MANI-FEST 2025
A new series is in the making!
Inspiration for a new series of paintings can often hit me out of nowhere, and I have to immediately take notes or screenshots to capture my thoughts and ideas. I was browsing a vintage furniture store online when I saw my new series in these warm and cozy colours of blue, pinkish red, and dark mustardy yellow flashing up in front of my eyes. Mani-Fest was born. And why manifest with a hyphon? Because I want to emphasize the word Fest which means celebration, party, festival, and gaiety in German. This year, I would like to manifest celebration—the celebration of the good life, the safe environments I am living in, the creative and artsy people I gather around me, the achievements of my close ones, the songs and sounds that make me dance, the opportunities that are opening.
In short: I want to celebrate everything! Because it is about time. If not now, then when? I even want to celebrate the tough moments because they help me learn something valuable to take into the next chapter, and I feel very alive when I can learn new things.
I remember that Wednesday evening when I went out to check an English bookshop in my area. I wanted to buy that cool art book for children explaining different artists but for Tiago, an adult, who knew this book from another visit and liked it. I browsed the shop and there was a huge green hardcover book saying “ The Let Them Theory” by Mel Robbins. I read the back cover blurb and instantly knew that this was what I needed to read. So I got the children’s and the green book, then left the store with a happy face.
Around the corner, and the weather was mild and dry back then at the end of January and beginning of February, there are cute bars with outside seating to hang around. What did I do? I sat down and started to read the Let Them Theory. I ordered an espumante and looked around, read a few pages of my new book, and took in what I was just experiencing. Peace, happiness, contentedness, and excitement.
I didn’t tell anyone where I was or what I was doing. I was enjoying my beautiful neighbourhood and the fact that this book found its way to me. I enjoyed where I was, and what I created. I thought, how blessed am to enjoy this cute area with all these luxury little things. I was fascinated that I could sit outside, enjoy the end of my work day, and read a book that sparked something good in me. This is celebrating the moment!
With Mani-Fest I am manifesting the celebration of positivity and optimism. We need to more focus on optimism, especially these days when the mass of people seem to be trapped in a loop of anxiety and negativity without even recognising it.
I just found another book or better said another book just found me, because I NEVER go into this bookshop in Bricklane in London, but I did last week and it was super crowded inside. I cannot remember how I found it but there it was. The book is called “We Need Your Art” by Amie McNee. I thought, yes. Aren’t these always my words? That book has just been published. The picture above is from that book. And I want to end this blog with another message from this book as you can see below.
