It’s never too late to turn things around…
I come from an academic and emancipated background. If you can study, you do—especially as a woman! And then you get a meaningful and interesting job. But that path isn’t mine at all!
My Turn around…
It’s the summer of 2016.
We’ve just moved to Bavaria and I’ve quit my job as a psychologist. Everything feels so different here—the surroundings, the peace, the nature so close to our home, the language, and customs. I’ve just turned 40, and menopause has already begun; all sorts of things are happening. Something needs to change, but I don’t yet know exactly what.
For years, I’ve felt empty when it comes to work, career, or whatever you want to call it. Up to that point, I’d had about 20 different jobs. From sales to translation, to trainer, coach, and psychologist. I usually did quite well, and often it was even fun for a while—but sooner or later, I’d burn out in every job.
First, I focus on my family—emigrating has quite an impact on all of us—and for a while, that’s enough. But something is pushing to the surface. A kind of creative urge. I start writing. Columns, short stories, various scenes, and I have ideas for a detective novel. It’s interesting, but it doesn’t fully resonate.
Then I volunteer to do face painting at a party at my sons’ kindergarten. And that’s when something happens! It’s as if a switch flips, and suddenly the only thing I want to do is face paint. I take a one-year course and end up painting for about six hours a day. I wonder what I’ve been doing with my time and creativity all these years. I start a business and earn my first money from face painting. It feels like I’ve struck gold. It makes me truly happy. And then we move back to the Netherlands and COVID takes hold of the world…
Because I can’t do face painting and many people are struggling mentally, I return to my old profession. I treat clients online for two years, and slowly, COVID dies down. When everything is finally behind us, I collapse. Exhausted and completely out of touch with myself, I come to the realization that my old way of doing things no longer fits. In fact, if I try to go back to it, it destroys me. It feels like I’m missing an essential part of life!
So I have to paint, there is no question about it. When I don’t I feel restless and when I do the world opens up and deepens. I want to create more beauty and joy in life, I want to be in touch with the magic of creation and I hope I am able to reach many hearts with my bruhes!
