Berbel Maernhoudt
A 26 year old recovering self-hater who likes to make jokes and frequently swoons over pretty pastries and ice cream. Basically.
Hi, it’s Berbel. Or Berb, to some.
Thank you for meeting me here!
You might be wondering what ‘Sprinkling The Whimsy’ and ‘Conscious Disruption’ means. Or, where the terms even come from.
Time to read: 2 minutes
Witches, goblins, spirits and fawns.
Let me tell you a quick origin story of
Once upon a time,
My parents used to take my brother and I to a forest when when we were very young. They called it “the Baba Yaga forest.” If you don’t know who Baba Yaga is, she’s a Slavic witch from folktales who lives in the woods in a hut on chicken legs. Insane, right?
I remember being in that forest and hoping she would find me. I wanted to know what she looked like and ask her questions. Sadly, I never ran into her, but I knew she was there and she knew I was there.
As you can assume, we grew up in a very atypical household. We listened to Queens of the Stone Age, Electric Six, and The Prodigy on our way to our Protestant Christian elementary school while wearing t-shirts with skulls on them.
On top of that, we had a remote house in France where we ran around naked. Singing made-up songs, and sitting around a campfire until dark, listening to an owl in the oak tree in their garden. It was awesome.
However, this was almost two decades ago. So now that I am older, I realize more and more how whimsical and punk rock it actually was.
By the way, since the stork did not deliver us, let me tell you about my parents.
My dad was an anarchist and drummer from The Hague who played at Lowlands while my mom was pregnant with my brother. Eventually, he went on to become a successful consultant without a degree who loved music, photography and cycling in the mountains.
My mom is an artist whom creates anything she wants. Art exhibitions, fashion shows, self-written and directed plays, you name it. We occasionally do photoshoots at home, just for fun. Sometimes with a glass of wine and a lit candle nearby. Highly recommend.
Because of these influences, I am fortunate to be this whimsical. My love for photoshoots, fashion magazines and couture sketches came from my mom. My appreciation of different types of music and staying curious about the world around me came from my dad. And my ability to talk to different kinds of people came from both of them.
Having gotten lost from myself a little bit, I want to share my perspective with whoever needs it.
I always felt less alone in a forest where there could possibly be a witch, so now I hope to be that presence for others.
Okay, cool, but I’m still not sure what you’re saying…
fair enough! Sprinkling the Whimsy means:
Add a little silly, a little sparkle, a funny or cool word when you’re talking, do or wear something sexy, something playful, choose the more exciting option. Dress up your life. Just for you. (Use your imagination!)
Crack open your oyster and take out the pearl.
non-violent disruption is the core of this concept.
It is you consciously cracking open the oyster. Again and again. You are not cracking it open to destroy or ruin it. You are cracking it open to bring out the potential, the beauty, the surprise, the ‘More is more’, the boldness and playfulness that is inside of you always.
As children nothing is off-limits. Not even talking to strangers and asking them questions or giving them unsolicited feedback on their appearance. There is no sense of ‘I’m not good enough’ or ‘I’m not wanted’.
That’s me rocking out with an oyster when my boyfriend took me to a nice dinner.
It all comes from the abundant source of inspiration and energy that has not been locked down by upbringing and hardcore experiences yet.
Everything is fun and sparks curiosity. Something drew us in and we surrendered to it. That is another very important part of non-violent disruption. Breaking through our own programming of what a day (or even our whole life) is supposed to look or feel like.
Surrendering more to what is going on inside of us.
We need to be woken up to our own actions and capabilities. We don’t have to wait to be a certain type of person or a certain version of ourselves. It is all happening right now. The party has already started.
The doors are open and we get to step through whenever we are aware.
How do you sprinkle the whimsy?
I would love to know how you disrupt your daily life one sprinkle at a time.