Maartje Bekker

Profile

I had a happy and carefree childhood. My parents taught me that not everyone has the same chances in life. Our house was always open for people who needed a place to stay because of circumstances at home or difficulties in life. I used to be a quiet and creative kid and needed a way to channel this into something meaningful. I went to the Design Academy Eindhoven (DEA). This brought me a lot: I learned that creativity is a strength and that it can be put into place to help other people. For example eco-friendly product design and production but also using creative thinking to tackle challenges in society. So for me creativity is a way of thinking. It means experimenting, learning from mistakes, being critical and adjust. As a society we can learn a lot from creative thinking and learn to see the value of this. It is positive, forward looking, flexible and social.

Making a difference is not bound to intelligence, status, money or a formal leadership position. I am a realist, but I do think that anyone with the right mindset and mentality can do good and make a difference in life. If we stop comparing ourselves to others, what they do or achieve and start believing that with a lot of little steps you can also climb mountains. I like to inspire people to find their purpose in life.

Stop talking about making a change, just do it and let’s be MAD!