About me
Since I’ve been four years old, and my mum taught me to read before I went to school, stories became my best friends. The librarians in our hometown have known me by name as one of their youngest readers. They let me wander between the shelves for hours, even to sit on the floor and read.
Books are not only a perfect escape to the exciting world of fantasy, they too create a better understanding of a language. How to work with it, play with it and connect through it with oneself and others. The authors we admired and the stories we loved have prompted many of us to write.
About my background & studies
I was born and bred in Slovakia and I left my country at the age of 19 to study interpreting at the University of Vienna in Austria and later journalism at the Press Association in London. I got an MA title in European Business from the Royal Holloway University of London too. I moved to the UK at 24 and stayed there for eight years.
In my life, I went through seemingly random combinations of study fields and various jobs looking for that thing that makes me fulfilled and also pays the bills. It is not always an easy path. We often doubt it by our preconceptions – I talk about this in my videos and articles.
After 5 years of Vienna, 8 years of London, 1 burn-out and 7 months of travelling through Asia, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand and America, I‘ve landed in my favourite Prague, where I room until today.
Next to journaling, I have been soaking knowledge in psychology. Not only from books but also brilliant psychologists, healers and coaches, whom I occasionally help to become more known.
My zest for popularising psychology and emotional intelligence still propels me to write articles for Czech and Slovak lifestyle magazines focused on self-development.
See some of my published articles here.
About self-sabotage
I used to make it difficult for myself for years. Often it takes time for us and our dreams to take shape. Not to believe that someone who – someday in the past – said I couldn’t do it, or that it was too difficult, making me internalise these voices as my own. I believed them like they were facts.
Five years as a relationship manager in a London news wire I was hanging around journalists looking up to them. Though I didn’t realise I wanted to write for a living too. I would not even dare to admit that to myself back then.
Nothing I had created was good enough to present it publicly. I was scared to death to be criticised. I‘d prefer not to write anything at all, rather than making something that would not be perfect. I did not know why. „It was like that.“ I thought that was me… being me.
About the methods incorporated into my practice
The journey into the depths of our minds can lead us in many ways. It led me through a myriad of therapeutic paths, workshops and more books.
Meditation and mindfulness, I believe are key to our creativity and happiness. I practised Vipassana in Koh Samui, and I continue to practice and learn from Sam Harris. Meditation was the cornerstone that led me to visit and re-visit other tools and paths.
Aside from classical psychotherapy, I’ve tried Artho Wittemann’s Individual systemic with a Prague based therapist Jan Honzik.
Edina Valentova, a coach for conscious sexuality showed me various meditation techniques and breathwork.
I learned the rules of radical honesty in courses and circles of the psychologist Sebastian James, practised conscious sensuality with Robert Silber, worked with emotions with psychologist Radka Loja
For a couple of years, I have been also doing and assisting with Birth Work therapy with an excellent therapist Jullian Gustavson, who significantly moved me in my development.
Petra Luley, a coach and a friend, introduced me to the Journey method and kindly agreed to host her guided meditations on Karma Klub.
Many things I know about emotional intelligence I picked up from The School of Life by Alain de Botton, Ester Perel, Nedra Tawwab and other psychologists, philosophers, teachers and meditators.
At the London City University, I did classes of Short Story Writing with a published author Katy Darby, who inspired me to dare to write fiction again.
One of the most powerful methods I learned from Katerina Honzikova, a psychologist based in Prague, was the Artist Way.
I invite you to try it with me. The Artist‘s Way has positively changed me for good and encouraged me to keep writing – without the paralysing fear of criticism.
Today I can integrate these findings into my work with you, and transfer them into creative writing.
About not knowing
I don’t like to describe my experiences as a finished ‚success story‘ intentionally – „I used to be blind and now I see. Yay!“
Not all at. Naturally, I‘m still perfectly ignorant. Confused and puzzled. And that is okay. If everything was clear and smooth – what would we write about?
At the end of the day, sublimation is one of the most powerful and functional ways to transform our suffering, confusion and sorrows into a piece of art. That can once make someone else feel like they can relate – and hence, make them feel better.
You still don’t know what’s stopping you? You don‘t know what to write?
