Muses #1: Jordan Santos

Creator, consultant and founder of Seen Library and No One Asked here on Substack

Muses is an interview series featuring people I admire and respect across different walks of life—business, fashion, marketing, wellness, social media and more. It’s my way of picking the brains of people I have internet crushes on. Each guest is a Muse to me, inspiring me in one way or another. Together, we’ll explore their creativity and how they navigate the world.

Kicking things off (and setting the bar high!) with

jordan santos

. I’ve been following her for years, drawn to her curated aesthetic and deep passion for literature. I reached out to her organically, having never met before, and she responded immediately, excited to be part of this—which I’m truly grateful for.

Tell us a bit about yourself. Who is Jordan?

I am a Filipino-American born and raised in and near Los Angeles. I am someone who tries to be honest, curious and thoughtful. I love to spend time with my loved ones and my cat, I love to travel, I love to read and I love to have long, beautiful conversations with my friends. I have worked in social media for the past 12 years and have more recently started a book community where I host various gatherings to prompt conversation and connection through books called Seen Library. 

@jordansantos

What recent musings have you had?

That I want to embody the world I want to live in to the best of my ability. There’s a lot of stuff happening in the world and I used to think that if I just learned enough or talked about it enough, things could really change. It may sound sad and cynical, but I’m not sure I feel that way anymore. I want to instead focus on my everyday actions and interactions – how can I be there for my neighbor? How can I be a good friend? How can I facilitate meaningful conversations and connections? What tools, skills and resources do I have to make the world around me just a bit better? Or at least the lives of the people I love a bit better? And I guess I hope by focusing on that, it will change things in a positive way – even if small. 

Something you’ve recently consumed that left an impression? (Book, article, show, podcast or even food)

Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler - I’ve wanted to read Octavia Butler’s work for a while and now I see how much I’ve missed out waiting this long. As dark as this dystopian story is, it’s somehow so beautiful. In the way she writes and in the way she provides glimmers of hope and faith. While you see the worst from people — people who have lost everything and who resort to violence and chaos, you also see the best peek through — people who still care for the old, the young and the poor, people who despite everything, want to make things better, learn things, and be in community and trust others. While the (real) world is so bleak at the moment, somehow reading a fiction of a world that’s worse makes me feel better. And reminds me if they can find hope, kindness and empathy in that world, I had better find it in mine, too.

When you have ideas, who would you say are your go-tos to share with and get feedback? 

When it comes to Seen Library, the only person I go to for my ideas is my friend Halleta. She just really gets what I’m trying to do with Seen and her opinion is one I hold to the highest regard with something so special to me.  

Why inspired the name of your Substack?

I honestly didn’t think too much about it! I started this Substack 2-3 years ago when not a lot of people I knew had Substacks yet and I really felt like it was something that literally no one asked for – and that’s what I named it. I was already sharing so much on Instagram and I felt silly getting on another platform to share more. 

I think it’s important to poke fun at what we’re all doing – sharing our unsolicited thoughts in a sea of other people sharing their unsolicited thoughts. There is so much to consume, yet we still feel the need to take up space and share our point of view. Sometimes it’s really good and really valuable, and sometimes it’s not – and that’s ok, too, haha. 

You shared a post about some things you love—any other niche things you’re currently obsessed with or discovering that might surprise people?

There’s so much out there that it’s hard for me to think about what I actually like…

This is so random and niche but I really love these Zebra Sarasa Pens – they’re the only pens I use, especially in the color Sepia Black.

Where did your love for books stem from? Is there a specific moment or person who sparked your love for reading?

Honestly, I’d say the Harry Potter series really made me into the reader that I am. I was obsessed – reading the books late into the night under my covers with the flashlight when I was supposed to be sleeping and even bringing them to dinner and reading them at the table with my family. From there, I began reading a lot and remember sitting in the aisles of Barnes & Nobles with my cousins, picking out books that my uncle would buy us. 

What was your favorite read of 2024 and why?

Still Born by Guadalupe Nettel - it’s a complex, nuanced perspective on motherhood and womanhood that is often untold. Explores the difficult decisions in becoming a mother, the regrets that sometimes comes with that, and the unconventional ways one can parent — a reminder that in the individualistic world we have today, what we may need most are multiple people coming together to care for and raise a child, that it’s not something you can or should do alone. 

I couldn’t put it down. Sharp, direct — like a friend telling you about her day. I related so much to the mixed feelings that the characters had about motherhood in contrast to the “just do it” messages I’ve gotten from elders and even peers. And it was comforting to hear the different sides of motherhood — the beauty and also the immense pain and the multitude of emotions that can come with it: jealousy, pride, regret, joy… 

I highly recommend it and am so thankful that my friend suggested it to me.

Congratulations on your pregnancy! If you’re comfortable sharing, how has the experience been for you so far?

Thank you. To be honest, I find it so hard to talk about pregnancy because there’s an outcome we still don’t know of yet. Anything can happen – good and bad. At the moment, I’m just happy to be healthy and things are seemingly going as well as they could be. Just taking it day by day.

Could you give a little behind-the-scenes on how the Seen Library pop-ups started? What inspired the idea?

Unofficially, the beginnings of Seen Library kind of started back in 2015, simply because I wanted to get friends together in a new, fun way. I saw a photo of a “blind date with a book” on Tumblr and wanted to try it out with friends. I had 5 of us (friends and my cousins) meet at a park and told everyone to bring a book wrapped with clues written on top. It wasn’t very chic at all - we all reused paper grocery bags and took a sharpie to scribble some clues. Since then, I began doing them here and there through 2019, and over time, more friends and acquaintances became interested in joining. When covid lockdowns happened in 2020, they were put on pause. 

At the same time, I had been working in the social media industry since 2013 and around 2020 / 2021, I really felt the shift from social media being a tool for connection to becoming a tool for self-promotion, whether it's for a brand or an individual. I know that I myself contributed to that and still do! But I guess that realization kind of made me disillusioned about an industry I initially loved and had so much fun working in.

During that time, I read Severance by Ling Ma, which made me reflect and think seriously about my relationship with work, who I am and what I do outside of work. It was then that I committed to cutting back on work. I decided I would make less money and take on less clients so that I could figure out what I really wanted to do with my time. I realized two things: 1. how much I enjoyed reading and putting together these book-centered gatherings and 2. that I wasn't necessarily sick of working in social media but that I just really missed that feeling of connectivity I enjoyed so much in its early days - meeting new people and actually getting to know them in person. I wanted to find a way to get that back, which is why I created Seen Library, officially. 

I loved the conversations and relationships that formed from the book exchanges I was hosting and saw how different they were to the conversations I was having at the brand-centered events I was going to and the people I was meeting through work. In 2021, I started Seen Library and brought the book exchanges back with more intention - as a way to not only get existing friends together, but also like-minded people who may not already know each other in hopes that it would lay the foundation for new friendships. It was such a natural desire, after finding ourselves so isolated during lockdowns in 2020. Since then, Seen Library has evolved the more interest it has received. The book exchanges turned into book givings, where I curate books for people to choose from, and I also began doing pop-ups, book drives, meet ups and volunteer days with an organization called Reading to Kids.

Specifically, the pop-ups started as a way to get more people to experience Seen Library at one time, as the book exchanges cap at 20 people to keep it intimate. At the pop-ups, people can touch and feel the wrapped books, and take their time browsing the clues. I always encourage those who visit to use it as an opportunity to meet new people and ask others which clues they resonate with. It's been really cool to see friend groups go to the pop-ups together, chatting about which books they feel drawn to, or people coming by themselves and leaving with a new book and friend.

You can learn more about Seen Library here :)

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced when launching the pop-ups?

Honestly, coming to terms with the fact that people would be interested in them! For the first two pop-ups, I massively underestimated how many people would want to come and buy books and sold out all the quantities in the first day that I had set aside for the whole weekend. I just couldn’t believe anyone would be interested in this little passion project of mine. 

I’ve since learned my lesson and make sure to have more than enough books now!

What drew you to the Salt and Stone collaboration, and how did you feel it aligned with your values or vision?

I feel so fortunate that brands approach Seen Library to partner with – it makes me so happy to see that brands are using their resources to get books out and get people to read more. When Salt and Stone reached out, I was so excited – they pitched the idea to pop up in New York, which is a city I want to be more present in. I have loved their scents and products for years but what really drew me in was their desire to connect with their audience and community in a unique way and the way they gave me creative freedom to curate the books I wanted to share. 

The Salt and Stone x Seen Library

If you could only wear one outfit for the rest of your life, what would it be, and why?

At the moment, I’d say a good pair of trousers, a simple tank, a knit cardigan or sweater paired with a good leather bag and slingback pumps. Classic and can be worn in almost any situation – a coffee date, dinner, work meeting… 

What’s a popular book you’ve read that didn’t live up to your expectations?

Happy Place by Emily Henry. I will never read another Emily Henry book again! I feel duped.

What can people expect from Seen Library in the coming years?

I’m not sure because I don’t even know myself! But I hope that it comes to new cities and remains small, thoughtful and intimate. 

If you could live anywhere else for a year, where would it be and why?

London. My husband is from England and we have family there so it would be nice to be closer to them. Apart from the cold and rain, I feel so at home in London. It feels so familiar and easy and I love how multicultural it is. 

How important is community building to you when it comes to putting things you’re putting out in the world?

Very. Although I’m not sure I’d use the term community building - just because it’s now turned into something else as it relates to brands and marketing. But when it comes to my personal projects, like Seen Library, conversation and connection are always what drives it. 

What are three items you don’t regret purchasing?

1. The Row Everyday Bag

2. Chanel Slingbacks

3. RLT Relaxed Elastic Pant

More on that here :)

How do you navigate the line between sharing and keeping certain parts of your life sacred?

I talk about this more in my piece It’s ok to be curated, but I think it comes down to how I feel. I share what feels natural and right now, that’s more of what I’m doing, what I’m wearing, where I’m going – through my POV in capturing those things. 

I feel at odds with the idea of sharing more of the personal stuff – things that have to do with my friends who aren’t public on social media and with my family and just my most intimate moments – and have realized that there are things that I just want to keep for myself, especially as I’ve been sharing so much of myself on the internet for the past 12 or so years. 

You wear many hats, one of those being a creator for brands. What has been your favorite project to date and why?

I’ve been fortunate to create content for a multitude of brands I love – Vince, Rhode, Chanel, to name a few… But I think what I enjoy more is being behind-the-scenes for brands, whether consulting on their social media or shooting for them. It’s more fun for me to help a brand bring their story to life rather than me be so front-facing. 

I also love any partnership that Seen Library gets to be a part of – whether it’s with Cou Cou Intimates, Sezane or Completedworks and Nanusha in London. I’ve been so fortunate to work with incredible brands through Seen and that it’s been able to go to different cities because of it. 

I could ask you to describe what your style is, but that seems a bit expected. What would you say your style isn’t?

Colorful. Glamorous. Overstated. Girly. 

You’re walking around in the city—what place are you most likely to walk into or stop by? (It could be a restaurant or store—I want to know things that usually stand out to you.)

A used book store.

A nicely curated vintage store.

A store that sells pens and stationery.

A chic but warm coffee shop – that serves matcha.