"Working with other people just makes you smarter" is one of my favorite quotes of Lin-Manuel Miranda. It is one of my favorites because it is true but I can sometimes forget. It's easy to retreat in your home, job or school and think you are better off doing things alone. It is so much faster, collaboration takes energy. You need to really listen to the other and they need to listen to you.

Inspiration, this amazing energy, when it comes around you feel it in every fiber of your being… and then what? Life comes back around and before you know it you're in your regular routine with a memory of an amazing moment and maybe a fading echo of a call that you should do something with that energy. 

Since last week I can answer that question. Last week, outside the theater in Hamburg we met Lin-Manuel and Luis Miranda. My friend and me had been in Hamburg on Tuesday to watch the last preview performance of Hamilton and we knew Lin-Manuel would be in town on Wednesday and Thursday but everything else was unknown. At what time would they fly in, where will they stay, when will they be at the theater? We did not know. So how did we manage? I will tell you.

Living in Europe, Lin-Manuel Miranda is not a household name. Hamilton is not even a household name (at least if you are talking about the musical, the race car driver is) 

Perhaps there are people out there who pick up a brush and that make a beautiful art piece and on rare occasions something beautiful comes out of not planning ahead but most times it needs work, lot's and lot's of work. Practice and iterations born out of new ideas and inspiration. 

Easy question difficult answer because I found out that it is different for everybody, but I'll tell you my way if you tell me yours. Inspiration, it sounds so easy and looking back at something you created and that you feel happy about it is "so easy" but the road before you get their is very fickle and seldom feels easy. In this proces I am my own worst enemy. Let me take you back and tell you a story.

Only six months ago I was convinced to sell some of my artwork. I had to be convinced because honestly it never crossed my mind to ask money for doing something I love doing. By stepping over that threshold the world literally opened for me. Now I am so proud to say that my work can ben found in 9 different countries spread over 5 continents.