A NEW CHAPTER BEGINS...
More than 20 years happily together, enriched with countless adventures, from settling down in the Netherlands to 7 years of expat life in Peru, Germany, and France, to a magnificent world trip in 2019 through Australia and New Zealand. We've been living a wonderful life, yet both of us feel strongly that something is missing... we're on the hunt for even more adventure!
In 2014, we left the Netherlands for a new adventure: living and working abroad. The beginning of ultimately 7 years of living and working in 3 beautiful countries, getting to know new cultures, and building many valuable friendships. An adventure we absolutely wouldn't have wanted to miss, and maybe it could have lasted even longer if we hadn't encountered some bad luck...
An unexpected twist…
By the end of 2015, a period of intense hip pain began for me, Carlien. Months passed before we got an answer, turning our adventure temporarily into a nightmare. I still remember the doctor's words over the phone: from now on, don't put any pressure on your hip, as it could break at any moment. It hit us like a ton of bricks, just a few weeks before our planned trip to New Zealand.
From that moment on, everything happened in a whirlwind: Christmas 2016 marked my first surgery, what seemed like a small cyst on the MRI scan turned out to be a much larger (benign!) cartilage tumor during the operation. I remained under regular observation; the doctors had little experience with this type of tumor in this location, yet many of my questions remained unanswered – it was just bad luck, according to the doctors.
The road to recovery: setbacks, distance, and connection
And then, the summer of 2018, back at the AMC hospital, full of hope but deep down knowing that things weren't right. Nights were spent awake from the pain, relying on painkillers to get through. Yet again, bad luck struck; my hip was so worn out that the only solution the doctor had was another surgery, during which the old tumor area would be thoroughly cleaned and a completely new hip joint would be placed. And all this at the age of 33 – something you never expect, but I didn't have another choice, as things couldn't go on like that any longer.
Throughout this time, we were living in Germany, not too far from the Netherlands, but the distance from our loved ones seemed endless. Also, the distance between us, because during the week, Roland lived and worked in Düsseldorf, and I, Carlien, in Bielefeld. Looking back, it was an overly intense period. Roland ended up with a burnout and came home, and I didn't recognize my own husband anymore. It was a period with many ups and downs, but it also brought many beautiful moments. We grew even closer, and the desire for adventure grew stronger and stronger.
As a boy, Roland dreamed of…
In the summer of 2019, we both took a sabbatical and traveled for 6 unforgettable months through Oceania. It was during this time that we said to each other, "we want more of this!" But first, from traveling back to the daily grind. I, Carlien, had dreamed since childhood of becoming a CFO. And so, in January 2020, we moved to beautiful France for a new expat adventure.
In France, the idea of starting our own business arose, Roland's childhood dream. It turned out to be the best plan B during the COVID-19 pandemic while we were locked up 24/7 in our apartment in the heart of Lyon.
Following the mantra of 'Making the most of it,' Roland started with his old hobby: digital art design. In my free hours, I, Carlien, helped behind the scenes: setting up our Etsy shop, marketing, administration, etc. We remember our first sale like it was yesterday. It was the moment we said to each other, "let's go for it – Daring Dutch Designers is going to grow!"
Something different…
The statistics were promising, working together on our label in beautiful locations was a dream come true. Taking the plunge in 2022, we sold all our belongings, I, Carlien, said goodbye to my CFO job, and together, we embarked on the online entrepreneur adventure and converted a van into a home on wheels.
Today, we live, work, and travel in our self-built home on wheels. As we travel, inspiration grows, and new artworks come to life in our studio on wheels. Art with a story is our passion, and we're excited to share it with you!
Remember Yesterday,
Dream about Tomorrow,
Live Today.
WHY DARING DUTCH DESIGNERS' POSTERS?
When do our most creative ideas bloom? A question we often get on the road, and our answer, delivered with a smile, is always the same: 'In nature.' Cycling through the mountains, walking in the forest, or driving through stunning landscapes, that's when ideas for new posters arise.
Our posters breathe nature. Enchanting mountain landscapes where we've slept, the first blossoming trees during a beautiful spring walk, a flock of geese flying against a setting sun, examples of magical moments for us, which we use for our hand-drawn posters.
Not just the visual, but the natural materials around us also serve as a source of inspiration. Nature offers so much beauty. The texture of a tree trunk, the imperfections in leaves to the fibers of linen. We incorporate these into the backgrounds of our posters. The result: 'one-of-a-kind' posters, bringing warmth, coziness, and the beauty of nature indoors, even on those cold, long, gray days.
