Welcome, come on in. I’m glad you found your way here.

Field Notes on Flourishing is a new monthly* love letter exploring art, mindfulness, creativity, spirituality, and the question of flourishing.

This is an ever-evolving virtual home for snippets of my life and artistic practice that aren't shared anywhere else. Inspired by the practice of ethnographic field notes, each entry will be a bit different, but will include personal updates and reflections—from journal and iPhone Notes excerpts to drawings, sketches, and maybe even some comics—hand-picked reading, listening, and watching recommendations, and resources I’ve found helpful and inspiring that month.

I value connection, slowness, and contemplation, and have found less and less joy in trying to create and connect under the thumb of corporate social media algorithms, designed to keep our eyeballs and fingers constantly, frenetically searching for dopamine. These spaces are not intended for gentle pauses and tender connection. And I’ve longed for that. I’ve longed for interactions and exchanges that leave me feeling more connected and alive—not less.

I’d love nothing more than to build a sustainable corner of the internet that grows and evolves as we go, leaving us feeling more grounded, present, and flourishing than when we started.

I hope you’ll join me.

*Field notes will be sent out on the last Sunday of every month

flourish (v.)

c. 1300, "to blossom, grow" (intransitive), from Old French floriss-, stem of florir "to blossom, flower, bloom; prosper, flourish," from Latin florere "to bloom, blossom, flower," figuratively "to flourish, be prosperous," from flos "a flower" (from PIE root *bhel- (3) "to thrive, bloom"). Metaphoric sense of "thrive" is mid-14c. in English.

Who’s writing this?

Hey, I’m Ludi Leiva 👋🏼

I’m a Guatemalan-Slovak (-Canadian-American) artist who’s been scribbling and doodling on any surface available for as long as I can remember.

I spent years working as a staff writer and magazine editor and have published writing on culture, identity, and gender in Slate, Refinery29, Allure, Glamour, and Wired, among others. Now, I work primarily as an illustrator with clients like The Los Angeles Times, The Smithsonian, Vogue, The Creative Independent, The Guardian, and more. This newsletter is a way for me to get back to my roots as a writer and share my work and process in a new way.

I’m also currently mid-way through an MFA in Visual Communication with a focus on illustration and storytelling. My thesis is an exploration of inherited memory, {generational} trauma, diaspora, ecology, and defining home.

You can follow me on Instagram here and check out my website here.

Why should I subscribe?

Every month, you’ll receive a love letter from me, straight to your inbox.

I intend to allow this space to grow and evolve with time, so you’ll get something a little different with each Field Notes.

You’ll support me, my art and writing practice, and the development of my Master’s thesis.

I’ll occasionally mail out prints and postcards exclusive to my newsletter subscribers.

You’ll get to see art, writing, and other exclusive content that won’t make it onto social media feeds (or anywhere else, for that matter).

Thank you for being here ♥