- Can you share your background with us?
About ten years ago, I rediscovered the art of photography, and since then, I have been living my life through the lens. It was enough after more than fifteen years as an independent musician and teacher with a thriving company in the music business. I burned my bridges and plunged into a new adventure. I took up the challenge to make photography my profession.
I am self-made by nature, so my learning path was practical. I got the chance to photograph for Bijenkorf, one of the leading warehouses in the Netherlands, and that is where my (photo studio) school started. After that, I took a leap, built my own business and in recent years I photographed for major brands in various photo studios in the Netherlands and Germany.
Today I work as an independent photographer specialising in fashion, product, music photography and portraits, and as a studio manager at I Heart Studios in Amsterdam.
- What do you do outside of work?
My path of rediscovering myself guided me to immerse myself in Eastern philosophies like Buddhism and Daoism, with which I felt most connected, given my Chinese roots. We live in a world where most people have forgotten what it is to actually be human. To live consciously, in harmony with nature, our true (higher) self and each other. From my own perspective and lifestyle and half a lifetime full of experiences and life lessons, I decided I’d like to help others on their path of enlightenment. After moving to a new home a few years ago, in the middle of the forest with like-minded (spiritual) people as my neighbours, I was inspired to contribute in my own way to a new world, the new dimension that we are shifting to. I do Pranic Healings, teach Tai Chi, developed awareness photography workshops, and I founded a company called Tao of Chi as the basis for the light work I do.
- As an environmentalist, you have adopted a sustainable lifestyle for years. Can you share some sustainability practices and tips that we can follow in our daily life?
Over the last decade, sustainability has become more and more important in my life and my view of the world. I’m trying to live my life as sustainable as possible since a better world starts with yourself. This is being expressed by maintaining sustainable habits, from being a vegetarian to buying organic (preferably) locally produced food. I try to buy as consciously as possible when it comes to clothing or other products. I try not to buy anything if I don’t really need it. Buy less, choose well. Consumerism has become the standard, and it makes me sad to see the lack of awareness among the majority of the people.
I am trying to incorporate my sustainable lifestyle by supporting sustainable brands in my freelance work. Together we’re stronger and can spread awareness.
- What is your life motto?
“Forget what you’ve learned and follow the river, it’ll bring you flowers.”
- What is your philosophy of life?
By letting everything, life, run its course, everything will eventually work out and fall into place. Life is like a dance or a piece of music, and it needs descending to eventually climb the mountain again.
