Learning Moments

A change of mode till the end of August

The calendar has gone quiet. The brushes are waiting. Summer is here.

This is my low season — no workshops, coaching sessions or courses. Just space. An opportunity to slow down and immerse myself in the things I love: painting, reading, connecting.

It has a different rhythm, summer. A lovely invitation to step out of the usual pace and into something slower, lighter and more spacious. 

The harder thing, it turns out, is giving ourselves permission. Summer doesn’t slow us down automatically — we have to choose it.

Preparing for the pause

During our final Rebel with a Pause community session, we reflected through a short journaling exercise — naming what was still on our minds as summer approached, what we were looking forward to, what we were ready to leave behind, and what we hoped to welcome back in autumn.

My own answers revealed one clear truth: I wasn’t just longing for time off — I was longing for a different rhythm. Space to create, to play, to follow my curiosity, without the constant sense that something needed to be done.

A postcard to my future self

We also created a Summer Postcard — a note to our future selves, capturing our intentions for the months ahead. What do I want to invite? What am I ready to let go of?

Sometimes, simply putting these intentions on paper is the first step towards living them.

My summer pause is calling me to pick up my brushes and pots of colour, head outdoors, create, play and get wonderfully lost in my own summer flow.

Room for the unexpected

The slower rhythm of summer creates room for the unexpected. It isn’t just time off — it’s an opportunity to intentionally let go, reconnect and make space for what comes next. Ideas surface. Creativity returns.

We notice things we’ve been too busy to see. Sometimes the greatest gift of a pause isn’t rest — it’s discovering what was quietly waiting underneath all the noise.

Or as my friend Gudrun Gempp puts it:

Der Wunsch nach Zeitlosigkeit befällt mich im Sommer. Immer wieder. Tage voller Licht an denen man den Alltag aushebeln möchte, während er gewohnt voranschreitet. Raum für allerlei Ungewohntes. – Gudrun Gempp

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I’ll be back in autumn with fresh blog posts, new stories and whatever unexpected discoveries a summer of slowness brings.

Until then, I wish you a wonderfully rebellious summer — one that surprises you.

With a summery cheer,
Nadia

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The bit at the end

Exciting events on the horizon to support your exploration:

• What if the most rebellious thing you could do right now is pause? Start with your own summer pause — and join us at Rebel with a Pause when we’re back in autumn, refreshed and ready to go deeper together. 🌿
• Curious to experience Street Wisdom for yourself — inspiring, surprising, and quietly powerful? Reach out, and let’s wander with wonder through the streets, alleys, and bridges of Alkmaar or Amsterdam. Learn more about Street Wisdom here.
• Join the next Unhurried Conversation—a space to slow down, listen, and connect. We meet on the 2nd Monday of every month. It’s free, and you’re warmly welcome. Sign up here.
• For more Learning Moments, subscribe to my newsletter and get timely updates straight to your inbox.

P.S.The paintings featured on the blog are my own.