What is the best thing that I love about my work? The necessity of mastering many abilities. In order to be an artist/ painter, one has to be also a poet, a thinker, a photographer, a geometer, a carpenter and so on. I love working both with the mind and with the hands. It expands one’s being beyond its limits.
What is my idea of perfect happiness? I am not looking for happiness. Happiness is transient and illusory. I am looking for fulfilment, which is solid and permanent. I find fulfilment in understanding the deepest structures of the world, in aiming for excellence.
What is my greatest fear? As long as I keep on moving forward, on expanding my knowledge and my abilities, as long as I keep on accumulating experience – I have no fears.
What is the trait that I most deplore in myself? 20 years ago I would have probably written a considerable list on this subject. In the meantime I got to integrate everything and feel good in my own skin, while maintaining a sharp self criticism in order to keep on growing.
Which living persons in my profession do I most admire? Gerhard Richter and Bill Viola.
What is my greatest extravagance? Being a full time painter.
On what occasion would I lie? See Krzysztof Kieślowski’s “Dekalog:Two”.
What is the thing that I dislike the most in my work? The time invested into promotion. Anything that is not staying in front of the easel is lost time.
When and where was I the happiest, in my work? I am never happy with my work. It is what keeps me going. Each stage is just a preparatory step for the next. It never ends.
If I could, what would I change about myself? Nothing. I focus my energy into doing my best with how I am.
What is my greatest achievement in work? From an exterior perspective, probably having my work included in the European Parliament Collection, plus a series of commissions for public institutions – that are now in permanent display. From my perspective – I haven’t got there yet. But form a technical point of view, my most recent series “White Shades” came closest to my intentions. After 28 years of continuous accumulation and study, I finally feel I started to get something.
http://www.danielachirion.com/paintings/white-shades/
Where would I most like to live? At the edge of the sea. Where I actually live.
What is my most treasured possession? My books – the building blocks of who I am.
What is my most marked characteristic? Being a loner.
What is my most inspirational location, in my city? The empty endless beach, in winter – in my current city Ostend. The 19th century elegant and poetic streets and houses – in my native city Bucharest.
What is my favourite place to eat and drink, in my city? Any place that serves fresh garnaalkroketten, alstublieft!
What books influenced my life and how? To name just a few:
Leo Frobenius – “Paideuma”; it gave me the concept of geographical space as gestalt for a culture.
Carl Gustav Jung – “Psychological Types” and other books of his; he gave me the tools to know myself and others.
Herman Melville – “Moby Dick”; a superb philosophical saga about – among other themes – the relationship among fate, free will and hazard.
The books of Mircea Eliade; they gave me an acute awareness of the sacred dimension of the world.
And so on.
Who are my favourite writers? Herman Melville, Edgar Allan Poe, J.D. Salinger, John Steinbeck, Hermann Hesse, Ismail Kadare, Yasushi Inoue, Shūsaku Endō, Isaac Babel – and not only.
You Only Die Once. What music would I listen on my last day? The music of the spheres.
Who is my hero or heroine in fiction? I prefer real life heroes. And heroines.
Who are my heroes and heroines in real life? Those true to themselves and their ideals. Those who do not compromise. Those who aim for the stars.
Which movie would I recommend to see once in a lifetime? Krzysztof Kieślowski – “Dekalog”.
What role plays art in my life and work? It is my axis mundi. The beginning and the end. The one thing that directs all the others.
Who is my greatest fan, sponsor, partner in crime? Greatest fan? People admire my work, but I would not go so far as to call them fans. Sponsor? My own work sponsors my own work. Partner in crime? Books, music and thoughts late into the night.
Whom would I like to work with in 2019? With Mrs Irène Laub and Mr Xavier Hufkens, whose galleries from Brussels I admire greatly.
Which people in my profession would I love to meet in 2019? Anselm Kiefer.
What project, in 2019, am I looking forward to work on? I am going to finish my “White Shades” series and start my “Black Shades” series. As simple as it sounds, it is as complex as hell.
Where can you see me or my work in 2019
http://www.danielachirion.com/
https://www.facebook.com/danielachirion
What do the words “Passion Never Retires” mean to me? The essence of my life.
Which creative heroines should Peter invite to tell their story? Uca Băloiu – she is a very sensitive art curator, she is deeply passionate about her work and at the same time she is a wonderful human being.
How can you contact me?
danielachirion@yahoo.com
http://www.danielachirion.com/contact/
Here follows a message from Peter de Kuster, founder of The Heroine’s Journey
The Heroine’s Journey Conference – Paris
4th, 5th, 6th October 2019
What does it take to change a life? Many of us start by getting away – seeking out a place we have never been before, somewhere far away, with a fresh climate and an unexplored horizon – in the hope that a change of environment might lead to a change of perspective. Though diverting, our journeys are often fleeting, all too brief. We return to our regular routines – the same bad habits, the same implacable problems – and remain, at our core, unfulfilled.
Ten years ago, The Heroine’s Journey was set up to help people to answer some of the larger questions of their lives – questions about their careers, their purpose, their state of mind, and, most importantly, who they are as people. In 2016, we gathered together all that we had learned to create our first ever Conference – a condensation of the best of our wisdom and teaching into a highly exclusive, uniquely transformative three-day experience. Hosted twice a year in different cities across the globe, The Heroine’s Journey Conference offers delegates a chance to discover a new city, meet like-minded strangers, and embark on a journey of genuine self-discovery and self-transformation.
Venue
Hotel Lutetia Paris
What to Expect
Over three days, The Heroine’s Journey Conference aims to provide us with a comprehensive personal storytelling education. It starts – as all journeys of self-improvement must – with the search for self-knowledge: how lasting change can only arise from a thorough understanding of our own minds. It addresses, in turn, our work, love and social lives: showing us the mistakes we commonly make, and the ways we can move past these to find pleasure and purpose in everything we do. It teaches us vital emotional skills, like confidence and calm, required to experience the world with patience and joy. It shows us the lessons we can draw from culture – from literature, art, philosophy, and architecture. Finally, it tries to answer the largest question of all – how to find meaning and lasting happiness in every area of our lives.
Our conference is both designed and led by The Heroine’s Journey founder, Peter de Kuster – renowned expert in storytelling with a proven record in helping people across the world to understand themselves and find fulfilment. It compiles material from our entire curriculum – our core classes, one-day festivals, and five-day schools – to create a programme of the very best teaching we have to offer.
The Conference is not simply a series of lectures, or a passive presentation. Rather, it is a communal, multifaceted, interactive experience. It uses not only speech but films, music, and visual prompts to engage us with its concepts and message. Delegates are regularly invited to participate in exercises and demonstrations, and to share and seek advice for their own unique experiences.
Above all, the Conference is a social occasion – a place for thoughtful people from across the world to come together, share perspectives and ideas, and forge lasting connections with others. Specially designed conversational prompts, as well as morning and evening social activities, are used to encourage delegates to meet and relate. Many come away having made lifelong friendships – and sometimes even more.
Programme
Day 1 Friday Afternoon – Storytelling Education, Self-Knowledge, Self Promotion
Day 2 Saturday Morning – Relationships: Travel from interesting person to interesting person. Marketing for the Introverted.
Day 2 Saturday Afternoon – Work, Creative Confidence, Failure
Day 3 Sunday Morning – Story, Flow, Meaning, Happiness
Conference Leaders
The Conference, led by The Heroine’s Journey founder Peter de Kuster together with leading storytellers .
Who Should Attend The Heroine’s Journey Conference
The Heroine’s Journey Conference is ideal for those looking for an in-depth storytelling experience that covers the four main areas of our creative lives; Passion, Self Promotion, Money and Time Management.
What you can expect:
- A rich programme drawing from the key insights across our core curriculum
- A learning experience combining lectures, films, music, storytelling exercises and continuous audience participation
- Three-days of engaging content written and led by storyteller Peter de Kuster
- Daily educational programme and curated morning and evening social activities
- An opportunity to make new friends in a community of like-minded individua
More about The Heroine’s Journey Conference Paris:
Though accommodation is not provided, the ticket includes lunch on the Saturday, a drinks reception on the Friday, and snacks and refreshments throughout the weekend.
The Heroine's Journey 