SUITSUIT Inspired by | Helena works as a photographer in Mallorca
Born creative
After years of working as a brand manager in the fashion industry, Helena found that her creativity increasingly took over. "Managing and being creative don't always go hand in hand," she explains. She wanted to realise her creative ideas but also had the responsibility of leading a team.
Now, Helena focuses mainly on photography, a field where she can truly express her creativity. "I am currently working full-time as a freelance photographer," she says, " but in addition I still offer brands a lot of brand consultancy and marketing advice." For many brands, it's a significant expense to constantly hire someone to travel to various locations. She offers a smart solution: "Since I’m good at understanding a brand’s DNA, they just send me their items, and I handle everything on-site. This saves a company a lot in travel and expenses."
Helena tries to work locally as much as possible, which is not only practical but also allows her to contribute to the local community in her own way. "I work with a lot of people who live on the island, like models, make-up artists, and other creatives. This way, you also build a social network," she says. 
Viva la Mallorca
During a weekend trip to Menorca, Helena and her partner visited an apartment and quickly made the decision to move. They traded rainy Netherlands for sunny Spain. "I never really planned to leave the Netherlands and emigrate; it all happened quite quickly. In May, we decided to do it, and by November, we had sold our house and moved. So, it wasn’t really a long-term plan." However, after a few months, she and her partner began to miss the vibrancy of the city, which ultimately led them to decide to move to Mallorca.
The only obstacle Helena faced was the language. "I didn’t speak Spanish when I left, but now I can communicate fairly well. It’s different from talking with the locals on the island, though, as they speak Mallorquin, which is quite different from standard Spanish. Even many Spaniards don’t fully understand it." Yet Helena does not see the language barrier as an obstacle, especially since she is surrounded by people of many different nationalities. "Besides Spaniards, we have many Argentinians, Swedish and, of course, nice Dutch friends living here." 
Going with the flow
Life in Mallorca brought some changes, such as living without an extensive social network. "The difference is huge," Helena notes. "When I was back in the Netherlands three weeks ago, I noticed how during this time I had to plan everything to see everyone." Now that she lives more remote, this actually falls away, giving her much more time to herself. This freedom to be spontaneous, both in her travels and daily life, is something Helena cherishes. She prefers to get in the car and see where the road takes her, without making plans beforehand. She trusts her instincts and intends to continue doing so for a long time. 