The Year of Soft Power

My vision board for 2025:

- The girl studying in the left middle row - she is a reminder to myself to keep studying so I can get the degree of my dreams and then be only 3k hours short of obtaining my dream careers as a counsellor and mental health journalist.

- The book and matcha in the top left is a note to keep some coziness in my life. To let myself curl up with a good book, a good drink, listen to some nature soundscape in my room and let my brain disappear into the fantasy world of my current read (as of the time I write this post, my current read is Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros).

- The gorgeous woman in blue - that is Birgitte Hjort Sørenson. She is an actress from Denmark and is my second TV wife (second to Florence Pugh). She is there because seeing her makes me smile and it reminds me of the Danish concept of hygge (who-GAH). A reminder to find moments that are “coziness for the soul.” A habit to create.

- The girl the hood? That is my alter ego. My consistency. My shadow. Mysterious, resilient as fuck and just as rebellious as me. (“Aelin, NO!” ~ Everyone in the Throne of Glass series. “Aelin, YES.” ~ Aelin and Manon).

- The big quote at the bottom is my motivation to get up and get after the life of my dreams. To level up my life.

- The queens in the centre? That is Manon Blackbeak (left) and Aelin Ashryver Whitethorn Galathynius (right). Versions of myself, who I was, who I am and who I am becoming. They are my inner dialogue and my source of inspiration. They are my moral compass.

- Ballet is something that balances me and that photo was taken at my last ballet performance before I got injured and had to quite ballet. That image reminds me of one of the most fun dance productions I’ve done and when I need a visual reminder of how much joy ballet gave me, I can just call up the video.