Have a Seat,
Take a Closer Look...

Most kids don’t grow up with an idyllic childhood. Mine - though graced with a house full of books, music and creativity - was no different. Here's a closer look at my inner kid's journey...

My parents were from two different countries and raised their two kids in a third country, more specifically in the coastal multicultural town of Marbella, southern Spain. It was hard for all of us in our own ways, even though my parents did the best they could with what they had and what they knew (it took me several years to figure that last part out).

Communication and emotions in my family were stifled. From this I learned the importance of open communication and the ability to feel safe expressing emotions, and how not having this as kids can affect us later in life in our personal and professional relationships. To have the confidence and freedom to express your true self – and in healthy ways – is the ultimate freedom that so many crave. You can gain it later on if you really want it, though you’ll have to do the work.

I expressed myself best through written observation and creativity, and the blanket that kept me the warmest was my imagination.

My “first loves” were creative writing and drawing. They gave me safety to explore my inner world and understand the world I was living in.

Writing for me has always been my way of processing life. To declare intentions, to purge, to make sense of what I’m seeing, feeling, experiencing. To find a way – through those words – to connect and to support others. It’s one of the safest ways I know to transform pain, disappointment and frustration into something peaceful, wise, and – hopefully – helpful. As well as write our most cherished dreams into existence.

After discovering my love for writing, a very special little cartoon owl landed on a page I was drawing on one afternoon in my early teens. This little owl came into my life to stay, and to enter other peoples’ lives too…

Niki Owl is my inner child’s way of painting the world into a better place through playfulness and illustrated wisdom. I somehow understood the power of cartoons to communicate simple messages. I was also inspired by the creators of Garfield and Snoopy, other comics, as well as the creations of Beatrix Potter and Roald Dahl as an example of the marriage between literature and illustration. I wanted my own cartoon character, so I created Niki Owl and he became my faithful feathery friend with whom I could communicate safely. You can read more about Niki Owl and why he came to life here.

But my life was not always filled with writing and Niki Owl. I’ve explored other musical and art forms of expression as well. After creating Niki, I also learned how to make websites (inspired to put him “on the world wide map”) and discovered the blossoming world of SEO, becoming one of the first women in Spain to venture into that industry. This career allowed me to travel and experience the world to expand my horizons and gain a deeper understanding of human connection.

In 2012, after a series of life-altering events, I began to question what I was doing with my life and what I really wanted next. It was thanks to a coaching program that I opened up the treasure chest of my heart and looked within – there was Niki Owl staring back at me saying, “Are you ready now?” Seeing my dream shine back at me with those big cartoon eyes, I finally answered The Call to fully step into the colourful universe within me that I call Niki Owl, and put pen to paper to start living those creative dreams I’d always had as a girl. It hasn’t an easy path, but it’s been well worth it.

Never Park Your Art

Creativity for me goes deeper than artistic expression. It’s the ability to create anything; self, life, dreams, business, relationships, family, innovation, health, wealth, art, meaning, love. Any time I ignored my creativity or creative resourcefulness, life got really tough. It showed me that when we respect our inner creative resourcefulness, anything we set our mind and heart to really is possible. My wish for you is to never park the art of creating life, and to paint yours with plenty of Love, Joy and Imagination.

The truth is, I’ve witnessed and experienced things that have shown me both the beautiful and the gut wrenching aspects of life, things to be proud of and things that knocked me to the ground and forced me to start over from scratch several times. Yet still I seek to transform any pain or hardship into Love and offer this to others, so we can all live more in the space of Love than outside of it. It’s this deep sensitivity that I bring to my relationships, creations, and work.

May you fly through life with pure love, joy, elegance and grace, no matter what,

Karin