How did you end up at St. Joost in Breda? 
"I always knew in high school that I wanted to do something creative. I looked at various art courses, but at St. Joost I immediately felt welcome. It is such a beautiful location among the trees in a quiet place. I initially chose the Fine Arts direction, but after six months I realised that Illustrated & Animated Storytelling suits me better."

Do you also live in Breda? 
"Yes, for about 5 years now. At first, I sublet an apartment from someone for six months. Now I live in Heusdenhout, close to school. A month after enrolling, I already had a room. So that went quite quickly! Ideally, I would like to stay in Breda after my studies. My hometown, Oud-Beijerland, a small village in South Holland, is a nice place to live, but I have fallen in love with Breda. I find it a very pleasant city to live in. It's not too big and busy; it's actually quite peaceful and green. But you have everything around you that belongs to a city. And I live close to the forest; very nice for walking and cycling."

How did you come up with the idea to start your own business?
“I always wanted to start something myself, and the thought of taking a course in entrepreneurship had been on my mind for a while. When we had to do an internship in the fourth year, I set up a company and did my internship at my own company. For four months, I sat in an office with five other girls. When we had big orders, we worked together. For example, we designed and sold a set of Christmas cards (including at STEK) and created a watercolour tourist map for the Duindorp district in The Hague.”

Why did you enjoy entrepreneurship so much? 
“I like being able to decide exactly what you do and when. And you can do a lot of different things. I also love crocheting and knitting, and I would like to do more with that. For example, making and selling keychains.”

How would you describe your style?
“I have a quite realistic and narrative drawing style. I mainly use analogue techniques such as pencil, watercolours and acrylic paint. Afterwards, I digitally enhance it. For my animations (2D frame-by-frame) I often create backgrounds with watercolours.

For my graduation project, I am going to write and illustrate a children's book. This has truly become a dream of mine since I started studying here. The book will be for siblings of children with autism. I have a sister with autism myself and there are few children's books on this topic. It should be a fun book but also informative.”