard of links, books, scents, and screen breaks

Playground Readers,

I’m a big believer that quality input inspires quality output – so here’s a little something that made me and Playground team stop, reflect, and think more deeply these months.

There might not be many links, but each one feels so Playground’ish – a bit like a collection of our own thoughts, reflecting back as a spring moodboard.

Looking through it now, I realise quite a few pieces are about our relationship with our devices. Maybe that’s a quiet invitation to choose offline more this summer.

Speaking of offline – we have a beautiful essay written by Matilda Lucy about just that (page 28) in the latest Playground magazine. It’s a printed publication featuring work from 40+ creatives: illustrations, essays, interviews, and little play breaks. We hope it offers the kind of distraction that’s truly worth it. Take it outside, read it on the grass, forget your phone.

Without further ado, here’s the latest curated list.

Articles

“I’m just getting started” Debbie Millman on 20 years of Design Matters — on It’s Nice That

This is exactly the kind of headline I love seeing – and I want more of it. It’s such a joy to read about someone building a project, such as legendary Design Matters podcast, not for the numbers or the sale, but for the joy of it – with care, purpose, and longevity at the heart.

Your phone is why you don’t feel sexy - by Catherine Shannon

An exciting and important piece about phones – through the unexpected angle of ‘sexiness’. It really made me think. Phones are definitely the new smoking... (and there’s more on that in the podcast section below.)

What Is an Independent Magazine - Stack Magazines

It’s a bit of a hot topic – and one often clouded by stereotypes. This piece by Stack’s Steve Watson is a fun, thoughtful overview that invites you to consider the many different ways one can stay independent, especially in the world of magazines.

Writer’s Initiation: Silence that Comes After Publishing - by Rūta Žemčugovaitė

“Writers’ work is the work of the invisible. It’s a work of a symbolic translator, synthesizer of ideas, states of being, characters, and stories into an experiential reality for someone else.”

The True Costs of Being on Youtube - by carla lalli music

One of the most transparent articles I’ve read about what it really takes – and costs – to run a YouTube channel.

More of this kind of honesty in the industry, please. (Also something we explore in Playground Issue 3, where we talk money with Lisbon’s Salted Books owner Alex Holder – see p.72 if you’ve got the issue!)

Demonstrating > Protesting by Selena Coles

A sharp, energising read – summarised perfectly in the line: “We can’t wait for permission to build the future.”

A quote from “I’m just getting started” Debbie Millman on 20 years of Design Matters

Podcasts

‘Are Our Phones Making Us Miserable?’ - The Wellness Scoop

This topic has been explored so many times, from so many angles – yet it still feels incredibly relevant (at least to me).

The Wellness Scoop takes a fresh, un-sensational approach to all things health – breaking down wellness myths, revisiting scandalous headlines, and skipping the usual clickbait energy.

In this episode, hosts Ella Mills and Rhiannon Lambert engage in a compelling conversation with neuroscientist TJ Power, who delves into how our screen habits influence dopamine release and, consequently, our mood, motivation, and mental health. The discussion sheds light on the addictive nature of excessive phone use and offers practical, and science-backed strategies to improve focus. Another invitation to stay more offline this summer.

Paul Smith on Imbuing Clothing With Joy and Humour - Time Sensitive

Just like the interview with Debbie Millman, this conversation with Paul Smith is a pure joy to listen to. It’s about continuity and growth, curiosity, child-like creativity, and everyday observations.

Paul takes us behind his daily routine, his love for projects that take a little longer, and how his main business motivation is simply having a great everyday life. What more needs to be said?

Magazines

Noble Rot - Fun, engaging, bright, energising – everything I want from a print magazine about wine. Noble Rot is an old favourite. It’s not just a magazine or a wine publisher – it’s also a set of wine restaurants in London (and I love a good hybrid business).

The latest issue opens with a brilliant line: “Whoever said young people in 2025 don’t drink wine probably hasn’t spent much time around young people.” It captures their voice perfectly – smart, light, a little cheeky.

Nez, The Olfactory Magazine - I came across this biannual magazine all about scent and perfume in the most fitting place – a perfume shop – and got instantly curious. I’d never seen anything quite like it before.

The issue I picked up was No.17: Money & Fragrance, and I’ve been having so much fun reading it. It’s insightful, beautifully designed, full of tables, curious facts, and thoughtful writing about the world of scent.

The Financial Times, Sunday Print News - I can’t speak highly enough about how much this new habit has impacted my mental health over the past month.

I subscribed to the printed Sunday edition of the Financial Times and made a small decision: to only read long-form news once a week through print. Of course, it’s nearly impossible to avoid daily headlines, but carving out time for slower, deeper journalism has completely changed how I process what’s happening in the chaotic world – in a much calmer, more grounded way.

It’s become a quiet ritual, a kind of resistance to the noise of constant updates. Maybe even a small act of resilience against the phone. Or maybe just a return to something familiar – something I remember my family and grandparents doing for years.

If you get the chance, I really recommend reading the news slow(er) and maybe even in print again.

Books

This is the lineup of actual books that inspired Playground Issue 3 – shaping the theme, sparking content brainstorms, guiding our curation and planning. Some were flipped through, others read cover to cover – all brought joy, ideas, or a moment of fun.

For example, learning about surrealism led us to invite two illustrators – strangers to each other – to collaborate on a single artwork. You can see the result on page 12 of Issue 3.

These are the books, go look them up at your local bookstore:

Open Up by Alex Holder

New is better by Stefan Sagmeister

On Freedom by Timothy Snyder

Surrealism part of Art Essentials by Amy Dempsey

Surrealism & Design Now, published by The Design Museum in London

Surrealism by Cathrin Klingsöhr-Leroy

The Secret Lives of Colour by Kassia St. Clair

People

Just wanted to shout out Megan Wray Schertler, founder of Weröld Archive – a consultancy dedicated to future-proofing the business of print.

We feel lucky to be in touch and currently exploring Playground’s future with Megan. She brings incredible insight from her previous roles at Highsnobiety, Fantastic Man, and Interview. Here’s her website, and especially worth checking out is the Magazine Accelerator audit – a process we’ve gone through ourselves and found super valuable.

Next week team Playground is coming to Amsterdam! Meet us at the iconic Athenaeum Nieuwscentrum, where I’ll will be having a conversation with Steve from Stack. Mark your calendars and be there – Thursday, May 22nd, 6:30PM.

A big shoutout to our friends from Bunk hotel, thanks to them not one, not two, but three of our team members will be in Amsterdam to say hello to you!

Next up, we’re gathering in Vilnius – one of our home bases. Vilnius people, let’s meet for chats and matchas on the lovely terrace at Raštinė in Paupys on Sunday, June 8th, 11 AM - 3 PM. Cheers to our friends Lynxmonadas, who will be there with their best lemonades.

This month, Playground was mentioned in a design podcast and a Substack newsletter – and we’re feeling a little blushy about it.

🎧 For our Lithuanian readers – Playground was featured in a podcast episode sponsored by the Lithuanian Design Association and the Lithuanian Ministry of Culture. One of the guests, Miglė Rudaitytė-Černiauskienė, shared reflections on our magazine, branding, and communication approach. It’s a lovely listen (and watch – they also show visuals):
→ Listen on Spotify
→ Watch on YouTube

💌 And on a more personal note – I was interviewed by Katie McCrory for the Life at Home Substack, where I talked about what ‘home’ means to me.
→ Read it here

Thank you for your time reading us!

Auste & Playground team