Pauline Boldt lives in Winnepeg, Canada with her husband and 2 beautiful children, Tula (3) and Huxley (9 mos). She is the owner and creative director of 26 Projects, a collaborative and creative studio.
Pauline is an extremely creative person that tends to be very purposeful with her creative energies. The path she’s carved allows her to be immersed in the things she loves most in life: travel, photography, beautiful print material, and thoughtful communication strategies to reach and touch people. This defines Pauline personally, as well as the work she engages in at 26 Projects.
The 26 Projects studio first emerged out of Pauline’s drive to communicate and connect with people via photography, print materials and compelling strategies. Over the years it has changed, becoming a “space in flux” that takes on new form and purpose as people become a part of it. The 26 Project team are experts in figuring out how to use visual expression and clear communication to instill an authentic sense of connection with a person or business.
The 26 Projects studio first emerged out of Pauline’s drive to communicate and connect with people via photography, print materials and compelling strategies. Over the years it has changed, becoming a “space in flux” that takes on new form and purpose as people become a part of it. The 26 Project team are experts in figuring out how to use visual expression and clear communication to instill an authentic sense of connection with a person or business.
“We strive to do work that is understood universally and that helps to facilitate connections–it’s all about connectivity!”
Pauline's proudest “Mom-Entrepreneur” memory is when she started to bring her son, Hux, into the studio with her every day. Her staff and clients both got to know him as he spent part of his day in a Solly wrap, attending meetings with both existing and new clients. Her clients loved the transparency and the human element of a newborn at the studio. While balancing life with work was (and still is!) exhausting for her, Pauline loves the fact that Huxley can adapt, as long as she’s near. She also is in awe of how her staff and clients have embraced both Tula and Hux as part of the team.
“That’s the key. Embracing all together – work and family.”
Now that Hux is just about a year, he’s on the move. Pauline can no longer strap him to her body and go about her business - he’s crawling, starting to walk and he’s curious! His days of accompanying her to the studio are over. Pauline works more from home now and has a wonderful nanny that helps out part time. Her challenge now is to juggle being “present” for work and the children when she’s home. She realizes that this time, this phase, is only fleeting.
Pauline’s work process at 26 Projects takes place using both analogue and digital mediums. Their organizational tools are simple, like their studio space and they invest in beautiful, functional tools because this is simply how they approach their work. They create content that is refined to its truest form, removed of all unnecessary elements. Her personal and business tools reflect this.
Pauline’s work process at 26 Projects takes place using both analogue and digital mediums. Their organizational tools are simple, like their studio space and they invest in beautiful, functional tools because this is simply how they approach their work. They create content that is refined to its truest form, removed of all unnecessary elements. Her personal and business tools reflect this.
Over the years, Pauline has found that less is more. Separating her personal life from her work can be challenging. Especially since the little ones entered her life. They become deeply intertwined and the effort to distinguish, or rather, the need to separate does not exist.
Pauline is not one to doodle or draw or to make her notebooks pretty to look at, though she used to feel pressure to do this. Instead she uses her notebooks and analogue supplies to their fullest. Everything goes in them. She has one notebook with her at all times, where it ALL goes in (to-do’s, goals, mtg notes, grocery lists, travel plans and more). She loves the simplicity of it and the fact that it’s organic and develops a life of its own. Since shedding what she felt she was supposed to be using her analogue tools for, and embracing what SHE really wanted and needed to use them for, she’s more organized and free.
“I love the phrase “moving into”. I tend to move into new systems slowly and rarely, as I am a creature of habit. But when I do, it’s purposeful.”
Pauline is not one to doodle or draw or to make her notebooks pretty to look at, though she used to feel pressure to do this. Instead she uses her notebooks and analogue supplies to their fullest. Everything goes in them. She has one notebook with her at all times, where it ALL goes in (to-do’s, goals, mtg notes, grocery lists, travel plans and more). She loves the simplicity of it and the fact that it’s organic and develops a life of its own. Since shedding what she felt she was supposed to be using her analogue tools for, and embracing what SHE really wanted and needed to use them for, she’s more organized and free.
Pauline’s personal life and work life has little distinction–and she wouldn’t have it any other way. It requires that her analogue system be very tight and purposeful. She imparts and organizes her thoughts into three separate notebooks, each with their own purpose, scale and tangible quality.
1. Large Format for expansive ideas
(MD Notebook A4 Size with MD Leather Cover)
When she is inspired, or when an opportunity needs attention, Pauline likes to engage her ideas in large format. Big thinking, brainstorming with no rhyme or reason, simply working within a space to build layers of lists that come together as a kind of diagram. This allows her to see all of the possible pieces of a project or story; from which she can create concise, yet multi-tiered lists that somehow always begin to formulate a direction.
(MD Notebook A4 Size with MD Leather Cover)
When she is inspired, or when an opportunity needs attention, Pauline likes to engage her ideas in large format. Big thinking, brainstorming with no rhyme or reason, simply working within a space to build layers of lists that come together as a kind of diagram. This allows her to see all of the possible pieces of a project or story; from which she can create concise, yet multi-tiered lists that somehow always begin to formulate a direction.
2. Primary Notebook
(MD Notebook A5 Size and MD Leather Cover)This is Pauline’s foundational tool that lives with her always and goes wherever she goes. She moves to this book when ideas begin to formulate more, taking the form of a list. It’s a flexible, simple, unadorned system that she carefully organizes, each page by date. It is an organic and very dynamic system that is balancing the needs of the studio and the needs of Pauline’s busy life at home.
3. Agenda
(Jibun Techo with TSLxBK Jibun Techo Cover)
Pauline considers this her practical tool. Again you will find her professional and personal worlds intertwined. The left side of her Jibun Techo in A5 Size is used for listing goals to accomplish for the week. Her agenda might not be used to its full capacity (yet) because she sees a balance between digital and analogue when it comes to daily, weekly, monthly planning. For Pauline, the act of handwriting becomes less imperative, less about physically connecting, but simply being informed quickly.
(Jibun Techo with TSLxBK Jibun Techo Cover)
Pauline considers this her practical tool. Again you will find her professional and personal worlds intertwined. The left side of her Jibun Techo in A5 Size is used for listing goals to accomplish for the week. Her agenda might not be used to its full capacity (yet) because she sees a balance between digital and analogue when it comes to daily, weekly, monthly planning. For Pauline, the act of handwriting becomes less imperative, less about physically connecting, but simply being informed quickly.
Pauline’s love for The Superior Labor has no bounds. She owns almost one of every size in the collection. There are two particular TSL pouches she carries everywhere (TSLxBK Engineer Pouch with Pockets in Black canvas & TSL Engineer Pouch with Black canvas with nude leather). They fit perfectly in her daily tote and keep all her essentials neatly contained and accessible.
Pauline had a lot of time prior to starting a family where she traveled – and worked – all over the globe. She describes it as amazing, fulfilling and life changing! Now, instead of extensive travel they focus on more thoughtful, localized or grounded trips away from home. As a family they are exploring, creating, spending quality time together, teaching and doing a lot of laughing. In fact, if you were to listen to their family at any given time, you’d hear a chorus of giggling from them all!
Pauline lives and breathes creating. It’s part of how she sees life around her. Her advice is to cut out the stuff that just makes noise. Focus on what matters to you.
“If you truly believe in what you are doing, then stick with it. I’ve always said, I’ve not chosen the easy life! It’s not easy, but at the end of the day you are following your dreams and your passion.”
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