September was a lot quieter than I expected. I took a step back instead of pushing forward, and not really by choice. Looking back, I needed that pause. My body was pretty clearly signaling (and protesting), and I finally listened.
Now October is where that pause turns into something useful. I started working in a café, because I wanted to really understand how a day runs behind the scenes: the timing, the flow, what makes service feel easy and what makes it chaotic. On top of that, I've been writing down everything I notice about the café and gallery scenes in Berlin. What pulls people in... This month I'm sitting down with all of those notes to finalize my strategy: the concept, how it runs, and yes, the numbers too. I want ALIVA built on more than instinct.
I also want to tell you something honestly. When I started creating content a few months ago, I learned pretty fast that "feeding the algorithm" and "chasing trends" can turn into a nightmare. I always said I don't want to become a content creator. I just want to share the vision of this concept on social media. And then somewhere along the way I lost track of that. I got stressed about producing content, and I kept asking myself: how much do I actually want to contribute to people spending their time on social media and consuming? There were great moments too, like meeting other artists and creatives. But making constant content just for the sake of it didn't sit right with me.
So after a little digital detox, I'm doing it differently. I still want to share what I'm working on, because it's part of the business and I think it can be really valuable. I just want to do it my way. I've already started cutting a few clips where I talk about the concept, and on October 25 I'm starting a weekly founder series. It's about what I'm actually working on right now: building the gallery and café. Maybe a recipe here and there, but for the next months the building phase of ALIVA is the main topic. You'll get to know me better, and what I stand for with this place.
October will still be more research than announcements. I wanted you, as the people who are part of this build, to know what's going on behind the scenes, even when there's no big shiny update yet. And thank you so much for voting on the brand designs! I showed the favorite to a professional and I've now decided on the design concept. The website is being built and I can't wait to show you, though it will still take a little while.
One more thing. Is there anything you'd like to know or see while I build this? A topic, a behind-the-scenes moment, a question about the numbers, the café, the art? Just reply or message me. Your answers will shape the founder series.
Lots of love,
Alex