Dear Readers,
Hello and welcome to the new laukoni.com web page.
Since I can remember I wanted to ‘become a writer’. As a little girl I was dreaming about writing books, hoping that one day my dream will come true. Luckily for me, I wasn’t just sitting and waiting. I was creating and waiting. I was writing and waiting. Until one day in my adult life I realised, that I already am the person I always wanted to be. It felt good.
My mom still shares the stories from my childhood, where I could read at the age of about three and a half, and write at the age of four. Around that time I also started to talk in rhymes, and every time I wanted to say something, I would create a story and share that story with others. I wrote my first book at the age of five. I don’t remember what it was about, but my mom believes it had something to do with a train trip, butterflies and some sort of an animal with legs. It was a dozen pages long. I also drew illustrations and coloured them with coloured pencils. Apparently, I ended the story with: ‘this is the end of the story, so: The End.‘
My early school life was filled with writing stories, creating art, and reading books. I didn’t have support from my primary school teachers. Instead, they told me that I will never be creative enough to write a book, and that I will never create anything that would have an artistic value. They said I had my head in the clouds, and let’s bring it all down to earth, shall we? Unfortunately, I believed them and followed their advice. About the age of ten I fully abandoned art. I continued writing, though, without showing it to anyone.
I presume it is a good moment to mention my one-and-only-reader-at-the-time: my sister. She used to repeatedly break into my room and read my stuff when I was not around. Then, when I’d come back home, she’d openly share her critique with me about what she had read earlier that day. Those of you who have siblings know exactly how I felt. Those of you who don’t – I am afraid you cannot imagine how it feels to have a sibling who invades your personal space every time you leave your room… ; )
Anyway. It took me almost a decade to share my stories with others and then almost another one to start creating art again. Although writing and creativity were integral part of my professional career, I haven’t really enjoyed them fully in my ‘private’ time. Today, I cannot imagine my daily life without them. I still have those ‘teachers’ around me, who tell me that I will never be ‘a real artist’ or that I am ‘full of myself’ thinking that I could emotionally influence and inspire someone with the stories I create. I just smile to those you-are-simply-not-good-enough ‘teachers’ and continue walking my own path.
I share this with you, because I truly believe that each and every one of us has an artist within. You may be good with expressing yourself through words, colours and shapes, dance, or your voice. You may be the best in what you do, and there will be someone around you telling you, that you are not as good as you think you are. And you might make the same mistake as I did years ago, and listen to them. I am here to tell you: don’t. Whatever feels right for you, keep doing it. It’s your heart calling you to do what makes it sing. Listen to your heart and follow the bliss.
And no matter how cliché it may sound: you have only one life and there are only twenty four hours in a day. Make every hour, every minute and every second count. If you love writing, write. If you love painting, paint. If you love singing, sing. If you love reading, read. Do what you love and do it every single day.
I do wish for you to be carried away by the stories I tell, the characters I bring to existence, the places I take you to and emotions that awaken within. If any of my creations inspired you, made you cry or laugh, made you wonder, or encouraged you to take that first step, then I succeeded. Thank You for being here. I appreciate You.
I believe this is the end, so.. The End.
With Love and in Abundance,
E. C. Laukoni