By Nhi Do
Modern love has always been a big mystery for me. It seems harder to keep a man’s interest, especially in our disposable culture, where it’s effortless to move on if things are getting a little hard. And what’s worse, many millennials struggle to find or keep true love, because it’s becoming impossibly expensive just to go on a date. At times, we feel pressure to buy or expect expensive gifts, and pay a high price for romantic settings, but deep down we know that these materialistic things are not the cornerstones to relationship success… right?
Of course, it’s not all doom and gloom. Thanks to the way our society is growing, women are taking more control of their romantic lives – especially millennial women! The challenge for us is that the whole romance industry is focused on spending more and more money, but is that really necessary?
Recently, I finally learned the concept of being ‘simple’, meaning it doesn’t take much for me to be a happy woman. I started to become grateful for the little things and gradually big things came my way. I came to the realization that it’s the little things that make a relationship special. Small things like holding hands, catching the scent of your partner, and getting close with a massage. It’s the type of love where you have to put in work, effort and a portion of your quality time to say: ‘I love you’ and ‘I don’t take you for granted’.
That’s why I created a book to help couples enjoy life’s simple pleasures, called Story No. 9.
It’s a series of personalized books of tickets that can be redeemed for for a range of activities, like a home-cooked meal or watching the sunset. It offers a simple, unique and unfiltered way to encourage putting in the work and effort required for successful relationships, by presenting a truly thoughtful gift. Keeping gift giving… simple. Illustrated in different art styles and inspired by The Five Love Languages and Danish Hygge.
Story No. 9 has incorporated The Five Love Languages in a fun, but meaningful way. Gary Chapman’s 1992 book laid out what he believes to be the five fundamental ways in which people express and experience their love: words of affirmation; gifts; acts of service; quality time; and physical touch. Story No. 9 uses a modern approach that include four of the love languages into love tickets. The only one not included is the words of affirmation, like saying ‘thank you’ or ‘I love you’ – this is the one thing nobody can do for you!
Danish hygge is spreading around the world as people seek out ways to live happier lives. There’s nothing more hygge than sitting around with your loved ones, talking about all the little things (and big things) in life, going for long walks. When applying hygge to romance, it’s a conscious decision to also appreciate simple date nights, rather than constantly trying to ‘go big’. It’s about saying, I don’t need you to spend money, I want us to grow closer by understanding each other’s love languages – maybe even improving communication between the sexes along the way!
Giving your time as a gift goes deeper than simple gifting – it is a commitment that shows you value someone and care for them. Gifts are a reminder of love; small and thoughtful can be so much more authentic and meaningful than quick and expensive. It is a way for both partners in a relationship to take ownership of their actions, thoughts and words, helping create an equal, loving and strong partnership. Sending love tickets is one of the most genuine and real ways to say “I love you” and “I can’t wait to spend precious time with you!”
This project has been on-going for three years, and Story No. 9’s mission is to genuinely spread love worldwide. That is why the tickets and digital books are made free for everyone to download and enjoy. Hard copies of the books and other freebies will be available for early pledgers of the Kickstarter campaign I am running. Recently, Story No. 9 also published a free e-book called “A little book to help you love more” with theories (some of them really funny) to love more and become happier by focusing on Self, Good Relationships, Love & Sex.
In order to raise funding to distribute the books and produce styles that will appeal to a wider audience, Story No. 9 is now live on Kickstarter!
In case you were wondering, there are books available for him, for her, or for a friend. It comes ready with 9 little actions you can do to say: ‘I do love you. Let me show you how’:
1. Make a home-cooked meal
2. Ask for a slow dance
3. Serve breakfast in bed
4. Make a delicious sandwich
5. Go out for an ice cream
6. Invitation to a movie date
7. Bake something from the heart
8. Massage each other
9. Give them anything they wish for!
Nhi Do and her team are artists from around the world who created personalized books with the small pleasures of life – called Story No. 9. The project has been on the go for three years, and earlier this year, the tickets and digital books were made available online for free to reach their mission of spreading love and celebrating the little things. Story No. 9 has launched a Kickstarter campaign on 11 November 2019.
