Hi Ilse, it's nice talking to you! First, would you like to tell us something about yourself? Who are you, where do you come from, where do you live now? Tell us something about your personal background!
Hello, of course I would like to introduce myself. My name is Ilse, I live in Belgium, not far from Ghent. I am happily married and our 2 children are my greatest gift in life. Lucas, our son, will be 18 next year and our daughter Eva is almost 16. I was born in South Africa: my parents emigrated in the 1970s and lived there for more than 8 years. My twin sister and I spent 5 years in this wonderful country, our youngest sister 2 years. Unfortunately, we don't have many memories of the country because we were very young when we returned to Belgium.
Is photography a hobby of yours or perhaps even part of your job?
Photography is just a hobby. I would describe my job as rather boring: accounting. My boss has far too many customers and very few technicians, so it is quite a challenge to do the accounting while the phone is constantly ringing
Your IG feed is filled with beautiful arrangements of flowers and other heartwarming accessories! How do you come up with your ideas?
I love shopping at second hand stores. If I see a nice cup or saucer, I buy it to use in my next painting.
From your pictures, I can imagine that your home is decorated with beautiful flowers all year round. Do you have a particular connection to flowers and maybe even a favorite plant?
Actually, I don't have that many flowers in my garden because it's not really a garden. We have a small courtyard with an old barn. This year my husband removed some of the terraces to create a small vegetable garden and he planted some flowers. Now there are lots of cosmos flowers in different colors blooming there and I love them!
What inspires you and why?
Small things inspire me: small flowers, beautiful leaves, weathered wood, the blue sky, small clouds. Nature has so much to offer.
Tell us about your creative process! Do you prefer to put your pictures together spontaneously or do you already have the image in mind before you start implementing it?
My creative process is quite spontaneous. I like to pick flowers when I'm out and about or in our garden. Sometimes I have an idea, but the end result is completely different (laughs).
When and why did you start sharing your pictures on Instagram?
I started using IG in 2018. At first I just wanted to share some pictures, but then I found it to be a great way to express my creativity and have little moments just for me.
Do you have a favorite picture of yourself? Can you tell us the story behind it?
My favorite picture is the flower heart that I posted on April 25, 2020. My twin sister and I celebrate our birthdays together every year (we haven't missed a birthday in 49 years). The day before this birthday, my sister was already wondering what kind of picture I would post. When I told her that I had made something especially for her, she was a bit disappointed (in the sense of: "Why don't you share a picture of the two of us?"). Not only did we receive twice as many kisses and wishes that day, but the flower heart also received a lot of likes and Pickmotion made a beautiful card out of it!
What moments in life make you particularly happy?
The little moments of joy make me happiest: time with family, a good glass of wine, reading a good book in the sun, a good meal, a nice walk with a family member or a friend.
How do you relate to your Instagram community? Do you have a lot of contact with them?
I am so happy with my followers: I notice that they always appreciate my little creations. They send me lots of lovely comments and compliments, which make me very happy. I also feel very connected to some of them: it feels like we know each other personally. We often chat privately. We talk about real life in Dutch, French or English. I love speaking different languages, but don't get the chance to do so otherwise. Some of my IG friends even send me voice messages. I love it and always reply back in their native language.
Can you tell us some of your favorite Instagrammers who inspire you?
An Instagrammer who inspired me from the beginning is @nico_louis1 , but unfortunately he is no longer active. I also really like the work of @alexandrahaelters . Her pictures are always so clean and beautiful and her creations are similar to mine.
When was the last time you wrote a postcard? Do you have a favorite postcard that you ever received?
A few weeks ago I wrote a postcard to my dear 85-year-old godmother. She is still pretty fit and we love spending time together. I also included a few photos from the last family celebration in August with the postcard. She is always very happy when she gets mail from me. My personal favorite card is the one my daughter drew for me.
Would you like to share a little story or anecdote with us at the end? Feel free to tell us whatever comes to mind!
As I said at the beginning, I was born in South Africa. When we moved back to Belgium at the age of 5, it was winter and we had never seen snow before in our childhood. When we arrived at my grandmother's house, we were so surprised to see a white carpet covered in "ice cream". Our mother told us that the first thing we asked our grandmother for was a spoon so we could eat the ice cream from the floor (laughs).
MM-1035-EN, MM-1035-FR, MM-1240-DE, ZG-0982-DE
Many thanks to @ilse_dp for the nice conversation! Follow her on Instagram so you don't miss any more pictures of her and keep your eyes open for PICKMOTION products with her pictures at retailers near you!
