“I grew up from 1949 in Den Bosch. My brother went to study and it was of course the intention that I would get married and have children. So my father determined: not a long study, but Schoevers. I still have the Schoevers handbook. It contains things like: get up when your boss comes in. I have never had benefits in my life, thanks to that Schoevers diploma could always work somewhere, often as an executive secretary. But I knew: this is not what I want until my retirement.
“I loved spiders, weaving, wool paints, and thought after a few years of office work: how nice it would be to have a store! I had absolutely no money, but banks didn’t make it that difficult at that time. I went with my plan, they looked at it and it was good. With the starting capital I was able to buy a building together with my partner in Vlaardingen at the time, which we first had to refurbish. I had the store for ten years. I sold spinning wheels, looms, manual labor items – and then the whole craze came from knitting. I designed patterns for sweaters myself and gave them to customers. I also gave weaving, spinning, knitting and making dolls – the latter was very popular at one point, every morning the store was full of students. My business, pot-sierlijk, was once again ‘shop of the month’ in Libel.
If backpacker travel alone
“Actually, I changed course every ten years. My relationship was over and I wanted to do something else, but didn’t know what. After selling the shop building, I thought: I first go on vacation. I went to Peru for six weeks, as a backpacker traveling alone. In the beginning it felt a bit embarrassing, as if everyone would think: do you have no one? But it went so great, I just thought afterwards: I’m going again! I then traveled around the world for ten years. In between, I always worked for a few months at Unilever, which had a large branch in Vlaardingen, and then travel again. From South America to Asia to Antarctica and many world cities-it was fantastic.
“At that time I also studied cultural sciences at the Open University. I did not have a professional perspective with the study, but I wanted it, purely for my own development. After ten years I graduated.
“When I was 48, I decided, in mind my father’s word -” you must always be able to take care of yourself ” – that I wanted a permanent job. That became the Sophia Children’s Hospital in Rotterdam, where I worked full -time – as I have always worked full -time – at post -academic education, the conference organization. It was also the good habit during the conference days to always insert a light subject, something that was related to the subject but viewed from a different professional perspective. Because I was finally an art historian, my boss asked if I didn’t want to try anything. Then I gave a few art lectures that were unexpectedly but interesting for doctors, for example about ‘Outsider Art’ and ‘Amor, the love baby in art’. That went really well and I started thinking of my own desk.
Job quit
“I was now 58, has been working in the hospital for ten years and thought: I have that diploma, I can – I will do that! I just take the risk. Because I also knew that I would not earn anything in the first time. I canceled my job, had my pension paid out earlier and I have only networked the first two years. I wrote everything and everyone; Institutions, Libraries, Associations. I got an incredibly large network and gave a lecture six to eight times a week, from Groningen to Maastricht. That was often in the evening, sometimes also at the weekend. It was incredibly hard work, but so fun, so pleasant, giving satisfaction.
“When Corona came, everything stopped. I read a lot in that period. Have all the time and being able to do nothing, the silence – that was sometimes quite lonely. A large part of my contacts is related to work. At that time I became a volunteer with our Vlaardings Inloophuis for homeless people. After Corona I scoured that again, but I still get there about twice a month. I pour coffee and tea, talks to them, I am a hostess. Occasionally completely outside your own bubble is good, I can recommend it to anyone.
“My desk turned out to have survived Corona! But of course I am not 18 anymore, so you become a bit more selective: I no longer work in the evening, and give about one to two lectures a week. But I will stay busy! If you are going to work less, your memory will also deteriorate, so I will keep in the course of it. Standing in front of a room gives inspiration, you have to be attentive and alert. Working keeps you young, it’s my life.
“Since a few years I am immensely delving into what was long blind spots in the art world: women and artists of color. Look at Standaard works as The Story of Art Van Gombrich: everything is white, western and man. I put on myself: why didn’t I think about it myself? So I am working on a big catch-up, I have three bookshelves full of books about female and non-Western artists here. I read everything. I don’t stop working before I manage the basic knowledge in this area. The entire art history is currently being rewritten.
“I have never had a mandatory desire for children and have never regretted it. But it also makes life a bit loss, not necessarily easier. I certainly had nice relationships, but I have been alone for a while. I miss a partner in itself. Maybe a nice guy is walking around somewhere; Someone who, like me, has seen something of the world and has a positive view of the world.
“I feel healthy, sport a few times a week. Also very important: not to glue too much! All that complaining of people. If we are not having a good time here in the rich West, then we are really wrong. Who in the world can be happy?
“My motto is:”The Open Road Still Softly Calls. ‘ There is so much to see and do. I remain curious. Everything. ”