—

“So, what do you do?”

“Whatever I feel like.”

My history of work is very diverse. To some, confusingly so. I’ve often been told that my work looks like that of multiple people. And for me, this is a sign of success. Because the only thing I strive for, always, is to experience and understand life, and the world, from as many perspectives as possible. And if I can embody multiple perspectives, then perhaps I have begun to actually understand them.

Some people want a version of you that’s edited down to the only part they are interested in at that moment.

But I don’t edit myself down. I refuse to cut my corners to fit into someone else’s circle. I used to filter myself to make myself more accessible to people. Now, I’m okay with people filtering themselves out if they aren’t ready to meet me where I am. But also, if we all always keep trimming ourselves down for others, we may never succeed in creating a human society that accepts us for all of our beautiful chaos, and not just an efficiently boxed up version of us that neglects all the parts of us that make us human.

What makes me human, I’ve found, has barely changed since I was a child: a longing for often incidental beauty, a deep curiosity to know all there is to know, a burning passion for intensity in connection and an explosive fear of everything I can’t control. I long, I crave, I fear and I continue to survive. And each time I do, I am strangely humbled by it. I lose faith in the strength that I should be able to take for granted by now.

All of my work is an experiment in being human.

Sometimes, as me, sometimes as someone else. An exploration in what makes us all the same, and what makes us all unique. Sometimes as individuals, and sometimes as a collective, an organisation, a group, a community. Sometimes, as a machine that longs for efficiency, sometimes as an organic being with fuzzy edges that refuse to be defined. Sometimes commercial, sometimes entirely personal and unpaid.

The only unifying principle across my work is me. And I hope it does confuse you. And raises more questions than it answers. If you feel any certainty about life or the universe, it’s about time to banish that false faith. However, I’d be very pleased to ask questions together, to look for possibilities in whatever it is you seek, to define new edges and frontiers, and erase the hard lines that might be constricting you in your current existence, profession or perspective.

But if it all does make perfect sense to you, and you see clearly about how it fits together, then do write to me, too. I’d love to see what you see.

Signature talks, workshops and courses

* The Power of Doing Nothing - achieving mastery over the self for creativity, innovation and impact
* Unlocking Your Creative Superpower - breaking through limiting beliefs and changing the world
* Preparing for Superhumanity - cultivating tools for evolution and enlightenment in daily life
* Passion & Purpose - identifying the inner compass and activating its power as a driving force
* Think Like an Artist (Act Like an Entrepreneur) - harnessing creative tension for radical innovation
* Emotional Toolkit for Emergencies - mastering failure, resilience, vulnerability & fear

past appearances

The Next Web 2020 Amsterdam, The Netherlands
– “How immersive art can shed light on the human experience”
with multimedia artist Christopher Bauder, WHITEVOID, Berlin
– “Under Pressure: Preventing a mental health epidemic”
with Cyd Crouse, CMO Muse and D Sharma, CEO Wellness Coach

RiseUp Summit for Startup Entrepreneurs Cairo, Egypt
“Unlocking Your Creative Superpower”

The School of Life Amsterdam, The Netherlands (Core Faculty)
“Creativity”
“Innovation”
“Resilience”
“Entrepreneurship”
“Adaptability”
“Charm”
“Confidence”
“Self Awareness”
“How to Find Love”
“How to Identify Your Career Potential”
“How to Fail”
–
Elizabeth Gilbert at Tivoli Vredenburg - Host & Interviewer
–
Clients served include: ABN Amro, Nike, Booking.com, Bol.com, Cartier, Wieden+Kennedy, KPMG, Euronext, Mollie, University of Amsterdam, VIVAT, AEGON, Willis Towers Watson, Tata Steel & more

Wieden+Kennedy
“The Power of Doing Nothing”

COFRA
“The Power of Doing Nothing”

Kantar
“The Power of Doing Nothing”

Soho House Amsterdam
“Doing Nothing: Negative Space, Positive Mind”
“The Slow Movement”
“Intellectual Snob Salon series”

House of Beautiful Business
“The Power of Doing Nothing” Amsterdam 2020
“How Artists Will Save Business (and Humanity)” Lisbon 2017
“Preparing for Superhumanity” Barcelona 2017, Lisbon 2017

Turn Camp by The Turn Club
“The Art of Doing Nothing”

Icarus Festival
“The Art of Doing Nothing”

One Day A Month
“How to Look at Art,” Martin van Zomeren Gallery

Zoku
“Live with Passion (without quitting your job)”

The Hoxton
“Live with Passion (without quitting your job)”