Meditation & Creativity: How to Dive Deep into the Self

Stefan Kiefer

Life-Time Transcendental Meditation Practitioner

Hongkong Studios

Born in 1957 on the North Sea island of Sylt, Stefan Kiefer studied illustration in Hamburg and then worked successfully for 7 years as a freelance illustrator for magazines, book publishers and advertising agencies. From 1991 onwards, he developed innovative visual concepts as art director and illustrator for the planned spiritual theme park "Maharishi Veda Land" in Vlodrop/Netherlands, which was intended to give visitors a direct experience of the feeling of "enlightenment" through meditation. Subsequently, from 1994 onwards, as global art director and designer, he created countless packages for Maharishi Ayurveda products, which contributed to the worldwide awareness for the ancient Indian health system Ayurveda.

Back in Hamburg, he was initially Art Director for packaging design before moving to the editorial office of Germany's biggest news magazine DER SPIEGEL as a graphic designer in April 1996. From 2000 to 2014, he was art director of the cover department and thus responsible for around 800 published covers for DER SPIEGEL magazine, other SPIEGEL products and book covers. In total, perhaps 10,000 cover designs were created over 18 years. To this day, Kiefer gives lectures on his special time as art director of this important magazine and the power of visual concepts for sophisticatedly designed magazine covers, as well as giving workshops on the subject.

In November 2014, he took over the premises of today's HONGKONG STUDIOS, a former carpet warehouse in HAFENCITY HAMBURG, and developed the increasingly successful interdisciplinary concept of an event location as a creative laboratory for workshops, seminars, coaching sessions, cultural exchange, music concerts, yoga and meditation on a total of 500 square meters. Since September 2023, his daughter Amelie Agius has taken over the management of HONGKONG STUDIOS.

Stefan Kiefer is happily married to Sabine Seidel, father of 5 wonderful children aged between 8 and 43, is an active drummer in the pop-rock band HONG KONG FIVE and has been practicing TM, Transcendental Meditation, twice a day with great joy and dedication since the age of 16, i.e. for 50 years now. NAMASTE!