This blogpost started as a comment underneath It Never HappesIn Your City, written by Envy Fisher (Lost in Translation), but kept growing until it was too long to post as a comment. It Never Happens In Your City refers to the shooting/attack in a tram in Utrecht on the 18th of March 2019. Envy describes how a mundane day is turned upside down when the 'unthinkable' happens in her city: a (terrorist?) attack. She chronicles the way the news takes hold of her, how it changes the way she experiences her surroundings and how easily mundanity is hijacked. So please check out her narration and experience of the event.

In this comment-turned-blogpost I will not really go into my experience of that day, instead I try to scratch the surface of the more problematic reasoning behind these kinds of attacks and the dire need to realise that these aren't just acts of "brainwashed madman", but symptoms of a bigger problem that needs to be acknowledged before we can act against it (or even prevent it). I generally try to avoid engaging with these kinds of topics because the uneasiness and friction that comes with these big news events, especially as a non-related party who is hurt but not wounded, is a difficult line to walk. Especially if you don’t want to contribute to the political one-liners that can do more harm than good. However I do feel the need to write down some of my thoughts on this event and others like it because our grief should empower our actions as a way to honour those who have been harmed.

The tragedy of the disrupted everyday

In 2016 I wrote about how tragedies take a lot of energy, which we (I) prefer to deflect by focussing on the little things in life; creating small insignificant self-directed tragedies that are only dubbed as such because it’s easier to ‘deal with them’ then it is to face the monster in the closet. The tragedy behind the Tragedy, as I wrote in 2014, is that they take place in the realm of the everyday; there where tragedies such as ‘your inability to match your black socks back together‘ or ‘missing your train because you overslept’ coincides with earth quakes, railroad accidents and mass shootings. The tragedy of these stories is in the innocence of the everyday that gets disrupted. The young girl on her way to work. The busy father juggling his mug of coffee with the morning paper. The schoolboy sleepily staring out of the window, slightly bopping his head to the music in his headphones.


Tragedies highlight the vulnerability of the mundane and how easily it can be hijacked. This is the scary part. It can happen to you. It can happen to me. But the anxiety that these Tragedies releases through its familiarity is often outweighed against a disassociation: ‘this will never happen in my city’ or ‘this is the work of one brainwashed madman’. Until it does happen in your city and until you realise the one-of-a-kind “madman” is a symptom and not the disease. Although the hijack is acted out by one “madman”, the disease is what created him. By leaving out the disease there will always be another “brainwashed madman”. There will always be an idolisation of violent actions as the answer to life’s problems (whether these are blamed on personal woe, ideological narratives of rights and wrongs or an accumulation of twisted turns not taken).

A tragically twisted mundane morning

For those who don't know: I live about a thirty-minute train ride away from Utrecht, I'm studying there and I'm currently also doing my internship there. That morning, on the 18th of March, public transport personnel (as well as the police) were on strike. Even though they resumed their work that same morning, there were a lot of delays and other side-effect problems that hindered commuters. The strike had turned my usual thirty-minute train ride into an hour+ travel, but I did finally manage to get into the office. As said, I’m currently doing my internship and that day there were two new interns to join our team (although only one could make it due to the strikes). After the usual small talk we went to work with our daily tasks. In my case: curating content for the website and social media.

The office was washed over in silence, except for the clicking of our keyboards, when we suddenly heard the thudding sound of helicopter wings getting louder and louder. This isn’t that peculiar as there’s a hospital nearby and people get hurt more often than you realise (until you live/study/work nearby a hospital). But the thudding wouldn’t stop and we realised multiple helicopters made their way through the air. While my colleague and I looked in awe through the window, the new intern quickly grabbed her phone. “There’s been a shooting”, she said hastily while scrolling further to find more articles, trying to puzzle together the early reportings about this unfortunate event that happened just 8 minutes away from us.

The neutralisation of extremism through the “madman”

Whenever big news events happen that are acted out by a “brainwashed madman”, the media tends to focus on biographical facts as a way to explain their act; as a way to point out the one-of-a-kind element behind it. This language is adopted by others and used to come to terms with the horrible deed. The “madman” is made to be ‘just another’ unfortunate lonesome loon and is mistaken for the disease and not the symptom (the act and its implications is contained in the psyche of one twisted person). The “madman” is used as a way to confirm the idea of how extremism can be contained through eliminating one “brainwashed madman” (which is often expanded to a particular population through the “madman’s” biographical facts). However if you want to fight against the disease you can’t get caught up in this reasoning of the “madman” being the disease and the only actor or singular symbol of extremism standing on the stage (because what is going on backstage? Who has turned on the spotlight?).

This reasoning actually further fuels polarisation and extremist thought. Especially as it gets presented as ‘natural’ and ‘neutral’, the only reaction possible: fighting violence with violence. This creates a chain re/action with no beginning and with no end, just more tragedies. And while the “madman” and the dialogue it triggers is standing in the spotlight, we forget to look passed the political one-liners packaged as truths and see the other people standing on the stage (and, once again, what is going on backstage? Who has turned on the spotlight?). Yes, there is a rise in extreme acts played out by “brainwashed madman” who ‘acted on their own’. However the play they act out, the underlying ideology of the hijack, even when it is labelled as an act of revenge, takes place on a bigger stage. With more actors, a backdrop, lightening, choreography and an audience. We also need to recognise ‘our’ roles in their stage production and not just lean back in our chairs, booing or cheering them on, while whispering to the chair next to us ‘this is the work of one brainwashed madman’ or ‘this will never happen in my city’.

The heart was made to be broken, so why not give it an extra push?

I was very tempted to make this playlist just a loop of Jeremy Jordan singing Don't Speak (my a-b-s-o-l-u-t-e favourite version, if not the only correct way to sing it, including passive aggressively hushing the band). But there are just so many amazing bittersweet tunes, it would be a shame to not mention at least one or two of them. I think the break-up song is one of my favourites because it embodies both fragility and strength, desperateness and hope, and it isn't afraid to get a lil' bit weird (yes, I'm still looking at you Jordan). This month's playlist plays with this tension between madness and euphoria, giving a new interpretation of what it means to love one another. Welcome to the Broken Heart Club! 💔

FEBRUARY PLAYLIST: #brokenheartclub

1. Hanging On The Telephone - Blondie
2. Trouble With My Baby - Paloma Faith
3. Don't Speak - No Doubt
4. Respect - Aretha Franklin
5. Send My Love To Your New Lover - Adele
6. I Will Survive - Gloria Gaynor
7. Nothing Ever Hurt Like You - James Morrison
8. After You've Gone - Hugh Laurie
9. Broken - Jake Bugg
10. Heartbreak Hotel - Elvis Presley
11. Leave Me Be - The Zombies
12. Two Ghosts - Harry Styles
13. Sick Of Losing Soulmates - Dodie
14. Let Me Out - The Veronicas
15. 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover - Paul Simon
16. Delilah - Tom Jones
17. Get Out Of My Way - Joe Torres
18. Animal - Badflower
19. Goody Goody - Lady Gaga & Tony Bennet
20. I Ain't Got Nobody - Gloria Dee (Grantchester)
21. Get Over You - McFly
22. Somebody That I Used To Know - Gotye
23. Back To Black - Amy Winehouse
24. Tired Of Being Alone - Al Green
25. Inside My Head - Di-Rect
26. Million Reasons - Lady Gaga
27. Too Good At Goodbyes - Sam Smith
28. Love Only Leaves You Lonely - Paloma Faith

You can also listen to the playlist on Spotify!

Which song will be your anthem this month? Let me know in the comments below!

Crafts Council Nederland (CCNL) organised a Meet-the-Masterclass with Bas Kosters, and I was there! I was invited to tag along because of my interest in craftivism and alternative knowledge production. CCNL is a Dutch platform that protects, preserves and shares knowledge of craft-practices that otherwise would be 'made forgotten' because it does not 'serve' our neoliberal 'knowledge-based' society. More about that soon... ;) Through organising workshops such as Meet-the-Masterclass, CCNL tries to keep craft exchange alive. This is important because crafts, if done right, combines traditional knowledge and practices with alternative imaginings. This helps to innovate current unsustainable and exhaustive practices that are harmful to the world on an environmental, social and cultural level.

Bas Kosters' work ticks all of the boxes above. Bas Kosters is a Dutch multi-disciplined artist, best known for his 'provocative' fashion designs (surrealist comedian and The Great British Bake Off host Noel Fielding is a fan). He uses his work to address social issues while creating a new vision of how the world could or should be. He often upcycles vintage fabrics, which is not only environmental friendly but also provides his designs with an extra meaningful and tangible layer. During this workshop Kosters guided us making quilts and gave us an exclusive behind the scenes of his creative process.

Cloth & clutter: The best way to start a Sunday morning

"It doesn't matter what you do, but how you do it", Bas Kosters says while casually browsing through his portfolio. "It's good to do something fun, but it's better to do something that's also meaningful." I, together with twelve other crafters, stare at him with awe. We're sitting in Kosters' studio located on the 13th floor of the World Fashion Centre, providing a nice view of the outskirts of Amsterdam (which mainly consists out of hotels, office buildings and the highway). It's Sunday morning and we're all there to learn from the master.

As we're sipping tea from different sized and coloured mugs, we get the opportunity to scan our environment. Kosters' studio is, as you would expect, whimsical yet orderly. On the one side you have industrial sewing machines surrounded by clothing racks with pieces from his Dear Sir/Madam: HOPE collection. On the other side you have a cleared-out working space with different boxes, bags and piles of scrap material; old blouses, skirts with holes in them and other pieces of cloth and clutter collected by Kosters or 'donated' by his neighbours, knowing Kosters will find a way to keep them out of the bin. In the middle section, where we are sitting, there's a small kitchen, a long table with mismatched chairs and an official looking office area surrounded by books, photographs and drawings. There's no one there except for us. "It's funny how people think we [Bas Kosters Studio] are constantly producing new things or that I run a whole factory, but in reality it's mostly just me answering emails."

Kosters, who started the day with coffee from his famous penis print mug (the first one, gifted to him by a friend, now a beloved item in his webshop), holds different pieces of paper in the air. "I really should get a better portfolio", he adds with a smile while, finally, holding up the piece he wanted to show us: a picture of one of his first hand stitched tapestries. Nowadays Kosters leaves all the sewing-work to his interns, but this piece he stitched himself, "which makes it extra special to me."

Get crafty, start with yourself!

After everyone introduced themselves and why they chose to join this Masterclass (mainly to catch a whiff of Kosters' creative mind), we are given a short studio-tour with the invite to roam around and explore more in between stitching. The tour ends at our desk for the coming six or so hours. After Kosters hands out some sheets of paper and pencils, we are set loose. Let the creative juices flow!

We were asked to come prepared with an idea or design. I hadn't been able to prepare and had absolutely no idea what to do. I decided, instead of starting with freestyle drawing, to rummage through the boxes, bags and piles set-out for us. I wasn't the only one who went straight for the good stuff and with a small group we eagerly grabbed whatever came to hand. Different pieces of fabric were tossed around, combined, put back and picked up again. Still without a clue, I dragged a long piece of black velvet to my seat and started to snip, trim and sew some strips together (Kosters recommends sewing three or four layers of fabric together to get a sturdy background you can work on). "Sometimes it's good to just begin", I softly mumble to myself while glancing at my neighbour who's completely emerged in her work.

As if Kosters read my mind, he came over to me and in a friendly tone asked "what are you making?". "I've got absolutely no idea what I'm doing or where I'm going", I confessed. He looked at me and nodded. He then grabbed a sheet of paper, wrote his name on it and drew a circle around it. "Sometimes the best place to start is with yourself." "Based on what everyone told me, I can see a clear connection between that what they shared and that what they are making. For instance, you choosing black velvet and you telling about your study [Gender Studies], it's an obvious choice", he says with a smile. He explains how a mindmap can help to narrow things down, give you a direction and help you construct a meaningul story while still working intuitively. Next to his name he wrote down the words 'fluidity' (inspired by my study), 'hope', 'tears' and 'self love'. After Kosters left me to think, I wrote down my name on the other side of the paper. Next to it I wrote 'relational', 'rhyzomatic', 'intersectional' and 'hollistic' (I was probably thinking about an essay I still had to write). From this I tried to envision how I could translate these words onto fabric without literally cutting words out of fabric (this was inspired by an article by Karen Barad on posthumanist performativity -instead of representationalism- and affect theory, told you I was thinking about my essay!).


Unfortunately I was unable to finish my quilt, but I'm determined to go through with it! Just being in the same room as Bas Kosters and hearing him talk about his creative process is so inspiring. I can't wait to incorporate a slice of his wisdom into my own practices. Masterclasses are a great way to foster and share knowledge. Not only by hanging onto every word a master says or practice they show, but also through conversations with your fellow crafters. You'll be amazed how much knowledge circles in/between bodies!

Do you want to see more of Bas Kosters' work? From 12 February untill the 31st of March Museum Rijswijk presents Wolzak & Kosters: Serious International Business, a collaborative exhibition between Kosters and Petra Wolzak. The exhibition features a new tapestry-series called Quest For Self-love, which explores the importance of appreciating yourself in a time when everyone is looking for validation from outside. And naturally check out CCNL if you're interested attending a Meet-the-Masterclass yourself!

"Out with the old!" you shout while gleefully shovelling your dreary old wardrobe into a garbage bag, throwing it over the neighbours' fence and strutting off to the shops to fall in love with the newest pearls and gems. I get ya! Unfortunately so do many more who, with similar glee, dump about 235 million kilograms of clothing a year to make way for the latest season (and that's only the estimated number from tiny-winy Dutch wardrobes). Now I'm not saying you should anxiously hold on to every scrap material, but it wouldn't hurt being a bit more mindful before chucking everything out, buying everything new and repeat. So instead of waltzing into H&M, Zara or Primark, can I persuade you to sashay away into the wondrous world of already worn, danced in, slept in and died in clothes...

Benefits of second hand shopping

Ok. Yes there is a chance you end up wearing grandma's beloved coat. But with second hand shopping you win some, you loose some. You win a more environmental friendly coat, you lose... grandma. Or your instinctive disgust towards clothing that has touched the skin of total strangers. Instead you see opportunities: 'that coat wold look so cute with that skirt!' This transition from YUCK to LUCK takes some charity shopping experience and a strong will to shake off any thoughts starring the possible previous owner and all the weird sh*t they got up to. Repeat to self: not everyone lives in a damp basement collecting toenails, picking their nose and killing unsuspecting squirrels. Still there's an element of surprise to second hand shopping that an overly thought-out H&M catalogue just can't peer with. That one-in-a-million chance of stumbling upon the creme de la creme: a well-tailored Dior suit. Probably fake, possibly real. And that for the shadow of its original price! #Ibelieveinmiracles Basically: popping into a charity shop instead of a Primark will help to reduce fashion-waste, makes you more creative with clothing and doesn't break the bank while hunting for new pieces to pimp your wardrobe with. And, last but not least, with your buys you support a good cause (instead of underpaid labour). Grandma would've been so proud!

5 tips to get you charity shop ready

Walking into a charity shop can be quite daunting. They often look, smell and feel a bit dingy. But this is part of the fun! After facing all the doom and gloom of awful 2000-clothing, of suspicious stains and 'I don't even want to know what that is', your killer fashion instinct will finally kick in and turn that dodgy mustard-coloured blouse into a 1970s inspired master piece! To help you in this process, here are 5 tips so you can flaunt affordable environmental friendly fashion instead of crying against a clothing rack stuck to the velcro of a gabbers bomber jacket...

1. Be patient, open-minded and good humoured

There won't be a Dior suit, Chanel bag or Gucci Tee waiting for you every time you walk into a charity shop. Mostly you'll be greeted with an indescribable smell and very bad taste. This can be overwhelming to the 'the only chaos I know is the discount table at Zara' shopper. This isn't Zara. We aren't simple strollers walking down a clear-cut selection, we are scavenger hunters scooping through an unreliable system of donations and discards. It takes time and a stubborn inner smile to find the creme de la creme in a pile of pudding.

2. Always go charity shopping with a friend or a reliable family member

Not only for the company, the extra set of eyes or to dare you to try on that awful looking leopard-print blouse. You also need someone there to pull you through all the gross moments you will encounter. As said, charity shops aren't the most clean-cut environments. Although employees do their utmost best to deposit lost dentures, discovering a used handkerchief hidden in the pockets of a green velvet trouser when you casually put your hands in there to strike a pose is happen-able. Trust me, it happened to me twice. #truestory #boogieman

3. Shop around different areas

Because charity shops are driven on donations, the area it's located in actually dominates what's in store. And, more importantly, what's not in store. Generally the rules go like this: 1) big cities have more diverse people living in them so more diverse stuff on offer 2) rich areas have 'nicer' things donated to them but this is often reflected in the price AND nowadays anyone with an internet connection knows how to make some big bugs on grandma's good vintage before donating the rest and 3) people, places and products can surprise you. Don't write off certain areas just because there's no luxurious retirement home around the corner!

4. Know what you're looking for (but also don't)

Charity shops can be overwhelming with their seemingly unendless heaps, racks and piles. By constantly repeating to yourself 'cute corduroy skirt' you tune yourself to look through the chaos that's in front of you and search for that cute corduroy skirt. However when the only thing on your mind is that cute corduroy skirt, you're going to miss those perfect panther pants. Once again: you can't predict what's in store so you have to work with the things on offer. And sometimes, ya know, you'll find nothing. And that's fine too.

5. Be mindful before purchasing

Last but not least a more general practical note that actually goes up for shopping wherever: to prevent you from garbage-bagging your finds before the start of the next season, it's important to not only like the style of something or look at the price tag. Before buying you should feel the fabric (is this something I'm comfortable with rubbing against my skin?), look for stains (am I really able to wash this out?) and think about how you're going to wear it with other pieces from your wardrobe (and no, pieces you don't actually own but dream about do not count). This way your newest finds actually make a difference!

Are you a regular charity shopper? What's your best find so far? Let me know in the comments below!

BOOKS! Some like them, some love them, some need to chill and actually read them. 2019 is when we finally are going to tackle the endless or perhaps even infinite tbr-pile by, surprise, reading what's on our shelves instead of what's in our (online) baskets. This year I challenged myself, my mother and sister to go through our 'library' and pick up books that have been waiting there for us ever-so patiently. In this blogpost you can read more about the idea behind the challenge, the rules and our picks. Don't be shy, join the challenge and share your book-list below!

The idea behind the challenge

Books are cool again! Shelves upon shelves are build to accommodate all the latest adventures and thought bubbles of our favourite authors; their spines gracefully snapped on Instagram, accompanied with a #tbr, #bookaddicts or even #bookporn. However there are but so many books one can collect before realising that collecting books isn't the same as reading them. Even though many of the before mentioned so-called bookstagrammers do encourage people to read their feed, the social and satisfactory performance of buying new books still is a dangerous wormhole for any (wannabe) book lover. As CG Drews comically writes on Twitter:

WHY BOOKWORMS HAVE SO MANY BOOKS
• you obviously can't just own one
• you own a few now so you need new shelf
• new shelf is large and empty?
• fill it
• repeat on accident
• repeat on purpose till your books block out the sun
• become lord of this land

— CG Drews (@PaperFury) 28 februari 2018

There's actually a Japanese word for this spiralling book-buying-behaviour: tsundoku. Roughly translated: tsun means to pile up and doku means reading, combined it describes the practice of (continuously) buying piles of books without actually reading them. According to a BBC article the word tsundoku was already in use before 1879, but I think the current trend of bulk book buying is more related to the general cult of (over)cosumption here in the West. Where more means better, new is always better and identity is made synonymous to what we consume and the objects we put on display; meaning is found in the portrayal of a wall of books instead of having read and thought about the actual words on paper. Don't get me wrong: I'm absolutely pro-books and believe in the intention people have of reading the books they purchase. However I noticed that the gratification gained from buying and displaying books (as is shown on for instance Instagram) often outweighs the actual act of reading them. But that's about to change!

The rules of the challenge

The rules of this challenge are simple:

• Go to your shelf (or reach for the clumsy pile underneath your bed) and pick up books you've bought but never came round reading
•  Make a list of 25 books you want to read (share it below in the comments!) and solemnly swear that you won't buy any new books before you've read all of the books on your list
•  Go forth and read!
•  And, if you feel like sharing, celebrate your reading-milestones on social media using #FBPBookClub and tagging us!

The books we've chosen to read

As stated at the beginning of this blogpost, I'm challenging myself, my mother and sister to go through our 'library' and pick up the books we've bought but never read. AKA the books that are crammed underneath the bed, the books that take up precious wardrobe space and the books that have been resourcefully tucked away in between the wall and the cupboard. After this eventful scavenger hunt we compiled a list of our to-be-reads and sworn off buying any new books before finishing every book on our list. We've also written a short 'bio' on our reading style, why these books have been stuck on the shelf and which book we look most forward to f-i-n-a-l-l-y start reading, all of which you can read right here, right now!


I've always been an avid reader, however the past couple of years I haven't really read that much. I love reading chick lits and romantic novels. Reading for me is a way to relax and forget about the troubles of the world. That's why I always judge a book by its cover. If the cover is ugly I'm not going to read it, because it's distracting me from my experience and ruins the pleasure I take out of it. Also, another controversial opinion, I don't mind spoilers. Always after reading the first chapters I skip to the last pages of the book to find out whether it has a satisfying ending. If I don't like the way the book concludes (a happy ending is a must), I stop reading.

I'm most looking forward reading Poirot and Me by David Suchet. I love Poirot and especially the way Suchet has played him and I'm curious to find out more about his relationship with the character. It's also a very different read for me as I normally don't read biographies.

You can follow Marjan on Instagram @marjanbroek and @fashionedbymarjan!


I basically read anything and everything. My main reason for reading is to relax and forget about everyday life. However I don't mind when books get a bit dark but they must have a happily ever after (or, when reading a series, a happy for now). I like to read right when I wake up and in the evenings. These are sort of 'scheduled' reading-moments for me, but I basically read anywhere and everywhere I can! Whether this is waiting for the bus or train or at the dentist office, I don't shy away from waving my book around. Especially since I have an e-reader, which makes travelling with books so much easier. This is however also the main reason why I haven't read the books on my list. While I'm out-and-about they keep standing on my shelf. So this challenge is perfect to change that. On my list there are only three e-books and the rest is all on good ol' paper.

I look most forward to reading Brotherband: Scorpion Mountain by John Flanagan AND Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton. I've been waiting to return to the Brotherband-series for a while now as I remember loving the books I've read so far. And -don't tell Dominique- I came across Rebel of the Sands in a local bookstore the other day and I just simply couldn't leave it behind (but look, I'm reading it right away so it's not a fanciful purchase!).

You can follow Natasja on Twitter @Hi_Natasja and on Goodreads!


I'm an irregular reader who wants to be a book lover but is definitely a wannabe that perhaps cares a little too much about trying to impress 'real' book lovers (ooooh so introspective). Though, in my own defense, when already needing to read a hundred-or-so pages for school, it doesn't really invite you to casually keep your head in the books. Everything in moderation! However when I get hooked on a book, I give it my all (and I also won't shut up about it). I hate chick lits and romance and fantasy. That's however not to say I think those books are 'lesser' or that fiction is stupid or meaningless. Only that my heart thumps an extra thump with non-fiction books, especially essay-collections that invite you to (try to) look through the questioning and curious eyes of the writer.

I'm looking forward to reading How To Be a Craftivist by Sarah Corbett as it perfectly ties in with a project I'm currently working on (and who doesn't love it when everything in life harmoniously comes together and helps you achieve your goals!?).

Every month a new post will be published on this blog. We'll be sharing some handy tips, our thoughts and experiences (like: how does one actually read 25 books?) and celebrating ALL OF THE milestones!

Do you accept the challenge? Let me know in the comments below!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Though the first week of January has already flown bye, with celebrations and disappointments alike (yes I'm looking at you foul tasting vegan Belgian hot chocolate), I have high hopes this year is going to be a-ok. Or, at least, not yet world-ending apocalyptic bye-bye love, bye-bye happiness.

I always see January as the beginning of the beginning. That's to say: January is the perfect time to comtemplate about everything that could be, to shake off 2018 and to get a big white sheet and some crayons and simply go wild. Whether this takes shape as a childlike imagining, a rainbow explosion or a murderous monstrosity is up to you. This month's playlist reflects this idea of thinking about thinking and re-thinking our thinking. May the future be coloured bright! 🌈

JANUARY PLAYLIST: Sounds of Contemplation

1. Faith - George Michael
2. Stuck In The Middle With You - Stealers Wheel
3. Here Comes The Sun - The Beatles
4. She - Elvis Castello
5. Other Woman - Paloma Faith
6. Jolene - Dolly Parton
7. Think - Aretha Franklin
8. You're So Vain - Carly Simon
9. Ain't Got No - Nina Simone
10. I Want To Break Free - Queen
11. Everybody Needs Somebody - The Blues Brothers
12. Little Green Bag - George Baker
13. Perfect Day - Lou Reed
14. Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay - Otis Redding
15. When The Sun Goes Down - Arctic Monkeys
16. Under The Bridge - Red Hot Chili Peppers
17. Road To Nowhere - Talking Heads
18. The Chain - Fleetwood Mac
19. Feel - Robbie Williams
20. People Are Strange - The Doors
21. Hurt - Christina Aquilera
22. No Surrender - Kane
23. Empire State of Mind (Part II) - Alicia Keys
24. If I Were a Boy - Beyoncé
25. Stay With Me - Sam Smith
26. Son of a Preacher Man - Dusty Springfield
27. Rocket Man - Elton John
28. Lonely Boy - The Black Keys
29. Undiscovered First - Feist
30. Something's Coming (Live) - Aaron Tveit
31. Why Should I Worry - Billy Joel

You can also listen to the playlist on Spotify!

Which song will be your anthem this month? Let me know in the comments below!

As the year slowly rounds up and everyone is running from commitment to commitment, it's important to have a breather in between and immerge yourself into something other than sleigh bells ringing. Not least so you can avoid boring small talk during the so-manieth gathering and really engage with your loved ones, colleagues or designated drivers (for those among us who don't shy away from some eggnog). It also gives you the power to stand your ground when uninformed red-nosed Rudolph's try to derail a conversation by talking like they're 'in the know', while they're most definitely not 'in the know', which you are now going to point out to them because you are 'in the know' after reading these books.

Flâneuse by Lauren Elkin

'Flâneur' is French for a man who aimlessly strolls the city streets observing himself, passers-by and the funny world we live in. The female version to this, 'flâneuse', does not exist. Well, perhaps not in the dictionary, but on the streets the flâneuse has been alive and kicking. At least according to Lauren Elkin. In Flâneuse: Women Walk The City In Paris, New York, Tokyo, Venice and London (2016) Elkin makes her case for the existence of the flâneuse. Through her own walking-experience, Elkin presents multiple cases of flânerie by female powerhouses (think Virginia Woolf, George Sand, Sophie Calle) who proudly strode off into the streets. This book shows how women have been erased from the city streets, how public space is created and negotiated and how there's still a great need to keep on walking to (re)negotiate the cobbles we walk on. Although I wished her case studies were more diverse and intersectional (and not only reliant on big-named well-dissected classic writers), this book points in a playful manner to insightful and productive thought-strands anyone who walks out of the front door encounters.

The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson

In The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through The Madness Industry (2011) Jon Ronson explores the absurdity that comes along with institutionalised mental health care. He focuses on the way the industry works, and most of all doesn't work, with help from psychiatrists, psychopaths and Scientologists (what a happy bunch indeed). He shows the maddening, looped-argumented issues the industry (and humanity) are faced with through his own intuitive interests. Throughout the book Ronson looks at the case of a psychopath that claims to not be a psychopath (but that's something a psychopath would say!). This case opens up confronting questions of what counts as a 'sane' person and how easily 'we' can loose control over our own minds and bodies. Through his approachable witty writing style uncomfortable truths, not-so-truths and can-you-believe that's-true truths are uncovered. When reading this I had to repeatedly remind myself that all this (still) takes place in the madness industry. I really like the personal touch and look Ronson uses as leading inquisitive insight to the way he conducts and processes his research.

The Story of My Teeth by Valeria Luiselli

Ok, The Story of My Teeth (2013) is a bit weird. Especially when you don't get half of the references... However, when you finally get the gist of it, you will fly through its pages. The book follows Gustavo 'Highway' Sanchez and his quest to 1) replace his unsightly teeth with some shiny whites and 2) retrace his shiny whites once they mysteriously go missing. Besides being a great tooth-enthusiast, Highway is also the world's best auctioneer. Or, at least, that's the modest title he uses to introduce himself. Through the power of his lies (or, as he calls them, allegories) Highway sells anything and everything to anyone who comes to his auctions (spoiler alert: even himself). The story of Highway takes collecting and connecting to a whole new level while it explores such small topics as value, worth and creation through entangling and changing claims of truth and the shifting weight of these claims (perhaps this can be related to Banksy's painting that shredded itself after it was bought at an auction and ironically doubled or trippled in value through this 'destructive' act). Basically: Bargain Hunt is nothing in its comparison! Although I really struggled reading and most of all understanding the story of Highway (once again: references, all of the references), in hindsight the main thing I took from it can be very productive when (re)thinking and (re)telling truth claims (and, perhaps, the pivotal role of capital within these claims). #fakenews?

What are you reading before the new year? Let me know in the comments below!

After practicing at-home yoga on my own in my bedroom these past couple of months I finally attended my first public yoga session. With about two-hundred other people. Yes, I take go big or go home very seriously. As you can imagine this session wasn't your typical Saturday morning yoga class (as I imagine there is such a thing as your typical Saturday morning yoga class). My first 'shared' yoga session was actually part of the Find What Feels Good Roadshow 2018 hosted by Adriene Mishler from Yoga With Adriene. Yes, I take go big or go home very seriously.

Up your connect

As a self-proclaimed recluse, leaving the house and sharing a -for me- very personal practice was not something I imagined myself doing. Ever. Let alone doing so quickly after only having picked up the practice of yoga this summer. I'm just a newbie, what right do I've got to do downward-facing dog with seasoned yogi's?! Well, to answer my own worries and doubts: you've got every right. Yoga, and especially yoga with Adriene (eeeey!), isn't about eeny meeny miny moe you're not good enough so go, but about connection. May this be connection between mind and body or connection between bodies sharing an online practice or (finally) smelling each others' sweat IRL. And boy did we sweat! Jk. Though my trademark clammy hands made an entrance with me as I walked into the room... Luckily Adriene reminded me/us at the beginning of the yoga class, after she prefectly, dramaticly entered the room walking down a steep stairway while Nina Simone's Feeling Good played in the background (note to self: make everyone play Feeling Good before I enter the room): "Everything is as it should be". Dramatic entrances and clammy hands included.

She's giving me good vibrations

The room was filled full-capacity with colourful yoga mats and their owners. Although a rush of anxiety swept me away at first, the positive tension shared non-verbally among each other created a sense of belonging without belonging. As I stressed and stretched on my mat in-between strangers, I even felt somewhat at ease. This 'easiness' really integrated as the practice developed and I dared to close my eyes to go with the flow instead of mirroring my neighbours' moves. This really made me realise how far I've come and how the unimaginable sometimes becomes reality so easily, so naturally. This naturalness is also something that really drawn me to Adriene as a yoga-teacher in the first place. Her pressence (online and offline) exudes a calm and playfulness that helps you to bring meaning to the yoga practice in your own way and on your own terms, while also helping you to go further and carefully break down brick walls. To connect. And this is I think also reflected in the diverse community based around her and all the lovely people that help to make Yoga With Adriene and Find What Feels Good happen.


At the end of the yoga session there was a meet & greet, during which they played music. One of the songs that came on was Good Vibrations by The Beach Boys. It's been stuck in my head ever since. In a good way. Although doing yoga with two-hunderd people at the same time is very intimidating, the whole experience was from beginning to end very positive (vibrations) and perhaps a good icebreaker for future yoga classes. Though for now I'll stick to the one-man show in my bedroom...

Are you a regular public yoga practicer or are you a proud member of the stay home club? Let me know in the comments below!

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Today is the birthday of my undeniably adorable four-pawed friend Sarah. Living with Saar has been a well-needed blessing. Her cheekiness and unstoppable love helps me to thrive through life. Having a puppy is hard work. But once you see them grow up into (occasionally) well-behaved doggos, you finally start to appreciate all those times desperately crying "Sarah, high five!" while she just stares at you confused munching on a shoelace. These songs go out to mah birthday gal and to all those who can fool any fool into sharing their food with them! The following tunes represent all the different degrees of dedication any dog in existence should be showered with...

1. Love at first sight

Then I saw her face, now I'm a believer, not a trace of doubt in my mind

I'm in love! Although sung by the wrong kind of animal, The Monkees with I'm A Believer perfectly sums up how your world changes just by the sight of a wagging tail.

2. Stop. It's puppy time.

Hyperactive when I was small, hyperactive now I'm tall, hyperactive as the day is long

Those who have a four-pawed friend know: dogs can go C-R-A-Z-Y from time to time. Not only is it a perfect delight to see them chase their own tails for ten minutes, but butterflies will fly out of your belly when they finally catch it and then let it go again. Hyperactive! by Thomas Dolby goes without explanation...

3. Cures any disease just by existing

This house just ain't no home anytime she goes away

"Where's the dog?" must be the most frequently uttered question in our household. And when it's answered with "outside", "upstairs" or "not here" you can hear Bill Withers passionately sing Ain't No Sunshine until our happy-meal reappears again.

4. Pooped in my shoe? I LOVE U SO MUCH!

Oh you pretty things, don't you know you're driving your mamas and papas insane

If you ask me there are only pros to being a dog owner as long as you're not too attached to your stuff. Otherwise sing through gritted teeth Oh! You Pretty Things by David Bowie and slowly feel nothing but heart-eye-emoji for your new interior designer.

5. I would die for you

You're the one that runs through my veins, like a hurricane, you lift the hurt I felt before

Paloma Faith starts Freedom with the biggest question of all time: If you left me, how could I go on? And the answer is: you don't. So protect every smol bean as good as you can and give them an exttra treat, pat on the head and thank them simply for existing. 'Cause where would humanity be without dogs? Nowhere, I tell ya!

Are you a cat or a dog person? Let me know in the comments below!

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From rubbing my tongue against an avocado to finally getting that double bed, this summer-holiday really revolved around me, me, me. But not in a selfish way (well, a bit in a selfish way). Sometimes it's just better to close your eyes than to angrily stare at your own reflection, if you get what I mean. This includes taking a step back, *breathe in, breathe out*, and recollect yourself before diving into the second-half of yet another stressful year. But before shouting 'bring it on!' to your teacher/boss/lunch lady, take another deep breath and sadly but optimistically sing "summer dreams ripped at the seams but oh those summer nights". Who knows, you might see your Sandy sooner than later! This is what I've been up to this summer... ("tell me 'bout it, stud")

1. I wrote my name in an exhibition space

And it wasn't an act of vandalism! This August I worked on the exhibition Resist! Take A Stand In Fashion. The exhibition is a collaboration between the Open Space Contemporary Art Museum (OSCAM) and Modemuze. It features four photographers who've created new interpretations of museum collection pieces that translates the historic piece de résistance to today's fashionable battle field. Think scandalous swimwear, radical rainbows and unique uniforms. Every photographer teamed up with a Modemuze-blogger and a Modemuze-editor (c'est moi!) who've written alongside the photos a blogpost/exhibition text. Although this exhibition was pulled together in a very short time, it really radiates the care, passion and personality everyone poured into it. This was my first time working on an exhibition from scratch and although my involvement was but-small, I learned two big things: 1) Good things do come to those who put themselves out there and 2) when you're open to change you'll be able to create something that's beyond everybody's expectations. Which is, like, ten times cooler than your initial idea.

You can see Resist! Take A Stand In Fashion until the 30th of September at OSCAM, Bijlmerdreef 1289, Amsterdam (free entry!).

2. I became a yogi

For years I said to myself, my mum, my sister, my dog, the train conducter and random strangers walking down the street: "I really should start doing yoga". And then I didn't. However things will find their way to you when you're ready to take the challenge. And this summer, after feeling out of balance and simply fed-up with myself, I was finally ready to *spit in hand and shake*. So I got myself a cheap mat, put on a sports bra and started wiggling my toes in 30+ degrees. Perhaps a ridiculously hot heat wave (we hit 38 degrees!!!) isn't the best time to start stretching a very unstretched body but, ya know, when you're going to sweat why not make it a productive sweat... Although I'm no real yogi yet, I've already learned and grown so much thanks to taking the time to work on my body/mind/soul/energy/life/stretchiness on a daily basis. I mean, I can now touch my toes! I also feel so much better in my skin and am trying to live a better life, be more mindful AND I CAN TOUCH MY TOES. My toes. I can touch them. #toetouching #touchmytoes #totoeornottotoe

3. I (almost) decluttered my room

When I was fourteen years old I couldn't sleep when a pen wasn't neatly outlined on my desk. However with the years I got over the crooked pen. And the pile of about-to-fall-over books. And the never ending accumulation of useless knick knacks taking up crucial shelf space. And the 'one day I will definitely need this' I-will-never-need-this sh*t conveniently placed next to my bed. And the outfit of yesterday, the day before yesterday and the day before that lying on my floor looking like the remainings of a beamed-up teen-trio now living their best lives flying through the galaxy on the run from their alien abductors while fighting bad guys and solving crimes... You get the image. Instead of pen-insomnia I convinced myself I was responsible for archiving anything and everything my sticky fingers touched. Turns out: I'm not. What a relieve! So these past couple of weeks I finally sat down and went through my piles of stuff, stuff and, guess what, some more stuff. Although my room still looks like a whirlwind has gotten the better of it, we're getting there...

What fun and inspiring things have you done this summer? Let me know in the comments below!

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I'ts the 25th of June 2018. The sky is grey and clouded but the sun shines. I think this type of weather can best be summed up as a wrestle match: on the one side it's too hot to wear a jumper but on the other side it's too cold not to. So you constantly have to fiddle around -arm in, arm out- until you give up and sit around helplessly, with one arm in, one out. Or worse your jumper has turned itself into a smothering hump around your neck, and god knows where the arms are now.

So I'm sitting around helplessly, trying to find the arms of my jumper so I can fiddle it into another position and, while I'm fiddling, I amuse myself thinking about how I could possibly turn this into a blogpost. Because although I write flares of possible blogposts in my notebook daily, I recently find it more and more impossible to turn those flares into fire. My mum says this is because I take everything too seriously, to which I snort and definsively say "no, no, no, no". But perhaps she's right. Question mark.

On a roll

The other day I aimlessly browsed Twitter when I stumbled upon a tweet that proudly exclaimed: 'Just scheduled blogposts up to February 2019! I'm on a roll!', or something among those lines (I'm quite sure 'I'm on a roll' wasn't in fact included as that doesn't sound very internetsy). After staring at it for some time, I scrolled further and spend many precious minutes looking at cute dog pictures. However that tweet burned a hole in my (sub)conscious and, like a cigarette burn, when I came close I still caught a whiff of its implications. What to make of this?

That tweet bothers me, I think, because it represents everything I do not do. It shows consistency and a certainty in that what one produces. A preconceived knowledge on what is good and whether that goodness will still exist when its consumption is postponed. I think I write more in the moment, therefore making the goodness or pleasure of its consumption also momentarily. For me at least. Like the jumper around my neck, of which I have now found the left (or right, not quite sure) arm, I'm -what feels like- forever struggling to manage its position. Never sure how the fabric acts in relation to my body temperature. Never sure where my blogpost lives within the blogosphere.

Secret admirer

I find it almost unthinkable to be as organised and as sure of my blogposts to reach out to a new year already. Is that what they call evergreen content? Content that is shareable whenever, wherever, as it rings true from start to finish regardless of change within the world or within yourself. All I can think of is the potential choking hazard; there's just so much fabric you can fiddle one way before turning blue.

And still I secretly admire and wonder how I could become that tweet. How that tweet could be typed by my fingers, send by my thumb and seen by my eyes knowing I've accomplished such a thing. Taking a step back: I look from my flared nonsensical notes to my last blogpost published almost a month ago to my scheduled posts of exactly none. I start to sweat. Also, admittedly, because the jumper is now half-fumbled over my head, half stuck underneath my chin.


As if having a fever dream, I see my mothers lips part and move in slow motion: 'you take everything too seriously'. But perhaps I'm not taking things serious enough, mum! While I'm in the middle of wrestle-mania, others are singing happy new year in -I imagine- classy 1980s business suits, twirling their moustaches, looking down at us mere June 2018 bloggers. While they are heartedly laughing at the future, I'm knees deep in the present with the rest of me stuck in the past. Even when my jumper finally pops over my head and I'm freed from its tight grip, I'm reminded of this never ending cycle, as I hastily throw the jumper back on (it's getting rather chilly again) and count myself lucky if I even make it to the 26th.

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