For a long time I had a dream to experience life in the desert. To feel its quiet vastness, endless beauty, and hostility at the same time. I wanted to see how it is to feel small in a place where survival has been difficult for as long as humanity exists. To feel the hot sun burning my skin during the day and to feel the cold air creeping into my tent at night creating a sound of distress. To meditate and to hear only two sounds: my breath and my heart beat.

At the end of 2022 my sister told me she was going on a spontaneous trip to Jordan as she had a sudden change of plans with her husband. I knew right there and then that for me it was the perfect opportunity to face my fears and to hop on a plane, rent a car, and start an adventure in the desert. And so I embarked on a journey where I could see my desert dream come true. The idea of being in the same place where one of my favourite movies, Dune, was shot, was thrilling!

I didn’t just experience the touristy side of Wadi-Rum, but I went into an inner journey of self-reflection, battling my own physical condition (still recovering from long-COVID), and bonding with my sister and her husband throughout our adventure in Jordan, a beautiful country where I would love to go back to again and again.

Fast forward to March 2025, my life looks different. My journey through life, which took a big turn at the beginning of 2024, has given me another chance to go inward. This time it’s about taking courage to do the things I love. Creating art as a photographer and painter while also becoming a connector of people who want to share their inner gifts and talents with the outside world.

I am currently working on launching a digital platform that connects artists and makers with people who want to enhance their skills, develop new passions, and come together as a community helping and uplifting each other.

I believe we are all creators: from brewing our morning coffee, cooking a nutritious homemade meal, discovering again watercolour painting like a child, or building our own set of kitchenware made from scratch during a pottery class.

I am now busy finding partnerships with the artists who can facilitate these workshops in safe spaces where everyone is invited to go into a flow state and where being playful is encouraged. I also believe these activities should be accessible to people coming from different socio-cultural backgrounds or having lower incomes, thus my creative business partner and I will need help with the right connections.

And this is why I want to join the Creative Retreat organised by Out of Office Creative Retreats in Morocco during April 2025, where I can connect with other women and help them also connect with their inner creators.

Watch my application video below!

Thanks!

Elise