A bit sooner than I expected, a brand new year stumbled upon my horizon and entering my life and mind like the bright sun on a cold winter day.

December was a crazy rollercoaster slow month. How ridiculous that sounds? yeah, I know. It was slow when it came to work, planning and must-dos. Instead we traveled to our home country, even stayed a week longer than planned and visited as many friends and family as possible while also attending zine-fest Grafixx, visiting the latest exhibition of Arpais Dubois, wandering around Antwerp, deciding which books to buy and which to leave behind (always a heartbreaking moment), eating out, …  I can tell you, even my heartbeat (which I track) showed a crazy increase during our stay in Belgium while my sleeping pattern was that of a madman.
The best way to describe my brain felt was like a twirling ball of pop-sugar- in case you know this type of terrible filling for chocolates that sparkle in your mouth when eating it. At the same time, I wouldn’t have done anything differently. I was there for exactly all that and the knowledge that I would return to my quiet spot soon was enough to even enjoy a crowded subway.

Every time I travel between Belgium and Sweden, I wonder where I belong. Some days I think in neither of those places but in both of them at the same time. I am a stranger here but already an outsider in my old country. Some things change faster than I can blink (new building pop up everywhere) and some things remain the same (like the same complaints you hear from the same people for years).

I go crazy with the speed of life in Belgium but at the same time, I would like to kick Sweden in the butt to get to some action 🙂

But when returning to these woods, the lakes, the fresh air and the silence (especially when waking up), then I know that this is the place where I want to be right now. Nowhere else in the world.

Yeah, 2019 arrived a bit sooner than I expected, and I might not have my resolutions ready, but I embrace the adventures that are hidden within this new year.

Some things don’t have to change, don’t need a new beginning. The amount of time that I spent outdoors and with my dogs is just perfect. Especially after a year with a lot of losses and grief, I can tell you that being in nature, spending time wandering around and working mostly on dog photography, was my happy-medicine.

What I certainly want to change is my time at the studio. While focussing on (dog) photography kept me happy, my drafts for zines, sketches, and even my sketchbook were catching dust in a dark corner. The reason is that photography and illustration (printmaking/…) demand a different type of focus, source of inspiration and dedication. Like my yin and yang they counterbalance each other, but the past year I mostly needed to embrace my light and optimistic side.

On the 2019 menu:
– creating new zines
– more writing
– new travels and adventures
– expanding my jewelry collection
– taking enough time off
– meeting new people (let me know if you’d like to get a tea or hot chocolade 🙂 )
– learn at least one new skill

–> you see, I wasn’t really prepared, last year I had a list of 100 things that I wanted to do haha! Perhaps thats for another blog post.

And finally, I want to give you my wishes for that new, sparkling year. First and foremost, I wish you a gigantic portion of courage to dream, overcome, to go on an adventure and to love. To live your life. With the necessary time to wander around, to fail and to get up again. To seize opportunities and make choices that you can stand behind.

I also wish you joy and happiness. Sunny thoughts and blissful moments. New memories to cherish on dark days as rainbows through the raindrops.

And as icing on the cake an indomitable curiosity and openness to new experiences, learning moments, collaborations and new friendships.

X