Introducing Elfi De Bruyn, not an easy task, but I'll try! Creative jack-of-all-trades! Author of several nail art books! And I think I can also say: a bit of a SELF fan! Hurrah! She describes herself as a MAGIC MAKER and even though she has had some struggles, she stands with her two feet on the ground and radiates positive vibes into her world! I would like to do our # SELF Q&A on that!
1.Everyone is busy these days. But at Self we attach a lot of attention to me-time! Do you plan enough time for yourself and how do you arrange the puzzle of work, family and me-time?
In recent years I have been planning more time for myself. As a freelancer I am always busy. Yes, sometimes I go for a cup of coffee in the afternoon, but then I am busy again until 11 p.m. I have the advantage of freedom, but that sometimes also has a downside: namely no peace. 😉 In addition, I find structure in chaos, it just works for me. Yet lately I have been making small daily to-do lists with all the tasks I want to complete that day: yes, also washing the dishes, painting my nails, ... it's all on there, in addition to a portion of me time. I plan to do that at least 4 times a week. For me, both exercise and a wellness moment are pure indulgence or a moment for myself. And if I want to put the laundry in afterwards, I will do so with much more pleasure! Me time is different for everyone. From watering my plants to sprinkling bath salts in my bath, I get pure happiness from those little moments. And that simply belongs at the top of that list!
2. Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn in life. What advice would you give to your younger self?
Gosh, I'd like to tell her so much, but first I'll hold her tight and tell her that everything will be fine. That I shouldn't worry so much about what others say, because I stopped doing that around the age of thirty. Or maybe since I've been in therapy. Working on myself equals putting myself first. Some may find that very selfish, but I think it is necessary. It is precisely by putting myself first for a long period of time that I can now be even more empathetic to others. Still, I would mainly talk about my insecurities, I think. They are still there, although I can put everything into perspective a little better. I don't let them take over my whole self or hide behind a mask of makeup anymore. I like to wear less makeup and take care of myself. Oh, if only I knew how at a younger age then again, maybe I wasn't the girl I am today. Everything is part of a process, so I just let them hold them tight and whisper that it will be okay. Nuff said. 🙂
3. What is your ultimate favorite address in Belgium!
I find it difficult to choose just one address. Simple really, where they are friendly, have almond or oat milk, consciously think about what they serve or sell and any address where my dogs are more than welcome. (laughs)
4. How are you doing with your ambition? On fleek? Which goals are at the top of your priority list in 2017?
I have always had ambitions, although I currently go a bit more with the flow. After a long time, I have just developed my own project together with cartoonist Eva Mouton. Especially in recent years, I have thought about myself first before embarking on a new dream. What I used to do quite easily: go from dream to dream so that I didn't have to deal with reality. I threw everything overboard and picked up the pieces of myself that I wanted to keep and took them with me on my new path. This is how I firstly created more balance, which I needed to move forward. I now go for more quality than quantity. I don't have to come up with something new every month, I don't have to be proud because I've already published a new book. First and foremost, I want to be proud of who I am. I have also been thinking for a while about studying again or at least giving more meaning to my projects. I hope that in the future I can mainly inspire people and help them with their process through creativity. Where I used to want to achieve everything quickly, I now have confidence in that growth process.
5. Oh, you meet a genie-in-a-bottle and you get three wishes. They always say that you shouldn't reveal your wishes, but let's make an exception for once. What are your three wishes?
Three wishes, that's quite a lot. 🙂 Now that I'm 32 and since my brother became a dad, it feels like my heart has been expanded in other areas. So you could say that my wishes are different than before. Then I focused on my career, while now I'm more about small happiness or sharing my world with someone special. And yes, I want a baby. I already have a dog, two even! haha I would also like to have space in which we can be even more ourselves and last but not least and cliché as fuck, that people are nicer to each other and to animals. Then my world would be complete!
Thank you Elfi for letting us look into your head and heart!
Follow Elfi via her social media channels and her blog:
Facebook: Elfi De Bruyn
Instagram: @glam_elfi
Twitter: @glam_at_heart
Blog: www.glamatheart.com
