Flow Magazine

A magazine for lovers of paper & pretty things

Once upon a time, my group of friends did a Secret Santa gift exchange. Rachelle, who lives in New York, couldn't be there, but sent her gift for one of us to enjoy. Luckily, that someone was me — and that gift was Flow Magazine. My life has never been the same.

Flow hails from The Netherlands and "celebrates creativity, imperfection, and life's little pleasures." It started only in Dutch, but has grown to include a quarterly international publication.

It's really more like a bookazine, being printed on high-quality paper with gorgeous photos, illustrations, and spacious layouts. These days, while most magazines squeeze 100 pages of content in 50 pages, Flow takes its time and stretches out beautifully and unhurried — and without ads! Its founders are two women and it's definitely geared toward all things feminine, with plenty of empowerment in the mix.

When I first started reading Flow, it really did focus a lot on paper, cards, and snail mail. With my greeting card obsession, it should come as no surprise that I was hooked immediately. Each international edition still offers something for the paper lovers, like cool envelopes, a small notebook, or tear-out gift tags. And Flow advocates for everything snail mail and paper goods stand for: a slowing down and appreciation of simple pleasures.

Flow also focuses heavily on artists, both up-and-coming and well-known. The artists in Flow are all about hand-crafted work made with passion and heart. Their focus is typically happy, optimistic, and charming — capturing the loveliness of life. In each issue, there are pull-out pages of art on heavy-stock paper, just waiting to be framed.

There are conversations with inspiring people, like Ingrid Bergman, the photog behind Ernest the Hedgehog, and Astrid Lindgren, creator of Pippi Longstocking. There are roundups of cool handmade products from around the interwebs with plenty of international goodies you might not otherwise discover. And recipes? Flow has those, too.

You'll also find articles that, to me, really resonate. They talk about living mindfully, feeling connected, unleashing creativity, embracing our imperfections, and daring to dream. But the way Flow tackles these topics isn't cheesy — it's #realtalk, usually backed by professors and scientists offering plenty of food for thought.

I really can't say enough about how wonderful Flow Magazine is. And it gets even more wonderful now that it's available at Barnes & Noble. Up until recently, my dear sweet Rachelle would bring Flow home for me from New York and her go-to international newsstand. Rachelle, thanks for always making room in your carry-on for Flow. Barnes & Noble, thanks for finally carrying this beautiful magazine. Flow, thanks for being one of my life's simple pleasures.