Meet Maxi
Art Therapist, Breathwork Instructor, and Mother
Maxi Schoelzel -
Feel Safe & Grounded and Explore Yourself via Art Therapy & Breathwork
- Art therapist with 10+ years of experience
- Certified breathwork instructor
- Lives with her daughter and partner in Berlin
As a teenager, I often wanted to draw or paint alone. Growing up, I started to talk to others about life, philosophy and what it’s all about more and more. Becoming an art therapist allowed me to combine these passions.
When I became a mother, I went through a process of deeply questioning my identity, self-worth, the way our society works and the so-called "work-life-balance". Ultimately, I was wondering how can “what makes one human” be combined with our day-to-day life.
When I became a mother, I went through a process of deeply questioning my identity, self-worth, the way our society works and the so-called "work-life-balance". Ultimately, I was wondering how can “what makes one human” be combined with our day-to-day life.
For me studying cultural pedagogy and art therapy was a way to liberate myself. During school I was a well-adjusted child: polite, trying not to disturb others, and being the "good girl". A lot of my friends choose a career as their life's purpose, such as studying economics.
To me this seemed confusing: "Was this a life well-lived?". Instead, I wanted to be with other people, to share the beauty of making art, to live life, rather than get through it to be somewhere.
Despite all the voices saying that it's impossible to make a living with art therapy, I moved to Berlin and made it: I found a job and made a living for myself, although this experience was highly challenging for me.
My journey so far brought me the best friends, I could have ever found in my life, the most interesting jobs from working with refugees in Germany and Greece, with elders, with children and teenagers in psychiatric wards and schools, to drug addicts and people with psychoses.
Working as a cleaning lady helped me to understand physically demanding work, although this can be wonderful with the right music!
Every experience from being a Make-up Artist for children in a theme Park to being a Project Manager at a festival of the fine arts made me realize the beauty and individuality of human nature and how great it is to live this life!
To me this seemed confusing: "Was this a life well-lived?". Instead, I wanted to be with other people, to share the beauty of making art, to live life, rather than get through it to be somewhere.
Despite all the voices saying that it's impossible to make a living with art therapy, I moved to Berlin and made it: I found a job and made a living for myself, although this experience was highly challenging for me.
My journey so far brought me the best friends, I could have ever found in my life, the most interesting jobs from working with refugees in Germany and Greece, with elders, with children and teenagers in psychiatric wards and schools, to drug addicts and people with psychoses.
Working as a cleaning lady helped me to understand physically demanding work, although this can be wonderful with the right music!
Every experience from being a Make-up Artist for children in a theme Park to being a Project Manager at a festival of the fine arts made me realize the beauty and individuality of human nature and how great it is to live this life!
“
The greatest gift you can give somebody is your own personal development. I used to say, "If you will take care of me, I will take care of you". Now I say, "I will take care of me for you, if you will take care of you for me."