About Melanie

To answer questions like Who am I, What are my roles in life, What's my mission, Melanie practices fine art photography, NLP and narrative storyteling to explore the Self.

Creativity is used to create your inspiring, new life story, Eyespiration is The Way (Dao).

Melanie's favourite words to live by:

Inspiration. Curious. Calm. Dao.

Reawaken your natural sense of wonder with Eyespiration. Aren't we all looking for a manual to free ourselves of mind-numbing, predigested, media-generated views of reality?

Creating unrestricted awareness, Melanie transformed ancient Taoist and Buddhist philosophy into a hands-on workshop using post-contemporary imaging like smartphone photography.

Eyespiration is a hands-on method to explore in a small group or face-to-face. There are many similarities with mindfulness, meditation and the way children view the world.

Everything in this world is a reflection of you

Balance with art

Growing up in a small village in the Netherlands, Melanie uses the healing power of Awe often. When feeling lonely or misunderstood, the ongoing beauty of life inspires her to persue any outcome and creative ambition. She draws, paints and writes.

Melanie's mother dies when she is still a teenager. Art saved her life and helped her survive this loss.

After her BFA degree - Bachelor in Fine Arts - Melanie starts with her practice as an independant photographer. In Breda she ran photo studio MeRy Fotografie and Artstudio23. Since 2013 she explores The Self. She loves to travel and to connect with all the beautiful places on earth.

Inspiration is healing

Eyespiration sessions are held online or in real life. Workshops often involve creating great images together. Family photos and self-portraits are used for self-exploration.

Melanie works with creative writing, narrative storytelling, NLP coaching, positive psychology and PhotoTherapy.

When taking a photo I am One, living in the Present Moment

Artist Statement

'While exploring the process of How to See Fresh - Looking at the world with fresh, pure eyes, Seeing without labeling - I noticed a phenomenon what I call The Awe Effect.

During this moment, just before taking the photograph, I feel connected to my surroundings and in deep connection with this moment in time.

At the moment I am exploring how to turn Eyespiration into something the world needs: a tool to help people cope with change in present, insecure times.

This is the first study on how the decisive moment and its quality to influence mental health in a positive way. #Eyespiration is a Post-Contemporary Practice and the mental health self-care tool the world needs.'

Now let's

• Flow, like water. Be the Way - of Life - like the Dao.
• Grow, without forcing to act; this is Wuwei. Wuwei is another favourite word of Melanie.
• Live your life in a creative, empathic way. Declutter. Just Be: The Simple Life.
• Be curious yet balanced, explore with Ikigai and other Blue Zone lifestyle elements.

Melanie E. Rijkers

Melanie E. Rijkers (1971) is a Dutch soft skills trainer who uses photography as tool to connect to the present moment. Melanie is a proud mother of two fine young men.

She lives in The Hague, the Netherlands, which is an hour to Amsterdam, 2,5 hours to Paris France en 3,5 hours to London UK.