Reflecting on
Invierno.

With one studio in Chicago and another in Mérida, Mexico, our team experiences two very different winter seasons. In the Midwest: below-freezing temperatures, harsh wind, and days so short that we barely see the sun. On the Yucatán Peninsula, the coldest day could still reach a high of 82 degrees Fahrenheit, with mostly clear, dry, and painfully sunny skies. Across video calls, we tease one another: the Mérida studio bundled in sweaters and hats for the 63-degree morning “chill,” while the Chicago team strips off our layers, celebrating a rare 40-degree, sun-filled afternoon in February.

For those of us in Chicago, the winter temperatures and short days encourage – or rather, demand – a turning inward. We stay home more than usual, a form of seasonal hibernation and homebody-ing that comes naturally with the colder weather. These slower months offer stillness and space, an opportunity for mindful reflection, rest, and preparation for the warmer, more active months ahead.

In the wild, many animals hibernate. Turtles and tortoises, for example, brumate during the colder days of winter. Their metabolism and breathing slow as their small bodies prepare for dormancy, some finding their place for brumation at the bottom of a pond or other body of water. This naturally mandated rest provides crucial benefits to a turtle’s health, regulating their hormones and immune systems, and often resulting in a longer, healthier lifespan. Just like our creatives, designers, and architects, Daria the turtle (our cover art muse) needs a few months of deep stillness to re-center her mind and body.

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While we experience these slower days of INVIERNO, we reflect on the final season of the year, and the creative growth that has come along with it.