WHAT'S IN A NAME
Myosotis [MY-ə-SOH-tiss] was the name of the flower shop that my grandfather opened in my hometown in 1953 and is still being run by my family today, albeit under a different name.
You may know the Myosotis flower as a 'forget-me-not'.
MY JOURNEY
From the moment I got my first camera at age 11, I was hooked. I would go for photo walks around my village in The Netherlands to capture the flower fields and local wildlife throughout the seasons.
With the advent of the internet, the world was changing ever so fast. Photography gave me a sense of calm and a creative outlet for all of my anxiety. I never thought it would become my profession...
"Simplicity, compassion, patience. These three are your greatest treasures."
In fact, as a young girl, I dreamed of becoming a teacher! I had my educational journey all mapped out when - in the final year of primary school - a failed maths test crushed my dreams and severely damaged my confidence. This experience led to the formation of many limiting beliefs that would resurface in my late-20s, but it also revealed a determination and persistence I didn't realise I had.
In the years that followed, I gravitated more towards a creative career. During my studies in Media and Culture at the University of Amsterdam, I took modules in gender studies and psychoanalysis, ethnomusicology and media history, and eventually fell in love with documentary filmmaking.
With tons of theoretical knowledge, but few practical filmmaking skills, I left for Bradford, England, to begin a masters degree in Digital Filmmaking.
Living in this UNESCO City Of Film was hugely exciting! There was much left to explore after graduation and, before I knew it, I was building a career; first in film exhibition and marketing, where I also volunteered to become a local accessibility champion, and later as the in-house visual content creator at a local college.
Capturing the remarkable and inspiring stories of young students re-awakened my inner advocate. What if I could use my skills to empower activists and underrepresented people to share their stories on their own terms?
I had started to uncover my purpose, but while navigating the personal development challenges that came with it, I felt increasingly restricted in my corporate career - and it started to severely impact my mental wellbeing.
"I don’t have to chase extraordinary moments to find happiness. It’s right in front of me if I’m paying attention and practising gratitude."
Eventually I quit my job, moved to a brand new city in the middle of a global pandemic, and started working on Myosotis Film & Photography. With the help of a confidence coach, I shifted my mindset from self-doubt to self-love and became rather fascinated with neuroplasticity and our ability to rewrite our inner stories.
Two more house moves later, I'm now happily settled in Brighton - a city filled with fellow purpose-driven, neurodivergent, and queer creatives - and feel eternally grateful that I get to add the most amazing chapters to my story all the time.
