In an ideal world

What habit has been sustaining you lately?
I take notes while watching movies, reading books, or watching YouTube videos. I write down quotes, what inspires me and what I like or don’t like. It helps me learn more about myself and develop my personality. I want to consume media more attentively, so I feel my mind expanding, my attention span growing and myself learning and feeling inspired.

What time of day do you feel most like yourself?
In the morning, when I’ve slept well and had breakfast. Usually, that energy gets sucked up by my paying job, which frustrates me. I wish I could use that energy for my creative process. Maybe in an ideal world.

When recently did you feel out of place?
I was recently at a nature retreat, but most of the group was there to start a diet. I didn’t know that beforehand. They kept talking about eating less and being less, which really annoyed me. So I focused on eating enough, moving my body and feeling energized and good. In a world where especially female-read bodies are pressured to be smaller and weaker, taking up space, being strong and having energy to fight the system feels like a revolutionary act.

What are you still holding onto even though you know you’ll eventually have to let go?
Two years ago my father died and I still struggle to accept that he is gone. I know my love for him will always be there and I will probably think of him every day for the rest of my life. Even after two years, it still sometimes strikes me with disbelief that he isn’t here anymore, that I can’t tell him things, see him, or hug him. This feeling of absence is strange to me, but maybe it will change over time. What helps is using that feeling in my creative process, learning about grief, thinking about it and talking to people. Turning that energy into something creative helps me work through it.

What scares you more today: change or staying the same?
Staying the same. People who stop learning, stop developing their personality and stop growing, bore me. I want to keep learning until I am old and grey, and then learn some more.

Recommend a movie, an album, and a book.
Movie: Little Women (2019) is my favorite movie. I watch it several times a year.
Album: La symphonie des éclairs by Zaho de Sagazan.
Book: Not very original, but Just Kids by Patti Smith.

What is your favorite restaurant and what do you recommend we order?
Dim Sum Haus in Hamburg, Germany. Order Dimsum Xiao Long Bao, several servings and Mapo Tofu.

Which friend have you admired lately, and why?
My cousin Katrin. She feels more like a sister to me. She has a kind and gentle soul, and a curiosity I’ve always admired. The way she asks the world questions is really special. She also works to make the world a better place.