Where My Work Begins: Letting the Current Carry Me
It began with a dream: I was on a beach, drawing in the sand. I felt completely at peace, creating simply for the joy of it — playful, present, and deeply connected to something within. It was a moment of childlike wonder, and that feeling stayed with me.
At the time, I was working a regular job — one that, while practical, left me yearning for something more meaningful. Deep down, I was seeking a deeper level of self-realisation — a way of living and creating that felt truly aligned with who I am. Although life as it was once made sense, a quiet undercurrent had always run beneath it all: a persistent longing to live by the sea, to gather materials from the shore, and to create. In time, that inner pull became too strong to ignore.
When I left my job in search of something more fulfilling, I initially stayed close to what I knew. But life had its own way of nudging me forward — through a series of unexpected coincidences. I found myself staying in a small beach house in Monte Clérigo (Aljezur, Portugal), after I accidentally spilled tea on my laptop. With no way to fix it and no new one in sight for months, I was suddenly unplugged — and completely present.
So there I was: disconnected from screens, yet deeply connected to the ocean just outside my door. I walked the beach every day, collecting objects washed ashore. One day, I met a fellow beachcomber who would gather driftwood and turn it into finished pieces that very same day — a moment of creative spontaneity that still inspires me to this day.
That was about five years ago, a time of creative exploration. I brought home fishing ropes, plastic earbud sticks, driftwood, bits of fish traps — discarded remnants of the ocean. I began experimenting: weaving baskets, painting driftwood, assembling tiny sculptures. The ideas flowed, and I followed.
What I create today has evolved, but the essence remains. I'm still doing what that dream once whispered to me. Along the way, I’ve balanced other jobs I enjoy, but I’ve always made space for this — for the dream, the desire, the calling.
If you feel that quiet nudge — a longing to explore something new or unknown — listen to it. Create space for it. Let it grow. It’s there for a reason. It wants to be seen, nurtured, and brought into the world.