Authentic Living as a Public Affair.

A controversial lifestyle blog.

  • Stellenbosch – it is in the Name, it is in Legacy.

    Lounging in a corner coffee shop, I overheard the man proclaiming in Afrikaans: “Mevrou – het jy werklik die guts om te slow dance met Stellenbosch en sy spoke?!” Looking up, I saw the man in his final leap of safety, hitting the sidewalk before the cyclist could bump him. I had to smile, not…

  • Fractals in a monotonous reality – Organized chaos in the Mother City

    It is in the lush life. The hustle and bustle of its inhabitants and the sound of serenity that meets the sensorium unlike any utopia you’ve imagined. There is a reason why the locals promote the mantra: “maweer.” This is also where the proverb originated: “Marry someone who will love and fight over you like your Auntie…

  • The art of Humanity.

    Entering a gallery is truly exhilarating. You are challenged and tempted to re-evaluate every perceived idea and to leave any conservative and orthodox mindset at the daycare. If you resist the process – you will enter a mindset encapsulated as a cacophony. I would then recommend that you rather stay at home. By observing or…

  • A legacy of grace, written by the author of Grace: La Rochelle.

    They will call us old school, traditional, conservative and preppy – I call it vintage and classy. I adored this – a novel perspective, the observation to see how you’ve grown and celebrating the ability to evolve and pivot into a new season: la beaute de devenir. Standing here, ten years later, the realisation that…

  • Freedom can be seen in the attitude of the heart.

    “Wearing a mask, wears you out, faking it, is fatiguing, the most exhausting activity is pretending to be which you know you are not…” This is a brilliant quote, but it is not that easy. It is the thing with trauma. It is generational and it becomes engraved in your genes. And so, the body…

  • James Dean – The gentleman with an identity crisis.

    He’s quite striking at first sight, the Danny of modern society, arriving on a Harley Davidson, not giving a damn, free spirit persona and the walking maroon flag. The writing will be against the wall, but even then, you will stand on the front porch screaming: “But daddy, I love him.” Why – because they…

This is how it all started…

I once read the following in an article in a Vanity Fair Magazine: “She had the insatiable desire to do it all, but you do not get the feeling that it’s stressing her out…she is just doing it with joy, and that’s very, very contagious.” I thought this to be brilliant and a golden standard to work towards. The reality, however, is that you should not gain the whole world at the expense of your soul and authenticity.

As an occupational therapist, I am fascinated with subjects such as adult neurology and phycology. I believe authenticity and imagination make each individual unique. We are all storytellers, and we leave a piece of writing on the hearts of those we meet. We however live in a time where you have to morph to fit the mould, and all authentic writing are lost in the process.

I write, not just to express and create, but to make sense of my own reality and in an attempt to keep my perspective my own. I am writing from my perspective – a girl, finding her feet in grown-up world.

Disclaimer: This can be seen as a controversial lifestyle blog – it is letters written by myself, to myself, filed by myself, all in an attempt to think outside of myself. I am not making use of any AI tools. All creation is from scratch, and authentic. Enjoy.

Annemie Nieuwoudt

Qualified Occupational Therapist / Writer by Heart