Nate Williams's Blog, page 2

Hola Amiga Collection 1-6

buy book This book contains the majority of content from the books Hola Amiga 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.

Hola Amiga is an ongoing project that metamorphoses from zines to art shows to products. It’s a playground for unfiltered thoughts, illustrations, patterns, and imagery that doesn’t have to explain the “why did you do this?” It’s just me, exploring my subconscious, free from the constraints of ROI and focus groups. With an intention to celebrate imperfection and unexpected discoveries in an era dominated by data, the endless race towards increasing productivity, and algorithm-curated attention, its primary objective is to let the mind wander, question, explore, play, and discover.

It’s about embracing spontaneity, exploring the subconscious, and the beauty of the unexpected—unfiltered, imperfect, and always curious.

Thank you for your interest in my work. I am grateful.

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HOLA AMIGA 5: "Memento Mori" said the mayfly

"Memento Mori" said the mayfly Buy Book

HOLA AMIGA – "Memento Mori" said the mayfly continues the first "FIVE" books, an intention to celebrate imperfection and unexpected discoveries in an era dominated by data, the endless race towards increasing productivity, and algorithm-curated attention. Its primary objective is to let the mind wander, question, explore, play, and discover.

Victoria Cipolla, my mother, passed away from ovarian cancer at 56. She was full of life and left behind countless funny, memorable stories. She often spoke lovingly of her grandmother Nani, who remained an abstract figure to me. Now, ironically, she has become the "Nani" to many important people in my life.

I wish that my wife and children could have met her - her sense of humor was incredible, and their laughter would have brought her such joy. Her death taught me life's brevity, inspiring me to chase my dreams. I sold my house, quit my job, and planned a 3-month stay in South America. That adventure stretched into 10 years, mostly in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with some time in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica.

I'm grateful for where this path led me - to my wife and children. To stay grounded, I reflect on what stood out from five years ago, keeping 3-4 truly important things in focus. A lot of the time we get so caught up in going at a fast pace, saying yes to things that are not important, living life without intent, and letting our environment dictate our next move that we end up frantically traveling, but forgetting where we are even going — halfway to nowhere. "Memento Mori," said the mayfly.

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HOLA AMIGA: "Memento Mori" said the mayfly

"Memento Mori" said the mayfly Buy Book

HOLA AMIGA – "Memento Mori" said the mayfly continues the first "FIVE" books, an intention to celebrate imperfection and unexpected discoveries in an era dominated by data, the endless race towards increasing productivity, and algorithm-curated attention. Its primary objective is to let the mind wander, question, explore, play, and discover.

Victoria Cipolla, my mother, passed away from ovarian cancer at 56. She was full of life and left behind countless funny, memorable stories. She often spoke lovingly of her grandmother Nani, who remained an abstract figure to me. Now, ironically, she has become the "Nani" to many important people in my life.

I wish that my wife and children could have met her - her sense of humor was incredible, and their laughter would have brought her such joy. Her death taught me life's brevity, inspiring me to chase my dreams. I sold my house, quit my job, and planned a 3-month stay in South America. That adventure stretched into 10 years, mostly in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with some time in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica.

I'm grateful for where this path led me - to my wife and children. To stay grounded, I reflect on what stood out from five years ago, keeping 3-4 truly important things in focus. A lot of the time we get so caught up in going at a fast pace, saying yes to things that are not important, living life without intent, and letting our environment dictate our next move that we end up frantically traveling, but forgetting where we are even going — halfway to nowhere. "Memento Mori," said the mayfly.

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HOLA AMIGA 6: VICTORIA CIPOLLA

HOLA AMIGA – VICTORIA CIPOLLA is a continuation of the first FIVE books, with an intention to celebrate imperfection and unexpected discoveries in an era dominated by data, the endless race towards increasing productivity, and algorithm-curated attention. Its primary objective is to let the mind wander, question, explore, play, and discover.

VICTORIA CIPOLLA
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Hola Amiga 5 : My Dyslexic Childhood

NEW BOOKHola Amiga 5: My Dyslexic Childhood
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I came for the art but stayed for the dyslexia.

Most kids gravitate toward art, visuals, and sensory experiences—and some of us never let that go. As Ursula K. Le Guin said, “The creative adult is the child that has survived.”

My dyslexia led me to both art and self-teaching. Learning differently forced me to find my own creative solutions. This turned out to be a gift—I discovered I could learn anything I wanted to, regardless of what was taught in school.

Curiosity, play, and discovery became my modus operandi. We now live in an incredible time where, if you have curiosity and desire, you can learn almost anything. This book is my attempt to show non-dyslexic people how reading felt to me as a young person. I saw letters as abstract sculptures—objects and shapes rather than text. Words appeared like Rorschach ink blots, resembling strange buildings and characters more than language. My eyes would jump around the letters, making the words unintelligible. I would get fragments of information and would have to use creativity to make sense of this input.

People often think dyslexia is purely visual, but it can affect how you think. My thought process was distinctly non-linear; I would hold multiple conversations at once, jumping back and forth between different trains of thought.

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HOLA AMIGA COLLECTION 1-4

HOLA AMIGA COLLECTION 1-4
175 pages of mostly art
Buy Paperback Book | Buy Hardback Book

This book contains the majority of content from the books Hola Amiga 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Hola Amiga is an ongoing project that metamorphoses from zines to art shows to products. It’s a playground for unfiltered thoughts, illustrations, patterns, and imagery that doesn’t have to explain the “why did you do this?” It’s just me, exploring my subconscious, free from the constraints of ROI and focus groups. With an intention to celebrate imperfection and unexpected discoveries in an era dominated by data, the endless race towards increasing productivity, and algorithm-curated attention, its primary objective is to let the mind wander, question, explore, play, and discover.

It’s about embracing spontaneity, exploring the subconscious, and the beauty of the unexpected—unfiltered, imperfect, and always curious.

HOLA AMIGA COLLECTION 1-4
175 pages of mostly art
Buy Paperback Book | Buy Hardback Book

Hola Amiga 4: Autopilot

HOLA AMIGA – AUTOPILOT is a continuation of the first THREE books, with an intention to celebrate imperfection and unexpected discoveries in an era dominated by data, the endless race towards increasing productivity, and algorithm-curated attention. Its primary objective is to let the mind wander, question, explore, play, and discover.

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“AUTOPILOT”

I have always been amazed at how humans can navigate complex situations while barely being aware of their surroundings, making several intricate decisions simultaneously. Have you ever driven somewhere and barely remembered the journey, all while stopping at traffic lights, merging, and reacting to things in your environment?

In an effort to conserve energy, humans are programmed to find the path of least resistance to accomplish goals. However, much of life’s magic happens when we are forced to come off autopilot and notice the present moments. Boutique hotels do this particularly well by tweaking the expected with something new, so you take notice. This can be as simple as serving cone-shaped sugar with your espresso or surprising you with something you didn’t ask for.

One of the best ways to come off autopilot is to travel or, better yet, live in another country. The mundane becomes special as the slightest changes in expectations transport you to the present. In these situations, even everyday occurrences can feel remarkable, pulling you out of your routine and into a state of heightened awareness.

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Hola Amiga 4 - Autopilot

HOLA AMIGA 4 – Autopilot is a continuation of the first three books, with an intention to celebrate imperfection and unexpected discoveries in an era dominated by data, the endless race towards increasing productivity, and algorithm-curated attention. Its primary objective is to let the mind wander, question, explore, play, and discover.

Hola Amiga BOOK 3 - Indifference Is My Superpower

HOLA AMIGA – INDIFFERENCE IS MY SUPERPOWER is a continuation of the first two books, with an intention to celebrate imperfection and unexpected discoveries in an era dominated by data, the endless race towards increasing productivity, and algorithm-curated attention. Its primary objective is to let the mind wander, question, explore, play, and discover.

“Indifference is my superpower” may seem negative or flippant, but it’s just another way to say “be aware of and balance external validation and influences.” While many factors influence our decisions, in our digital age, it’s never been easier to quantify positive and negative feedback loops through social media (follows, likes, comments, views). This feedback loop is becoming so strong that it’s changing the course of creations. The challenge lies in acknowledging the seismic shift caused by digital feedback loops and striking a balance so that we’re not merely optimizing our work, our lives, ourselves, and our time for external forces and algorithms.

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Hola Amiga 2

If you can’t be right, be wrong with confidence. Buy Book

A book of limited-color illustrations by Nate Williams. These images celebrate imperfections and unexpected elements of spontaneity, curiosity, play, and discovery in an era dominated by data, mitigated risk, projections, algorithms, and AI. “Hola Amiga” was originally a response to a highly calculated strategic working environment when I was working at Microsoft and has evolved from a simple zine into an ongoing project exploring creativity outside the corporate world, free from KPIs, focus groups, and trend reports. Its primary objective is to let the mind wander, question, explore, play, and discover. It aims to maintain a connection to the analog realm and stay in touch with the curious and playful nature of humans.

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