Being new in the world of bloggers, there are a few blogs I look up to with admiration. One of them is Le Voyage Créatif, a blog by a Norwegian “visual story maker,” Marte Marie Forsberg.
Her photos are beautiful, making you feel you are traveling with her. They take you on a tour through Scandinavia and other European cities. You can’t help but feel the atmosphere, smell the food, and hear the chatter of foreign language in the background:
- all photos linked to source -
I emailed her a long time ago, and asked what advice she would give her 21-year-old self about life, food, family, business, relationships, and the like. Can you imagine the surprise I felt when she replied five months later? 
Her reply was long, and more than I had hoped for. And as it ended, she wrote:
As I read your questions I quietly thought… Whoa, what do I know!! ?But I guess that’s exactly it, none of us do, but we can share the little we do know and if we all build on each other’s experiences there truly is no limit to what we can accomplish… There truly are no limits for what you can accomplish when you believe in it, love it, and keep walking when it looks like nothing will work out.
Well, I won’t keep you waiting any longer!
♥ Trust your instincts. No one has a manual (sadly), and no one can tell you what to do in your situations.
♥ Listen and learn from other people no matter what they look like, do for a living or where they come from. Let their stories inspire you. And know that in the end, it is all up to you. So again, trust your instincts and learn to trust in yourself even when you believe you have no idea what you’re doing. The truth is no one has.
♥ Never stop walking. I have found that in the toughest and most challenging and lonely times in my life, as long as I keep walking no matter if I feel lost, opportunities will appear. Your self-esteem will grow as you continue to produce, i.e, walk, and by doing so you will again find your way.
♥ Be kind to yourself. Allow yourself to feel all the emotions out there. They are there for us to feel and live. And by feeling life, gain empathy for others.
♥ Learn to be strong on your own and enjoy your own company. You’ll be so happy when the man you want to grow old with appears in your life when you can stand on your own two feet as well as nestle up in his arms. He will love you for it too!
♥ Learn about food and nutrition from as many angles as you can. One day your body will thank you and you will avoid many unnecessary health problems due to poor knowledge about food, exercise, etc.
♥ Be yourself! Being me is a fluid growing concept, as we grow and learn and experience life-altering things. But when you feel in your heart something is wrong, do not participate—everything from leaving a movie, a conversation and/or a project you have that uneasy feeling about. Later you will understand and appreciate your decision.
I read a quote once that said something along the lines of, “It’s not the evil people in the world that do most harm, it’s all the ones that don’t say or do nothing to stop them.” It made me think, and decide to be a bit bolder.
♥ Love! Love with all your heart even if it gets broken. Show kindness and love to strangers as much as to your family and friends. The easiest thing is to lock up when we get hurt and push people away, but learn ways to bridge that gap so that your heart will be as beautiful and big as the day you were born.
♥ Know you are great! Don’t let anyone make you feel or think differently. Good self-esteem opens doors and attracts people to you, in relationships as well as in work. Besides we are really all on the same boat, Madonna, Gwyneth, you and me. We are great people with lots of potential who mess up and succeed over and over. The trick is to get up again. Messing up is perfectly fine learning and growing experiences. It’s simply a part of life. 
♥ Leave your comfort zone from time to time. That’s truly where the magic happens.
And even after her long list of advice, she squeezed in some more:
For me, my ultimate goal in life is to be able to create a beautiful home for me and the person I want to grow old with. A home where there’s always something delicious brewing in the kitchen. Where we trust, love and thrive daily. A home that is open to strangers, and for us individually and together to thrive as beings.
Striving to keep learning new things and to contribute with beauty to the world around us. I don’t think I’ve ever told anyone this, but that’s the most important for me. And while striving for that I apply all of the same goals for my work as work is your life, there is no separation, [then] every day counts.
Life is a bit like the weather. After rain there comes a day with sun. And after sunny delightful days, comes a bit of rain… I’m learning to love them both.
Although her blog isn’t centered on design, it is centered on one important factor that shapes design: culture. Traveling opens your mind and helps you get a bigger perspective on the world.
Perhaps that’s one of the reasons I love visiting her blog: I want to see the places she’s gone to. But until then, all I can do is rave about the beautiful photos that make me see, smell, touch and hear through her artistic photography. Tour her blog here.
