Designing Bob Merckel’s Salute: A Journey of Self-Acceptance and Imperfection
Creativity at Myretroposter often sparks fascinating collaborations — and one of the most memorable involved American author Bob Merckel. While visiting Alecse’s gallery in Sitges, Merckel was drawn to the unique charm of vintage travel posters and purchased two pieces. During that visit, an idea took shape: Merckel asked Alecse to design the cover for his latest book, Salute. Though the project progressed swiftly, it came with a challenge — capturing the book’s soul without falling into the visual clichés often associated with yoga-themed literature.
Salute isn’t merely a story about yoga. It’s a reflection on self-acceptance, imperfection, and peace with the present moment. The author wanted a cover that balanced the physical practice of yoga with the deeper philosophical insights of living authentically. For Alecse, this resonated deeply — his art, too, aims to evoke a sense of serenity, exploration, and emotional truth.
Designing the cover required creating a visual narrative that embodied stillness and introspection. Just like Alecse’s vintage-inspired posters, the final artwork invites viewers to embark on a personal journey — one of growth and acceptance of imperfection as part of beauty itself.
Readers of Salute have connected with its universal themes. One reviewer, Lynne Rees, compared Merckel’s work to the writings of Natalie Goldberg and Haruki Murakami — both known for turning life’s daily practices into meditations on being. Coincidentally, Murakami is one of Alecse’s favorite authors, particularly The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, a novel that also explores self-discovery through subtle reflection.
“Salute reminds me of Natalie Goldberg’s Writing Down the Bones or Murakami’s What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, where writing and running become metaphors for life’s lessons. ‘We are a part of everything,’ Goldberg says. Murakami says, ‘You make do with what you have… as you age you learn even to be happy with what you have.’ Bob Merckel says, ‘There is no perfect.’”
The result is a design that mirrors the book’s spirit — calm, reflective, and deeply human. For Alecse, the journey of crafting this cover was as meaningful as the final image itself, embodying the quiet elegance of imperfection.
To explore this inspiring book, visit Amazon or follow Bob Merckel’s reflections on Medium.
Photo: Alecse reading Salute on the beach in Sitges, taken by his son Roman.
