How it all came to be

– Josselin at Amayzine –

After Liesbeth and Jet wrote a post about their start at Amayzine.com my mailbox naturally filled up with requests as well. Okay, that's a joke, and my story is really much less exciting than those of the other two ladies, but I'll put it down on paper for you.

Maybe I was the victim because my oldest sister didn't really want to join in and preferred to play outside. So yes, I drew a lot.

When I was little, I already lived in a crafting den. That's what Liesbeth calls my house now at least, because it's really full of crafting supplies, ribbons, stickers, tape, brushes, paint, and much more. All good, back then. All that crafting stuff was quite present, and with a mother who was fairly creative, all that creativity was of course quickly instilled. Maybe I was the victim because my oldest sister didn't really want to join in and preferred to play outside. So yes, I drew a lot, had my own magazine just like Liesbeth where I wrote long texts to then fill in with illustrations, which are still somewhere in a box. Throwing them away is really not an option, these are such limited editions for later. That creativity was already there early on.

I thought it would be fun to become a kindergarten teacher. Didn't do it, because kids really drove me to madness back then.

That I would then walk a creative path was of course certain. Although I hesitated for a moment about the PABO, because I thought it would be fun to become a kindergarten teacher. Didn't do it, because kids really drove me to madness, and that's why I chose AMFI. I really thought a life as a fashion designer was waiting for me. It was also very fun and I learned a lot. Like getting the sewing machine going, but also learning to illustrate, writing beautifully, making the coolest mood boards, and coming up with the latest concepts. I still do all that now. The first part, I left behind for a while. Fashion design turned out to be more my mother's thing, so the sewing machine stayed with her and I left home with my drawing set and paint pots.

Now I already realized in my second year that I wouldn't become a fashion designer (stop, oh my)

During AMFI, I had to intern at a fashion company. Now I already realized in my second year that I wouldn't become a fashion designer (stop, oh my), so I wanted to intern at a fashion magazine. Still a bit of fashion, and especially a lot of creativity. It became La Vie en Rose. My favorite, where art, fashion, and creativity all came together. A small editorial team with the most inspiring Harriët at the helm had to give me opportunities to do more than just fetch coffee. So said, so done. I ended up in a warm nest, didn't know anyone, but that's how it felt, with Harriët, May-Britt, Agnès, Inge, Daphne, and Jolien. So I didn't have to fetch a cup of coffee, but could immediately produce and style. I loved it, I beamed every day. So there was indeed a tear shed when my internship ended, and there were multiple tears shed when the magazine ceased to exist a year later. La Vie en Rose may have stopped, but those people were still my favorites.

La Vie en Rose may have stopped, but those people were still my favorites.

Oh dear, this is going to be a long story. Not the intention. But I'll keep it short. The magazine world had me in its grip on one hand, on the other hand, it was the delightful relaxation of illustrating for me. After graduating, I got to taste the editorial team of LINDA., and when May called me that she was going to replace the editor-in-chief of Flair for a maternity leave, I grabbed my laptop to go with her. If May was going to do something new, it had to be fun and good. May was at Flair for 7 months and then went to Marie Claire. I stayed at Flair, but also occasionally helped out at Marie Claire and did some nice illustration assignments for them. Besides Flair, I freelanced a bit, which I also found very interesting and fun and where I could practice my freelance illustration assignments a bit more. And at the point where I decided to freelance full-time, Amayzine.com came my way.

and when May called me that she was going to replace the editor-in-chief of Flair for a maternity leave, I grabbed my laptop to go with her.

Now I have always walked behind May-Britt out of enthusiasm, because really; if May is going to do something new, it has to be fun and good. So when May told me about Amayzine.com, I had a smile from ear to ear. I never had an interview, and that's my thousand thanks to May-Britt. All credits to her trust, because well, I still had to make it happen. After a cup of tea together, kind of an interview, it was decided that I would become the new lifestyle and beauty editor. Super exciting, because there wasn't a letter on paper yet, but when I started the day after the successful launch, I knew it was the right place. So yes, that's how it came to be and that's how it is now. It's a playground where I'm let loose and then I'm at my best. I make illustrations, write about beauty, and go to the coolest presentations. I enjoy it. And hopefully, you do too.