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Laura's personal journey
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How to Go from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be: My Story
I grew up nearby Leuven, a medievally looking university city in the Flemish part of Belgium.
As a rather shy and insecure child outside of my safe core family, I often found myself lost in thought, trying to understand the world around me.
From a young age, I became very interested in how the world works, especially how people interact, about all the layers of social life and society. This curiosity led me to study communication sciences, which became the foundation for my future plans.
Back then, when information wasn’t as easy to find and the idea of manifesting your dreams was still new to many, one book changed my perspective: *How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be* by Jack Canfield. This book taught me the power of visualization, making me realize that to live my dream life, I first needed to picture it clearly in my mind.
This realization started me on a journey of self-discovery and inner growth. Creative journaling became my way to deal with the chaos of everyday life, while intuitive painting gave me a safe space to organize my thoughts and express myself freely.
My life has been like a book with different chapters, each one important for my personal growth and self-understanding. With a Master's degree in communication sciences from the well-known University of Leuven and a never-ending curiosity, I moved to Berlin in my twenties. The city, full of inspiration, creativity, culture and opportunities, became a playground for my growing interests. Meeting people from all over the world opened my mind and brought new opportunities.
A leap of faith and my love for a Swiss man, who later on became my husband, eventually led me to move to Switzerland, where the beautiful mountain landscapes seemed to call out to me. Since 2016, I live in the picturesque town of Zug with my family, and I never get tired of of the breathtaking sunsets and friendly people.
Facing Life's Challenges
Even though I always wanted to "do" something creative, I initially chose a "safe" career path because I believed the common idea that "you cannot live from art." After finishing my studies, I entered the e-commerce world and worked for several international companies. However, as a highly sensitive person with strong ethics, I often found myself struggling with the fast-paced and competitive nature of the corporate world. Art became my refuge—a way to process my experiences, reflect, and bring balance to my life.
Life brought its share of challenges: moving to different countries, starting over, making new friends, becoming a mother (of two wonderful little monkeys), dealing with work stress, learning a new language, and adapting to a new culture (Grüezi, Switzerland!). Each new milestone came quickly, testing my strength and resilience.
The Birth of Hands-on Art
I am grateful for every opportunity and I practice resilience every day. Eventually, I realized that I wanted to take a different professional path—one that aligned with my passion for helping others. I saw how powerful it could be to empower people and give them a creative outlet, just as art therapy had helped me.
In 2020, I earned a certificate in art therapy from the IEK Berlin (Institut für Entspannungstechniken & Kommunikation), officially starting my new venture, *Hands-on Art*. Through Hands-on Art, I am excited to inspire and empower others by using the healing power of art.
As I look to the future, I remain dedicated to my journey, ready to share my passion and help others find their way through the transformative power of creativity.
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