Stage 3
Living Sparkle
Pieces of Vi
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Living Sparkle
“Don’t just create art, create a life you can call your own.” I read these words as I was sitting in the back of the conference room, surrounded by art and artists, listening to Peter Maasdam who passionately shared about the importance of developing your entrepreneurial skills as an artist too. The words struck a chord. Deeply.
Reignition
How had I forgotten about that? The life that I wanted to call my own? This was not merely my cold apartment in Voorburg, The Netherlands. The life I wanted to call my own involved a place in the sun. In a small town, where the warm wind would caress my skin and the sound of crickets would pierce my ears. Where I’d open the doors and put my work out to dry. How did I lose this part of myself?
These simple words went straight into my heart, igniting a new drive within me to look beyond merely making art, but actually finding a way to make my life a living piece of art for myself. Without any hesitance, after reading those words I decided to step into the Master ART-repreneur Programme created by artist and multiple entrepreneur Peter Maasdam.
It was a path that supported me in developing myself as an artist, but more so as an entrepreneur so that the artist in me could keep existing.
Hooked on a Vision
From that moment on, everything I did was to make this dream come true. Working in the kitchen of a meeting venue? Sure. Supporting entrepreneurs with small tasks? Okay. I was hooked on that vision. Driven to develop myself and to make it happen. I sold my house, rebuilt a van into an art studio and lived there for three months until I drove to my new house in Spain.
Now, the doors of my studio are open. The village dogs come to keep me company. At night I look at the endless colours of the stars. I receive my morning drink from the lemon tree next to my house. I enjoy fresh figs in my yoghurt. I live the pure life I dreamed of back then. In simplicity, being part of nature again and feeling inspired all over.
This has inspired my new direction. I now work with lighter colours - they bring in more brightness and also more sparkles.
