Autorin
Biografie (kurz und sachlich)
Claudia Kollschen, geboren 1975 in Bremen, lebt als freie Autorin nördlich von Hamburg.
Sie absolvierte eine Ausbildung zur Buchhändlerin, schloss ihr Studium der Germanistik (Schwerpunkt Deutsche Literaturwissenschaft) und Soziologie als Magistra Artium ab und arbeitete u. a. als freie Lektorin, Stadtführerin für historische Rundgänge und stellvertretende Leiterin einer Stadtbücherei.
Von ihr erschienen literaturwissenschaftliche Arbeiten, mehrere Bücher zur Stadtgeschichte, darunter eines für Kinder, sowie Kurzgeschichten in Anthologien und Literaturzeitschriften. Außerdem war sie mit ihren Geschichten bei Wettbewerben erfolgreich.
Auf ihrem englischsprachigen Blog Happy Quiet Life teilt sie ihren Blick auf die Welt als Hochsensible und schreibt über Ruhe, Naturverbundenheit, Entschleunigung und das Genießen kleiner Momente.
Aktuell liegt ihr Fokus vor allem auf dem Thema Natur.
My Story & My Journey: This Is Me Right Now
I don’t know about you, but I’ve found being a highly sensitive person and an introvert in today’s loud and busy world often quite stressful and sometimes overwhelming.
I love keeping life simple and quiet and living life at a more natural pace. I’ve always known that. But in my teens and much too far into my adult years I didn’t give myself permission to live accordingly. I thought (for an embarassingly long time) I had to outgrow that idea to be successful in this world or at least to be okay, to fit in and to make a living.
After decades of trying which led to mental health issues early on and burnout / nervous breakdown / complete exhaustion in my end-40s, I finally stopped putting pressure on myself and started shaping my life according to what I really want and need.
Keeping life simple, slow and quiet
After a long time off to recover from that mentioned breakdown, I finally feel like being me again after all those years. I’ve started to build a simpler, slower and quieter life that really suits me as a highly sensitive person and an introvert, a life that I love every day (well, most days) and that doesn’t wear me out.
The modern world moves so fast, but that doesn't mean I have to. My happy quiet life is a life that is gentle, mindful and unhurried, away and free from the hustle and bustle, with time to process, reflect, feel, and be in the moment.
I don’t need action or a constant stream of new things all the time (or at all); I don’t have to be constantly out and about or surrounded by people. I enjoy the little moments, prefer depth over superficiality and action, seek quiet hours in nature, or with a great book, a cup of tea (or hot chocolate), and my rich inner world. (Sounds familiar?)
It has been quite a liberating journey – and it’s not over yet. There are still struggles and setbacks as I unlearn unhealthy beliefs and patterns, but I am determined to put self-care front and centre. Reconnecting with nature also helps.
Closer to Nature
As a child I was very close to nature, but I lost touch with it during my adult years while also living in a big city. With my increasing stress and exhaustion over the years, I began to long for fewer people and less civilisation, more nature, more wilderness, I longed for a quieter place where I could feel and experience the seasons more, slow down and reconnect with nature.
Living in a small town in Northern Germany, I’m leading a life closer to nature now by taking walks, gardening (and rewilding our garden), paying attention to the seasons and all kinds of weather more, enjoying different landscapes, watching animals, noticing small and delightful details, reading all kinds of books about nature. I enjoy it so much!
Especially in times of overwhelm, nature reminds me of what’s real, true and important, it grounds me, inspires me - and when I watch birds, discover a new blossom or insect in my garden, walk in the rain, I forget everything else.