Marieke Verkoelen
INTERVIEW
Founder of Moaie
DATE: 26 ⁄ 01 ⁄ 2026
EVA & MARIEKE
“For me, creativity is less about control and more about openness.”
EINDHOVEN
YOUR IDEAL WAY TO START YOUR DAY?
Ideally, I start my mornings early and slowly, sharing a good cup of coffee with my husband. That quiet time is reserved for reading, meditation, and learning, before the day truly begins. After that, I walk my dogs and move my body. Depending on the day, that might be Ashtanga yoga, a run, or strength training, which I’ve recently added two to three times a week. Movement helps me shift from reflection into action.
WHEN DO YOU FEEL CREATIVELY MOST FULLFILLED?
I feel most creatively fulfilled through real connection with people. My creativity comes alive when I can talk about projects that genuinely excite me, work that has meaning or the potential to create change. I don’t operate well within a strict 9-to-5 structure; creativity tends to arrive unexpectedly. Inspiration can come from anywhere, conversations, films, music, art. For me, creativity is less about control and more about openness.
HOW DO MOVE THROUGH MENTAL OR CREATIVE BLOCKS?
That’s a difficult question. This year, I’ve realized that creative blocks are a real and recurring part of my process. I used to believe that if you simply committed your mind to something, creation would follow. That is partly true but the timing is often beyond your control.
The creative process cannot be rushed. When I encounter a block, I step away and do something entirely different. Physical movement, especially sports, helps me disconnect and release mental pressure. I allow myself not to have immediate answers, trusting that the block will pass. For me, moving through a creative block means disconnecting, reducing mental load, and letting inspiration return on its own terms.
WHAT DOES GROWTH MEAN TO YOU?
Every year, I set a kind of New Year’s resolution, not focused on achievement, but on becoming a better, more grounded person. What that means changes depending on where I am in life. This year, I chose conscious choice and self-awareness. I believe that in a world shaped by social media and the growing influence of AI, we spend much of our time disconnected from ourselves. Our attention is constantly pulled, by consumerism, by expectations about how we should think, look, and live. It raises a simple but uncomfortable question: where is free choice in all of this?
I used to consider myself quite conscious. But once I began observing my daily actions more closely, how I spend my time, where my attention goes, I was surprised by how little of it was truly intentional. For me, growth now means reclaiming presence. Being fully in conversations, without a phone on the table. Letting go of compulsive social media use. Choosing real words over AI-generated ones. Reflecting on myself and others with compassion rather than judgment. We are all struggling with this. Growth, to me, starts with something simple: being more present yourself.
WHAT RESOURCES, TOOLS AND PRACTISES WORK FOR YOU TO SUPPORT YOUR GROWTH?
My foundation is Jungian psychology. Jung’s work on the collective unconscious, the meaning of dreams, and the process of individuation (becoming who you are at your core) has deeply shaped how I understand personal growth. I often return to his writing, as well as to other Jungian thinkers who explore mythology and the masculine and feminine aspects within all of us. Alongside this, yoga philosophy plays an important role. One of my most meaningful books in that space is Light on Life, which continues to offer perspective beyond physical practice. More recently, I began studying Zen Buddhism and committed to a daily meditation practice. This has become a practical anchor, helping me slow down, reflect, and stay connected to my inner life rather than constantly reacting outwardly.
Equally important are relationships. Having a partner or close friends who can act as a mirror, who are willing to reflect your behavior honestly,is essential for real growth. You can read endlessly about personal development and still remain reactive in everyday life. Growth becomes real in relationships, and conflict is sometimes part of that process. When handled with honesty and respect, it can be clarifying rather than destructive, revealing patterns you would not see on your own.
WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?
In the mornings, I tend to read more educational or reflective work. At the moment, I’m reading The Heroine’s Journey by Maureen Murdock, which I believe she wrote as a response to Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey. Her work resonates with me because it acknowledges that the female journey toward wholeness follows a different arc, one less about conquest, and more about integration.
I am also reading Eichmann in Jerusalem by Hannah Arendt. Given the current state of the world, I find it essential to look to history. Arendt’s concept of the banality of evil remains disturbingly relevant: evil does not always arise from hatred or fanaticism, but from thoughtlessness, conformism, and bureaucratic obedience. In the evenings, I turn to fiction. One of my recent discoveries is Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. I’ve just finished Americanah and have now started Dream Count.
“For me, growth now means reclaiming presence.. Choosing real worlds over AI-generated ones. ”
MARIEKE VERKOELEN
WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?
That, as a general rule, I am not governed by fear. Fear drives much of human behavior. I do feel it,but I refuse to let it dictate my choices or shape my life. This has carried me through periods where it would have been easier, safer, and more socially acceptable not to choose my own path.For women especially, fear is deeply conditioned. From a young age, we are taught to manage risk: where to walk, how to dress, how to say no without provoking aggression. Beyond physical safety, there is also the persistent fear of losing autonomy,something we are currently witnessing on a global scale. Afghanistan stands as an extreme and sobering example.
At the same time, women are expected to live up to contradictory standards: be ambitious, but not intimidating; be attractive, but effortless; be a devoted mother, an inspiring partner, professionally driven, and emotionally available, all that while remaining visibly composed. The constant judgment that accompanies these expectations creates a background hum of fear. What I am proud of is my willingness to notice that fear and still act. To choose agency over compliance, even when it comes at a cost.
WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING ON?
I’m focused on expanding the MOAIE community and creating space to amplify the voices of women whose stories, work, and perspectives deserve visibility. The aim is not only to build a platform, but to cultivate connection and shared understanding.
WHAT INSPIRES YOUR CURRENT WORK?
Women. I’m deeply inspired by the initiatives led by women across the globe. What I consistently see among female entrepreneurs is a more human and realistic approach to business one that is matriarchal rather than hierarchical. It’s less about control or domination, and more about social impact, care, and long-term responsibility. That way of working, rooted in relationship rather than power, is what truly inspires me.
WHAT CHALLENGE(S) ARE YOU CURRENTLY FACING?
Re-emerging after the Christmas and New Year pause. Winter naturally slows me down, and I value that inward rhythm: reading, reflecting, and moving more deliberately. When January arrives, I often feel overwhelmed by the collective pressure to be energized and goal-driven through New Year’s resolutions, even though I don’t feel aligned with that momentum yet. I recently read about how the Gregorian calendar pushes a sense of renewal in the middle of winter, which goes against natural cycles of rest and incubation. That resonated strongly. My current challenge is honoring my own rhythm, even when it doesn’t match the dominant expectation to immediately accelerate.
HOW WILL YOU OVERCOME THIS CHALLENGE(S)?
With the principle of non-doing. I do things, but my way, in my own rhythm. Not forcing and acting in alignment with the natural flow of things.
“What I am proud of is my willingness to notice that fear and still act. To choose agency over compliance, even when it comes at a cost. ”
MARIEKE VERKOELEN
YOUR MORNING AND/OR NIGHTTIME RITUALS?
Morning ritual: good coffee, workout and read. Nighttime ritual: shower, put on 500 creams and read
YOUR FAVOURITE WELLBEING / SELF-CARE PRODUCTS?
This could be an extensive one, but let me just take the highlights! Last year's self care products that I loved were: an infrared sauna blanket, which heats up my bones, really relaxes my body. Perfumes: I love perfumes, they really make my day. I love exploring new scents and perfumes. Jojoba oil for my face, it’s cheap, effective and a game changer. MOAIE’s essential calm: a few drops in my tea or my water helps me get through the day when I am anxious or high on cortisol. As for practices: Zen meditation and Ashtanga yoga.
WHAT RELAXES YOU? HOW DO YOU CALM YOUR NERVOUS SYSTEM?
Watching comedy , when I feel down I love to watch shows like friends, or curb your enthusiasm. Reading fiction also helps. As a daily calming method I would say yoga and meditation, although both yoga and meditation are active, but afterwards it always makes things clearer to why I feel the way I feel.
ONE THING YOU WOULD LIKE TO INCORPORATE INTO YOUR DAY / WEEK?
I would love to cook more. I love to go to markets or specialty shops and find good ingredients, this is what I love about countries in southern Europe. A culture created around good food and connection.
WHAT EXCITES YOU ABOUT THE FUTURE?
The growing number of initiatives centered on caring for the earth and advancing women’s rights. While there is undeniably much happening in the world that is troubling, I find it encouraging that these pressures are also awakening more people to act consciously and collectively. Recently, I came across the film Community of Life (gemeente van leven) , which deeply moved me. It challenges the mistaken belief that nature is separate from us, proposing instead that we exist within it and as it. That perspective feels increasingly urgent.
With MOAIE, I continue to create products, communities, and stories rooted in that same worldview, because meaningful change within a system can only come from within.
“While there is undeniably much happening in the world that is troubling, I find it encouraging that these pressures are also awakening more people to act consciously and collectively.”
CONNECT WITH MARIEKE:
@MOAIE.CARE ⁄ MOAIE.CARE
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