Why we do what we do.

Fitting in and feeling like I belonged played a significant role in how I went about my days as a young child. I felt out of place and constantly questioned my actions and why people looked at me or treated me differently.

I come from a cross-cultural background being half Nepali & Dutch. I was born and raised in Nepal. After spending 18 years of my life there, I went to the Netherlands to explore the other half of me. After leaving Nepal, I was convinced I had to find my identity and escape what society expected of me as a Nepali woman. In the Netherlands, I found freedom; with that, I found my voice through courage and accepting who I was. However, in this hurried rush of escaping  Nepal,  I lost a part of myself. I realise now how my Nepali upbringing and culture have shaped my character and values — loyal, generosity, seeing the good in people and having good karma.

And now, as I reside in Switzerland, I have found a balance between my two worlds. After years of struggling with figuring out where I fit it — Am I Nepali, or am I Dutch? Am I a sweet, demurred girl or a loud, outspoken girl? Am I Hindu, or am I an atheist? — I have now come to terms with the fact that I genuinely do not fit in either way. Here nor there, just in my own category of my own self.

As I think of my kids and how they will navigate their journey of self-discovery, I wonder if I am doing enough to give them the right tools to navigate the world with empathy, trust and humour. I feel it is essential that we all have a safe space to explore and so at van Doesburg Creative Works, the purpose at heart is to...

...create a space where children and adults could continue to explore emotions of feeling in and out of socially defined "normal" space. In this space, differences can be shared and celebrated.

Although there is an increase of stories in this space, there could always be more stories representing the diverse composition of the world based on the different castes, ethnicities, languages, gender and family/household dynamics. And, more importantly, stories from third-world countries that rarely break into the mainstream market.

van Doesburg Creative Works was founded in 2021, and amidst all that was happening in the world, we brought together a bunch of diverse people who shared the same value of creating stories.

Stories that ignite children's curiosity to ask the why/why not, what & how questions. Stories that make them self-aware about themselves. Stories that, in the end, give them the confidence to be proud of who they are.

Our stories, together with the help of QueRy Van aim to help you feel connected to our characters and empathise with situations you may not experience. What you learn today will help you grow tomorrow!

Join us in our journey to ignite curiosity, self-awareness and confidence.