What fires me up!
I grew up free to create, and I want the same for every kid.
When I was little, my parents created a safe space for me to make decisions, take risks, and learn at my own pace. As I grew older, they trusted me to make my own mistakes without judgment, standing by me even when they didn’t agree or fully understand my choices. Maybe it was because they were teachers—just like their parents before them, and even my great-grandparents, and as far back as our family history goes. Or maybe they intinctively understood that real learning happens when children are given both structure and freedom. Either way, that trust gave me confidence and shaped how I see the world. I want the same for children today—places where they feel safe enough to explore, curious enough to take creative risks, and supported enough to grow into independent thinkers.
I think we spend much of our adult lives trying to remember what once came naturally—our passions, creativity, ways of thinking and seeing—while making sense of everything we’ve learned along the way. We unlearn, rediscover, and peel back layers of expectations, holding onto what truly aligns with us. My mission is to help children never lose that connection to themselves—to nurture their inner voices so that they grow into adults who trust their instincts, think critically, and confidently shape their future.
Child-centeredness
We need more solutions designed with children, not just for them. Their sensitivity to the world around them makes them natural problem-solvers, and when we tap into their innate curiosity and creativity, we open the door to reimagining how we solve society’s biggest challenges. But it’s more than fostering imaginative thinking—when given the right tools and support, children are fully capable of articulating their needs and contributing meaningfully to the world around them.
Interdependence
The world is built on connection—within families, communities, and ecosystems. True interdependence is about relationships of reciprocity, where each person contributes and receives in turn. Children sense how deeply intertwined we are with each other and the natural world. When we nurture this awareness and help them develop the skills to navigate interdependence with respect, responsibility, and care, we cultivate a culture of empathy and collaboration—one that enables us to build healthier relationships, more resilient communities, and a more sustainable way of living.
Cosmos in the chaos
The world is chaotic and unpredictable, but within complexity lies opportunity. With the appropriate structure and scaffolding, children can make sense of intricate systems, recognize patterns, understand relationships, and navigate challenges with imagination and ingenuity. This process isn’t just about creating order—it’s about developing resilience, adaptability, and a sense of agency in an ever-changing reality. Through play, experimentation, and design-led discovery, children don’t just respond to the world as it is—they engage with it and shape what it can become.
Trust children. Nothing could be more simple, or more difficult. Difficult because to trust children we must first learn to trust ourselves, and most of us were taught as children that we could not be trusted.
— John Holt
This is my dream!
A place to just be: away from home, away from school
Children today are overwhelmed by constant stimulation and rigid schedules, leaving little space for unstructured play and exploration. While school and home provide much-needed structure and care, they often lack access to third places—spaces of their own choice, where they can follow their interests, create, and just be.
Trust and freedom alone aren’t enough. My father, an artist and maker at heart, is constantly painting, inventing, and tinkering at home. His sunlit studio, filled with books, tools, and materials—a world of possibility, yet always just out of reach for me as a child. Instead, I found inspiration in an unexpected place: a tiny, cluttered garage, where a self-taught shoemaker welcomed us neighborhood kids in, let us watch, ask questions, and play with materials. Looking back, what I truly needed—what I spent years seeking and now strive to provide—was exposure: to different ways of making, moving, expressing, and experiencing the world.
That’s why I dream about creating a third place—a calm, intentional environment where children can follow their curiosity without the pressure to fulfill roles or meet expectations. Neither school nor home, a third place for children offers the best of both—guidance when needed and trust to figure things out independently. It’s where children take ownership, their ideas are valued, and they feel safe to take creative risks. A place where children can think, make, and learn—not because they have to, but because they want to.
Principles
Care
A nurturing environment provides both autonomy and support, allowing children to explore freely while feeling trusted and capable. Non-directive guidance creates a foundation where independence and self-discovery can flourish.
Creativity
Creativity is not just about making things—it’s a way of thinking and engaging with the world. A third place for children encourages a playful attitude to problem-solving and self-expression.
Connection
Genuine relationships foster meaningful learning. Prioritizing connection allows children to feel heard, seen, and valued—creating an atmosphere where ideas grow, collaboration thrives, and a sense of belonging is strengthened.
Curiosity
Curiosity drives discovery, understanding, and connection. In an environment that nurtures a sense of wonder, children ask questions, explore others’ perspectives, and build empathy—learning to engage with the world with an open mind and heart.
Share my mission? Get in touch!
If you believe in fostering creativity, autonomy, and meaningful learning experiences for children, I’d love to hear from you.
If you are eager to contribute to the creation of a space where curiosity and self-expression thrive—reach out to learn more about how you can contribute.