7 Big Questions with Fiber Artist Marjolein

Like many professional artists, Marjolein’s path has been a squiggly one. She initially worked as a psychiatric nurse in her native Holland before attending art school – something she’d always dreamed of but never given herself permission to pursue. Majolein loved to paint, but after moving to Canada with her husband and becoming a mother, she rarely had time to break out her brushes. 

In need of an artistic outlet, she began making toys for her children using felt. Tactile, forgiving, and structurally interesting, it quickly became her favorite medium to work and teach with. Marjolein had found her niche—but it wasn’t until years later, when Cirque du Soleil hired her to create pieces of “wearable art” for costumes, that she gained confidence as an artist and belonging as an immigrant in a foreign land. The experience took Marjolein’s work and reputation to the next level. 

When travelers join Marjolein for a VAWAA, they are, in the artist’s own words, “embedded in a fantasy world.” At her beautiful studio in the tranquil Québec countryside, Marjolein cultivates a supportive and inspiring environment to experiment with wool felt, which she calls an “inviting and forgiving art form.” 

Here, we get to know Marjolein a little better via seven thought-provoking questions about artistry, meaning-making, and how to live a creative life.

One of Marjolein's otherworldly felt creations.

What makes you feel alive?

Connecting with people. I’ve made some real friends through VAWAA, who I’ve then visited in their homes. It's different from my other teaching work because it's more intimate. Although they have a private apartment, they are in my life. It's a nice mix of being close and having your own space, and some people I develop a genuine connection with. 

What's the best piece of advice you've ever received?

One of my students, who became a friend, had a motto: No forcing. The world is so competitive but that’s all ego. Every time I force something, it never works. Now I do the opposite. 

When you feel stuck, what helps you regain momentum? 

I read a book called The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp, a dancer from New York. In a nutshell, she says that to create a habit you just have to start and keep going. I don't wait for momentum. Sometimes I'm bored, I'm not inspired, but I show up every day and create. 

What's the daily ritual you couldn't live without?

I’ve done yoga every morning for 20 years, even when I didn’t feel like doing it. I have a hard time with transitions, and this ritual helps me go from one state to the other, where I’m ready to focus and work. I live almost like a monk, but it works. 

What’s the biggest breakthrough moment that you've experienced as an artist?

When I moved to Canada, I didn’t know anybody in the world of art and it felt isolating. Ten years later, Cirque du Soleil contacted me and that changed my life. It was like I was under the snow and then suddenly, I started blooming because they respected me. 

What would you tell your younger self?

Not to worry so much. I was so unsure about everything—how I looked, what I could do, how I talked. I'm still shy, but I'm not unsure anymore. 

How does your art nurture or contribute to your identity? 

Through my art, I try to create a world where I feel free because I don't feel free enough in myself. It's not therapy, but it's like I sublimate my feelings into this skin-like, tactile work and then it bounces back. What you make with your hands is a bit like a mirror, I believe.

Marjolein's studio in Gore, Canada looks like the stuff of dreams.

Written by Esme Benjamin

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