Sep 14, 2026
Reflection
Why My Business Cards Have Monsters on Them
Why My Business Cards Have Monsters on Them
On worry monsters, a small pink house by Loch Glass, and why nobody teaches us how to put things down.
On worry monsters, a small pink house by Loch Glass, and why nobody teaches us how to put things down.
One of the things I've noticed about being human is that we carry an awful lot of things around.
Worries.
Responsibilities.
The conversation we should have had three weeks ago.
The email we wish we'd never sent.
Some of these things are surprisingly heavy. The trouble is, nobody really teaches us how to shake them off.
Maybe that's why, a few years ago, during a difficult period in my life, I bought a handful of small worry monsters and gave them to people I loved. There was something comforting about having something small to hold. Something that didn't offer advice. It just sat there quietly, doing its job.
And for some reason, that stayed with me. So eventually I made my own. And it seemed only fair to give them jobs.
One of the things I've noticed about being human is that we carry an awful lot of things around.
Worries.
Responsibilities.
The conversation we should have had three weeks ago.
The email we wish we'd never sent.
Some of these things are surprisingly heavy. The trouble is, nobody really teaches us how to shake them off.
Maybe that's why, a few years ago, during a difficult period in my life, I bought a handful of small worry monsters and gave them to people I loved. There was something comforting about having something small to hold. Something that didn't offer advice. It just sat there quietly, doing its job.
And for some reason, that stayed with me. So eventually I made my own. And it seemed only fair to give them jobs.
Pinky came from a real place.
Next to Loch Glass in the Scottish Highlands sits a small pink house.
Weathered.
Barricaded.
A little battered by time, weather, and people.
And yet, every time I saw it, it seemed strangely cheerful. Still standing. Still pink. Still refusing to blend in.
I photographed it years ago and kept returning to it in my mind. Not because it was perfect. Because it wasn't.
It reminded me that shelter doesn't have to be flawless. Sometimes it just has to be there.
And that's how Pinky arrived. A Shelter Keeper. A small place to rest when things feel a bit too much.
Pinky came from a real place.
Next to Loch Glass in the Scottish Highlands sits a small pink house.
Weathered.
Barricaded.
A little battered by time, weather, and people.
And yet, every time I saw it, it seemed strangely cheerful. Still standing. Still pink. Still refusing to blend in.
I photographed it years ago and kept returning to it in my mind. Not because it was perfect. Because it wasn't.
It reminded me that shelter doesn't have to be flawless. Sometimes it just has to be there.
And that's how Pinky arrived. A Shelter Keeper. A small place to rest when things feel a bit too much.
Pinky came from a real place.
Next to Loch Glass in the Scottish Highlands sits a small pink house.
Weathered.
Barricaded.
A little battered by time, weather, and people.
And yet, every time I saw it, it seemed strangely cheerful. Still standing. Still pink. Still refusing to blend in.
I photographed it years ago and kept returning to it in my mind. Not because it was perfect. Because it wasn't.
It reminded me that shelter doesn't have to be flawless. Sometimes it just has to be there.
And that's how Pinky arrived. A Shelter Keeper. A small place to rest when things feel a bit too much.
Tiffy arrived for different reasons.
If Pinky is about choosing what to leave behind, Tiffy is about deciding what you're willing to pick up in the first place.
Tiffy understands what happens when requests pile high and energy runs dry. When everybody needs something. When you've said yes so many times that no starts to feel slightly rude.
Tiffy disagrees. Strongly.
He believes boundaries are a public service. He's also not particularly interested in being popular.
Tiffy arrived for different reasons.
If Pinky is about choosing what to leave behind, Tiffy is about deciding what you're willing to pick up in the first place.
Tiffy understands what happens when requests pile high and energy runs dry. When everybody needs something. When you've said yes so many times that no starts to feel slightly rude.
Tiffy disagrees. Strongly.
He believes boundaries are a public service. He's also not particularly interested in being popular.
These days, Pinky and Tiffy travel around on my business cards.
I leave the cards out for people to choose, pick up and take with them.
They live in wallets. Sit on desks. Hide in coat pockets. Occasionally supervise meetings. Which is considerably more useful than most business cards manage.
I like the idea that somebody might find one years from now, tucked inside a notebook or at the bottom of a bag. A small reminder. That you don't have to carry everything all the time. That you're allowed to hold the line.
Sometimes that's all we need. A small reminder. And perhaps a slightly unusual monster.
Each monster comes with a small ritual — something to say, or simply think, while you hold them.
These days, Pinky and Tiffy travel around on my business cards.
I leave the cards out for people to choose, pick up and take with them.
They live in wallets. Sit on desks. Hide in coat pockets. Occasionally supervise meetings. Which is considerably more useful than most business cards manage.
I like the idea that somebody might find one years from now, tucked inside a notebook or at the bottom of a bag. A small reminder. That you don't have to carry everything all the time. That you're allowed to hold the line.
Sometimes that's all we need. A small reminder. And perhaps a slightly unusual monster.
Each monster comes with a small ritual — something to say, or simply think, while you hold them.
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