Last week, our country was suddenly treated to a massive amount of snow. Everything was buried under a soft white blanket. Traffic was disrupted, trains stopped running or ran only sparsely, people shuffled along... In short, the snow brought with it the necessary inconvenience, on top of which it froze hard for several days, and the biting east wind made people's eyes water. I'm fortunate that my work doesn't force me outside, except for a few daily errands. But that usually happens at the supermarket a few streets away, which I walk to. Not exactly a hardship. So, for me, the snow isn't an annoying interlude that disrupts my life. No, I actually love that lovely white. The loving way I'm writing about snow here already demonstrates this. Now, it's easy for me to say, because I enjoy walking, and besides, a five-minute walk from home takes me to the oh-so-beautiful countryside. Where pollard willows grow along meandering waterways with meadows that so characterise the Brabant landscape. As I just mentioned, I walk daily and have ample time to walk for about an hour and a half each day. During these walks, I take countless photos, ranging from blooming dahlias in the summer months to snowy landscapes in the winter, and sandy paths between rows of trees. These photos serve as models for the paintings I create later, when I feel like it. This life of walking and painting all sounds very nice, romantic, and who knows what else, but I call it an artist's life. On the one hand, it means freedom, especially when I'm working on freelance work that originates from my own creative brain. On the other hand, there are commissions from clients that aren't always convenient (sometimes I don't always feel like it, I'm not in the mood, or it's boring). Or, if the income from illustrating isn't enough to cover fixed housing costs and such, and I have to find another source of income out of necessity... A part-time job, for example. I once worked in a jewelry store for a while. As with everything, that had some advantages. I had an income, I had colleagues, and I "got out," as they say, plus the work was quite enjoyable. (Sometimes you discover other talents of your own.)