Choosing Beauty: How Art Inspires My Daily Life
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Integer nec odio. Praesent libero. Sed cursus ante dapibus diam. Sed nisi. Nulla quis sem at nibh elementum imperdiet.
I am often asked what or who inspires me. My answer is always the same: art. Artists inspire me, most often women, sometimes men.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Integer nec odio. Praesent libero. Sed cursus ante dapibus diam. Sed nisi. Nulla quis sem at nibh elementum imperdiet.
Category
ART
Date
24/11/2025
Length
4 min read
Share
Their work, their reasons for creating, their vision, their influence — it all captivates me. Music inspires me too. A beautiful film, a meaningful book, a moving performance. Art exists in countless forms, and all of it has the potential to spark something inside me.
I constantly try to look closely at the world around me, even when I am simply walking down the street. I look at the beauty of small things, the elegance of nature, the lines of architecture, the interplay of colours, shapes and scents. I choose to see beauty. And once you make that choice, once you begin to see beauty in things that others may overlook, you start discovering even more of it.
In my second book The Guide I portrayed a woman named Pien, a gallery owner and true expert in the world of art. She works mainly with female artists and often represents textile art. I adore her eye, her sensitivity and the pieces she chooses to highlight.
Lorum ipsum
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Integer nec odio. Praesent libero. Sed cursus ante dapibus diam. Sed nisi. Nulla quis sem at nibh elementum imperdiet.
Rademakers Gallery
Rademakers Gallery is one of the most vibrant and forward-thinking galleries in the Netherlands, known for its focus on contemporary art and powerful female voices. The gallery represents artists who dare to push boundaries in materials, concepts and identity, with a strong emphasis on textile art, sustainability and craftsmanship. It offers a space where innovation meets emotion, and where artists are encouraged to tell bold, honest stories. Pien’s eye for talent and detail is deeply woven into the soul of the gallery, making it a true home for art that touches, challenges and inspires.
Discover more on the website:
Lorum ipsum
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Integer nec odio. Praesent libero. Sed cursus ante dapibus diam. Sed nisi. Nulla quis sem at nibh elementum imperdiet.
Preta Wolzak
One of my favourite artists Pien introduced me to is Preta Wolzak. Her work moves me deeply. It is tender, powerful, detailed, emotional and meaningful all at once.
Preta Wolzak is a Dutch textile and mixed-media artist whose work is instantly recognisable for its intense colours, its emotional depth and the extraordinary craftsmanship embedded in every stitch. She studied Monumental Design at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam and spent years exploring many creative fields, from furniture and interior design to exhibitions and jewellery.
Around 2013 she shifted her focus entirely to her personal art practice and created a studio gallery in Amsterdam where she continues to work and exhibit. Her art merges embroidery, fabric, leather, beads, appliqués and countless hand-made elements. Every piece carries a pulse of humanity. Her themes touch on the environment, climate change, identity, diversity and the complexities of our shared world.
Her well-known series Arctic Charade places acrobatic human figures into icy dreamlike landscapes, reflecting both beauty and the fragility of our planet. Another recurring theme, People with the Yellow Ear, symbolises connection, empathy and the idea that we are all part of one shared human story.
Her work does not shy away from emotion. It invites you to feel, not just to look.
Lorum ipsum
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Integer nec odio. Praesent libero. Sed cursus ante dapibus diam. Sed nisi. Nulla quis sem at nibh elementum imperdiet.
What Art Can Mean for the Human Soul
Art is nourishment.
It awakens emotions that we cannot always name.
It opens our awareness and shows us the world in a new way.
Art calms, heals and holds space for what we cannot express in words.
It also challenges us, asks questions, sparks reflection and
sometimes gently disrupts what we think we know.
Through art we feel less alone.
Through art we connect.
Through art we remember that beauty exists everywhere,
even in chaos or imperfection.
Art is not meant to be merely pretty. It is meant to make you feel.
Lorum ipsum
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Integer nec odio. Praesent libero. Sed cursus ante dapibus diam. Sed nisi. Nulla quis sem at nibh elementum imperdiet.
How to Look at Art
The most meaningful way to experience art is simply to slow down.
Give yourself time.
Let your eyes settle before you think.
Notice the textures, the materials, the colours, the layers.
Ask yourself how the work makes you feel, not what it means.
Let the emotion arrive first.
Allow the artwork to speak to you in its own way.
Not all art needs to be understood.
Some art is meant to be felt.
Some art is meant to be lived with for a moment.
When we remain open, we discover beauty in places we never expected.
Lorum ipsum
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Integer nec odio. Praesent libero. Sed cursus ante dapibus diam. Sed nisi. Nulla quis sem at nibh elementum imperdiet.
Why I Choose to See Beauty
Beauty is a choice.
When you choose to see it, it reveals itself everywhere,
in people, in nature, in cities, in silence, in movement.
Art reminds me daily that life is rich, layered and full of meaning.
It keeps my heart open.
It teaches me to look deeper, softer, more lovingly.
Through writing and through sharing the artists who inspire me,
like the extraordinary Preta Wolzak,
I hope to encourage others to open their eyes and their hearts
to the beauty that already surrounds them.
Art is good for the soul.
Art is therapy.
Art is a way of living with your senses awake.
Lorum ipsum
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Integer nec odio. Praesent libero. Sed cursus ante dapibus diam. Sed nisi. Nulla quis sem at nibh elementum imperdiet.
